John, you and Mace have the right idea.  I will occasionally leave the gates open and put some sweet feed in portable bunks in the corral area to get them used to coming in and out. This has worked well at my other corral. Pretty soon all I have to do is to call them and bang on a white 5 gal pail and they will come running out of the woods 1/4 mile away!  Calves will follow mama in until they develop a sweet tooth also.

While they are eating a sweet treat I walk around the outside and close the gates. They also learn that the way out is through the crowd area and chute. I hate chasing cattle. It's much easier and safer when they come in on their own.

Sometimes I will get them in for a treat and close the gates for a half hour or hour just so they learn to stay calm inside the corral. I then let them out and they get to learn its no big deal.  After they are calm in the corral, I will start letting then walk out through the open alley and chute and back to pasture so they learn that is a way out.

As you point out, training cattle to come in on their own for a sweet treat is a lot easier than having a rodeo every time I want to weigh them or the vet comes for his twice a year visits to preg check, give them their shots or bangs etc.

Jim