As many hikers know, while hiking on the CDT you will likely encounter a wide variety of activities that take place on public lands. For the most part, your route will avoid things like major transmission lines, pipelines and other large infrastructure. Where possible, the Trail has been routed intentionally to keep the hiker from having to encounter those items. But along much of the CDT, livestock grazing has a long history, and hikers are likely to encounter cattle, horses, or sheep and the many types of rangeland improvement structures that ranchers use to manage their livestock – things like fences, water facilities, and stock pens.
Many of the facilities are owned outright by the rancher or are jointly owned by the rancher and land management agency, but generally the rancher provides all the maintenance and repair needed to keep them operational. Where the CDT encounters these facilities, hikers should respect them and avoid any manipulation of them. This is something most hikers understand and appreciate.
What may be less obvious is how to be aware of and react to livestock management activities that you may encounter while hiking. On occasion, CDT hikers may come across things like a cattle drive, when cowboys are moving a herd from one pasture to another or driving them to corrals for regular husbandry activities (branding, weaning, or preparing to truck animals to other locations).
When encountering cattle and other livestock along the CDT, there are things to be aware of and some simple steps you can take to avoid conflict:
—Cattle are often more at ease around people on horseback than humans on the ground, so they may see you as something out of place or even as a predator – especially when you’ve got a backpack bulge above your shoulders. When you encounter cattle, be aware of how the cattle react to you and try not to startle them. Some will be accustomed to hikers and may ignore you, while others will be wary of you and keep turning to watch you or may even follow. Some may actually take off running away from you – in this case, it’s best to stop to let them move away at a slower pace.
—Cows with calves are especially wary, and you want to avoid getting between them and their calves. Although most are not as dangerous as moose cows with calves, some may become highly protective. Give them a wide berth and be aware of how they are reacting to you.
—It may be possible to keep vegetation or topography between you and livestock, but if cattle see you attempting to do this, they may think you are a hiding predator (not a good outcome). Only hide if there is a spot where you don’t expect to be seen at all.
—If cattle are gathered as a herd, you will likely hear them well before you see them. If you are near a low mountain pass, or in a canyon, try to determine if they are moving in your direction and if so, be prepared for them to cross your path. If you have time, announce your presence to any cowboys you see or hear so that they can help keep the cattle from overreacting.
—Avoid lingering at water facilities, as livestock and wildlife will usually avoid the water when humans are present. Never camp or take a break at any water source designed for livestock.
—Leave gates as you find them. Usually, the gates in pasture and ranch boundary fences will be closed to keep cattle in a particular pasture, or to keep them from entering a neighbor’s ranch. On occasion, you may see a gate that is open, which usually means that cattle are free to move from pasture to pasture or the rancher is planning to move a herd through from one pasture to another. Most times, these gates will be propped or wired open, and you should never close them.
Generally, you can usually avoid creating panic in livestock by being aware of what is going on around you and reacting calmly. If you are close enough to do so, consider asking the cowboys how they’d like you to avoid creating issues before you walk by the herd of cattle. Most of them will know that the CDT exists and that hikers are using it, but early or late season hiking might have them less prepared for the eventuality.
Most of these practical approaches will help keep good relations between the hiking community and the ranching community, who both have reasons to travel along the Continental Divide Trail. These approaches are even more important when you may be deviating from the CDT to get to town or bushwhacking to some nearby destination, because when you are not on the Trail, you are more likely to surprise those that are also using that landscape.
Tom Phillips worked for over 30 years for the Bureau of Land Management, where he frequently coordinated with CDT partner organizations to manage and protect the Trail in southern New Mexico. Today, Tom lives in Las Cruces and volunteers as a member of CDTC’s board.
