Ranchers from Wallowa and Lane counties gathered for a tour of cattle country in Wallowa County on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Here they stopped at the historic Dorrance barn. Steve Dorrance, a former county resident and descendant of local ranchers, holds a photograph of his family’s ranch at lower left.

WALLOWA COUNTY — Cattle ranchers from opposite ends of Oregon got together here recently to learn more about the challenges each faces and foster a sense of unity among the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.

Members of the Wallowa County Stockgrowers Association hosted an exchange with members of the Lane County Livestock Association mostly on Saturday, May 22, consisting of a bus tour of Wallowa County sites, including ranches, the Zumwalt Prairie, the historic Buckhorn Lookout and other sites pertinent to the local livestock industry.

“I thought it was a great tour,” said Todd Nash, a Wallowa County commissioner, rancher and president of the OCA, on May 23. “We got to see some really diverse ranching.”

More than 25 ranchers from Lane County were among the approximately 60 people who took part in the tour. Three commissioners of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; ODFW staff; state Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, and an aide; and an aide to Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz also took part. In addition to the bus tour, there were meals and social time at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise.

Lane County abuts the Pacific Coast and is the fourth-most populated county in the state with the highly urban Eugene at its heart. This is in contrast to Wallowa County tucked away in Oregon’s northeast corner and the state’s fifth-least populated county.

But both are known for their fertile soil and agriculture, giving them something in common.

“Beyond having a wonderful time with ranchers from Lane County, we had relevant discussions on issues of the day,” Nash said.

Top issues

Chief among those issues, according to Nash and others who attended, were wolf depredation on livestock and wildlife, drought, federal forest issues, grazing allotments and general predator discussions.

Ron Weiss, president of the Lane County group, was impressed with the tour.

“That was probably one of the best put-together ranch tours I’ve been to in the past 25 years,” he said in a telephone interview May 26.

Weiss said the issues that struck him the most were those surrounding wolves and the ongoing drought.

“We feel you’re getting run over the coals by the wolf predation situation. … You guys are really getting (it) and we’ve got your back as an association,” he said.

Lane County, he noted, is well west of the north-south dividing line that separates federally protected wolves from those in the east that can be shot if caught harassing cattle. He said there are wolves in his area, but they’re not yet going after cattle.

“Right now, the wolves in Lane County are diminishing our elk herds,” he said. “They haven’t gotten to our cattle yet, but it’s just a matter of time.”

Weiss also was impressed with how Wallowa County ranchers are dealing with the drought and “keeping fat cattle” in its midst.

“We were impressed with how you guys run your ranches, especially under the drought conditions,” he said.

Kevin McCadden, one of the vice presidents of the Wallowa County Stockgrowers, showed the group his ranch on Alder Slope where he raises breeding stock, Gelbvieh-Angus cross Balancer bulls. According to the Gelbvieh website, Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are well known throughout the beef industry for their maternal strengths and superior growth.

Fostering unity

In addition to telling about his own operation, McCadden was eager to hear from the Lane County ranchers.

“It was interesting to listen to them and hear about their ranches where it’s pretty flat country,” he said. “We have different challenges.”

McCadden said he believes the greatest benefit to the ranch tour was to foster unity with producers from across the state and better understand the challenges each faces.

“Now we have a better understanding in what’s going on in everybody’s operation, not just our neck of the woods,” he said. “As we become more aware of what everyone’s up against, we can become a more unified organization.”

Neither stockgrowers group has yet decided if there will be a reciprocal visit from Wallowa County to Lane County. But the possibility is open.

“We can do that,” Weiss said of hosting Wallowa County in the future.