There was more grass than in most pastures I had passed during my trip from Georgetown.
tion. The crew is taught to commu- nicate important information and do it quickly.”
Part of the range management plan “We burn during the winter be-
cause our grass recovers better than from summer fi res,” says Frank. “Fires burn much hotter during the summer months and grass recovery can be very slow. With good soil moisture, we see green vegetation within a week after a winter burn. Within 6 weeks, we fl ash graze the burned area with cattle and sheep so they will consume the tender growth of whitebrush, agarita, lote- bush, 4-wing saltbush and catclaw that resprouted after the fi re.” Price Ranch uses a rotational
grazing system that allows forage management for drought. Frank formulated a grazing index that
tscra.org
everyone on the ranch is capable of using. The number 1 represents an av-
erage quantity of forage in a pasture. Quantities below average are given a negative rating and an above- average forage supply receives a rating greater than 1. Frank rates pastures frequently
and uses the information to write rotation plans. The plans are sub- ject to change based on the amount of rainfall. When cattle are to be worked they are put in a pasture closer to the corrals. Grazing will be reduced on a pasture scheduled for a prescribed burn so a fuel load can be produced. The combination of grazing
management and prescribed fi re is working well on the Price Ranch. As I drove through the front gate, I immediately sensed that range con- servation is being practiced. There
was more grass than in most pas- tures I had passed during my trip from Georgetown. The Prices were recognized for their conservation practices recently with receipt of the Regional Environmental Stew- ardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. During my visit with Frank and
Sims Price, I realized that a big advantage of their prescribed burn program is that it has given them a deep understanding of fi re behavior. They experienced 7 wildfi res on the ranch in 2011, with one burn- ing dangerously close to Frank’s house. They calmly and methodi- cally gained control of each fi re and saved the house from damage. If Frank and Sims had not had the experience and equipment for man- aging fi re, they probably would not have survived the ordeals as well as they did.
November 2013 The Cattleman 81
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