Buck
Buck’s Trail Note:
Lead Hand • Cowboy
Let me introduce myself. Folks call me Buck. If there’s dust on the horizon and bawlin’ in the wind, I’m likely somewhere under that hat—pushin’ beeves, holdin’ night guard, or dallyin’ a rope around something that doesn’t yet know it wants to cooperate.
Days start before sun-up at the remuda and end long after the cook’s lantern goes out. A good horse, a clean loop, and partners you can trust—that’s my whole outfit. We wrangle our part of the herd, chase away varmints, and sing to restless cattle till the stars run down.
Ask me about: building a loop, night-herding songs, crossing a swollen river, rope tricks that save your saddle, or what makes a sure-footed trail horse.
Responsibilities
- Lead my camp, cows and cowboys
- Night guard rotation—keep herd calm & bunched
- Branding, doctoring, and cutting strays
- Wrangle remuda when needed
Skills
- Roping (head & heels), tying off, dally work
- Horsemanship across badlands, gumbo, and river fords
- Reading weather, grazing, and water on open range
- Camp craft: knots, mending tack, coffee that’ll walk
Gear
- Slick-fork saddle, high cantle for long days
- Riata/rope, hobbles, saddle bags, canteen
- Bedroll, oilskin, and a sharp belt knife
- Rifle and revolver for when the prairie gets opinionated
Trails & Country
- Open range in sunny days and dark nights
- Cut banks, cottonwood bottoms, and windy prairie
- Stampede country—what to do when the ground rumbles
- Get the work done and moral high
Outfit & Connections
- Leader, cook, wrangler, and night hawk
- Ranchers, freighters, and trading posts along the way
- Drive beeves to Army forts that buy beef
- Good water for herds to drink & men resupply
Buck’s Trail Notes
- Singing soft on night guard steadies a nervous herd
- Fresh sign beats old stories—track with your eyes, not your ears
- Keep your cinch honest and your partners closer
- When in doubt at a crossing: look twice, ride once
“Sing soft on night guard and keep your partners close.”