Summer trail drive

The trail drive was usually not organized by the rancher but by contractors, who hired cowhands to drive cattle to the nearest railhead. If nothing went wrong on the trail, the contractor could make a large profit. For example, if the contractor moved 2,000 head of cattle for a fee of $1.00 to $1.50 per head, his gross could be from $2,000 to $2,500 for two months work. His only expenses were paying and feeding the crew, which amounted to less than $1,000, making his net profit between $1,000 and $1,500.

The average trail drive lasted two to three months, and the contractor would invest in a wagon and a team of horses, food, some extra horses for cowhands, and wages. The following wages are from the 1890s: the trail boss ($90/month), the cook ($60/month), the horse wrangler ($25/month), and ten to twelve cowhands ($30–40/month). The cowhands brought their own bedding, saddle, and sometimes their own horses. Privately owned horses were thrown together with the contractor’s horses in a remuda, where the horse wrangler cared for them. If the group consisted of ten cowhands, the remuda had six to eight mounts per man. Each of the cowhands had specific duties to perform on the trail, although they might not do the same thing for the entire trip. The most important job belonged to the trail boss. The cook was also important, as he kept cowhands happy and their stomachs filled with grub!