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There's nothing like the smell of freshly burnt hair on beautiful spring morning. When photographing a branding I try not to be downwind from the action. But in my effort to get good shots, I usually end up with a few strong whiffs of that most memorable odor.
Cowboy Jim Robinson stands here ready for a calf to be branded. At this ranch, the calves are dragged to the fire after being roped. Some animal activists would throw a fit and picket if they witnessed this event. Many ranchers believe this method of branding is less traumatic on the calf in comparison to using a branding table. These days, most ranchers use a branding table because it is less labor intensive, less time consuming, and therefore less expensive.
Rancher Jim Robinson is one of the hardest working cowboys I have ever met. Watching him preg check cows for over an hour certainly gave me a new found respect for this man.