What exactly do modern cowboys do?

Then you've got a steep learning curve. Here's someone you need to talk to. Her name is Kari and she and her husband are ranchers. http://montanaforreal.blogspot.com/2010/06/ten-things.html ETA: She's on twitter as @kidell and she's a writer too, so she'll understand you're trying to research.

My first reaction is to say, "Define 'cowboy.'"

There are still people, usually men, who make a living hiring out to ranches. But not many. In general, only the really big ranches can afford hired hands permanently. Most hired hands live a fairly transient life.

Many small operations, like the one run by my in-laws, are family operations. All the work was done by my in-laws--mom, dad, daughter and son. This consisted of everything from gathering/moving cattle, feeding, watering, branding, basic veterinary care, attending sales/auctions and caring for the horses. On the modern ranch, a big part of the job is mechanical know-how. Being able to weld, do some carpentry, and work on engines are essential job skills.

My father-in-law, however, had a full time job, which was the main support for the family. Most owners of small operations are in the business because they love it, not for the money. It's hard, often nasty work and you have to love it or you won't last.

Anyway, the point being, with a lot of small, family-owned ranches, the whole family is the "cowboys."

The link provided by Soccer Mom, above looks like a great resource. You also want to learn as much as possible about horses--behavior, training, care. Although a good deal of ranching is done out of the saddle, horses are still an integral part of ranch management.

Yup. I live in Texas ranching country and most cattle are still worked from the saddle.

Also check out Pioneer woman cooks; she's on a ranch, and writes about it.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/

Whatever they want.

YEEHAAA

There's also rodeo cowboys - they're essentially professional athletes, (or semi-professional, for a lot of them), but they have to live and train somewhere, so if you were looking for the 'charm' of a cowboy lifestyle with a bit more glamor, that might work.

Next door is a working ranch and they have two full time hands who do much the same things cowboys did 150 years ago. If you saw them working the cattle, and you didn't know what year it was, you'd never be able to guess.

However, sometimes you do see one wearing a baseball cap, driving an ATV to fix a fence, or picking up a calf with a twenty-year-old, beat-up, manure covered, Dodge truck.

Exactly the same as what Gary wrote. At the fall round-up, the local ranching families' cowboys and cowgirls follow behind on horses right in from of my place (I think it's SO cool), but for the most part it's all family owned and operated. My sister and her husband are also ranchers in Kansas, and they do most of the work themselves.

They all still brand, round-up, fixing fence, building corrals, doctoring the sick, haul cattle and horses, etc.

Do you have specific questions that might get you started or provide you with little-known bits such as the rancher getting Bureau of Land Management grazing rights, etc.?

ETA: you might check your public library. They may have several authoritative books/novels about the subject and the lifestyle.

Great to see traditions being kept like that.

I'm watching River Monsters on Animal Planet right now (I'm weirdly obsessed with this show), and they just showed an advertisement for a show called Last American Cowboy.

I didn't catch the day/time it airs, but it may be worth watching.

Just saw Last American Cowboy. If you're wanting to write about modern cowboys, you need to see this show. It was awesome. Here you go: http://www.poptower.com/last-american-cowboy.htm

I live in NE and while they still keep horses, most of the farmers/ranchers around here use ATVs. They used to drive the cattle through town every fall and spring but they've stopped that now.

It seems like everyone who ranches also has a full time job working in town or owns their own side business to supplement their income. Some do construction, one family owns a steak house, mechanic jobs, etc...And very few of them wear cowboy hats. It's usually ball caps, t-shirts, dirty jeans, and boots.

Anyway, maybe we're just weird around here in NE.

Jen

One of my brothers-in-law was a working cowboy when I married into the family and he did pretty much what traditional cowboys in the past did - on horseback. He worked for a very large ranch in western Kansas and he moved stock, checked and fixed fence, all the traditional cowboy duties.

skunkmelon said:

I live in NE and while they still keep horses, most of the farmers/ranchers around here use ATVs. They used to drive the cattle through town every fall and spring but they've stopped that now.

It seems like everyone who ranches also has a full time job working in town or owns their own side business to supplement their income. Some do construction, one family owns a steak house, mechanic jobs, etc...And very few of them wear cowboy hats. It's usually ball caps, t-shirts, dirty jeans, and boots.

Anyway, maybe we're just weird around here in NE.

Jen

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Farming and ranching are not the most secure vocations, which reminds me of a TV interview with a North Dakota farmer who had oil discovered on his land. He was asked what he planned to do with his oil income. His response: "I'm going to keep on farming as long as the oil holds out".

Nowadays,when I think of cowboys, I kinda think of "Brokeback mountain" probably not what you're looking for..... I suspect.

My husband works for John Deere here in Wy.

This is a busy time of year with hay. Many ranchers grow as much hay as possible to use for their own cattle in the winter and also to sell. When it's time to cut hay they work as long as there is light because they want it cut be Hay cutting machinery breaks down and they need parts and repair NOW, because there are in a window of time to cut before a weather change.Teens get jobs bucking bales, hard work. In the winter they drive hay out to the herds and make sure they have water, not blocks of ice. There is never really a day off.

They really watch snow/rain amounts here because that determines how much hay they can grow. We were in a drought for several years but this year has been a great year for hay, with several cuttings in our county. Lots of hay--they can increase their cattle!