All good points, Alice, equally applicable to parts of Wyoming and Colorado. There is a good book out called High Country Cowboy, by Ken Reyher, which chronicles early ranching in Western Colorado. here's a blurb on it:

Life was tough for the western Colorado Cowboy. He faced a set of challenges that were totally different from his counterpart in Texas or even those brave men who worked on the open plains of eastern Colorado. Deep snows made it necessary to keep the cattle at lower elevations in the winter yet drought required they be driven back to the high country in the summer. A variety of predators could quickly disappear into the rugged countryside. Newborn calves might never be found.

I might add that this is still true. My dad's cousin still ranches on my great-grandparents' old place and heads to high country in the summer, etc. Funny thing, my dad, his parents, and grandparents prided themselves on not hunting for meat. They raised their own and went without if not. It was really kind of looked down upon as a way to supply one's family with food.

kat