Dakota Farmer

No corrals in the pasture? No problem for Martinmass cowboys. They drop a cage on the biggest bull.

August 2, 2013

1 Min Read

Ray Martinmass and his brothers, of Orient, S.D., have a slick way to catch a cow or bull in the pasture.

They drop a cage on them.

The Martinmasses built a cage out of square steel tubing. It's about 6 feet wide, 12-14 foot long, 5-6 foot tall. They lift the cage up with a payloader or tractor loader, run up behind the animal with the cage high in the air and drop it over the top of them. They sometimes need to herd the animal with ATVs so the tractor or payloader operator can line up the cage properly.

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To get the bull or cow in a trailer, they then lift the cage a foot or so off the ground and walk the animal over to the trailer. They insert the end of the cage into the trailer, open a gate on the end of the cage that's in the trailer and the bull or cow jumps in the trailer on its own.

"It's pretty slick," Martinmass says..

The cage is a lot easier and safer than trying to rope a cow or bull, Martinmass says. A bull can tip over and drag an ATV.

The Martinmasses have a portable corral, but it's not always available when you need it and can take a while to set up. The cage is easy to move. They set it on a trailer and tow it down the road with a tractor or pickup.

 

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