Chico Basin Ranch surf in Hanover, Colorado

For the past 25 years, Chico Basin Ranch has been managed by Ranchlands, a ranching company owned and operated by the Phillips family. The family lost the lease and this was their last cattle burn before they had to leave the ranch in December.

They are currently looking for new land to lease so they can maintain their herd of Beefmaster cattle, which have been carefully developed over the past twenty years, on the ranch. Duke Phillips III, the patriarch of the family, describes these cattle as “intelligent, gentle and resilient – ​​able to be worked and moved, and to thrive on their own in adverse conditions, through heat waves, snowstorms, floods and droughts.” He says they are the product of a management philosophy that seeks to live in harmony with the land, requiring minimal input to carry out their crucial work of grazing for rangeland health.

During this branding, the team vaccinated, branded and tagged more than 300 calves.

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.