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| I know the feeling Doug, I remember back in 2019' sitting in a sale thinking I could pick up a couple of heifer bulls. I had been there two years earlier 2017', had to sit through 250 bulls out of 400 to purchase second picks from catalog. They worked for us like the catalog numbers projected. Calving ease, yet great growth for my area. Those bulls had great dispositions and even made 4 seasons for me.
But in 2019' went to their sale thinking yeah will be lots of money, but pony up I thought. Well sat there for half the sale, I just flipped a switch in my brain and said nope. Wife and I got up and left. However I went back this fall and did purchase some. I reflected back a few weeks ago sitting with my accountant and my wife when going through tax info. This business isn't for the weak of heart in relationship to gambling. Yet I, can't bring myself to place a bet at a horse race nor drop any coin on a betting table in Vegas.
Its a somber feeling when you look at bull purchase receipts, we turn them out to do their thing. So easy to get hurt or die and not get any use out of them. Lucky if you get salvage value in the end. I always just self-insured my bulls by purchasing extra replacements. However I've been purchasing insurance last two years. We even got to try the insurance out last year. Only 45 days into ownership on a pen of bulls and had to make a claim.
Don't even get me started on price of saddle horses, I just bought my first insurance on a new ranch horse a few weeks ago. Never thought in my wildest dreams I would purchase just using horses and have to insure them.
I guess only thing I can add is, nope cattle prices aren't too high when I've got to buy insurance to try and protect and investment like cattle.
I went to a information meeting last Friday night for cattleman. It was about Anthrax. A case popped up in Idaho last week. Not one old timer in this area I know has ever delt with it. This ranch lost 7 or 8 head to it. But in discussions with another rancher I told him how my sons are looking at using GPS tracking for use in our bulls. I've not done any research into it. But I'm hoping it can become affordable and user friendly in the future at least for our bulls.
Edited to add, sharp looking lid there olivetroad!
Edited by Russ In Idaho 2/16/2026 04:45
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Topp Herefords bull shopping
