Bull catching

[Steel]

I recently got back from visiting my daughter who is a Ringer in the Northern Territory. They were mustering a mob of about 3,500 Brahman cows in one paddock. The station has over 30,000 cows. Micky bulls are smart enough to avoid the yards are caught with bull catchers. I was lucky enough to get a ride in the passenger seat to catch one.

 

[Steel]

Loading a truck of weaners at sunrise.

 

[Steel]

Marking calves

 

[ladycrofter]

That bull looks pure evil! How does the catcher work? Do you have to right next to the bull?

 

[Farmer Roy]

Err, I was doing that in the Gulf Country nearly 40 years ago

we didn’t have any bionic arms, just grabbed their tail, threw them off balance then quickly put a set of hobbles on them

that was back in the days of the Brucellosis / TB program of the ‘80s

 

[Farmer Roy]

Westmoreland ( QLD ) back in the day

 

[Top Tip.]

What is a Ringer? Pardon my ignorance.

 

[Farmer Roy]

What is a Ringer? Pardon my ignorance.

Australian cowboy / stockmen, in the north

 

[Steel]

That bull looks pure evil! How does the catcher work? Do you have to right next to the bull?

12 volt hydrolic pump runs the arm which catches the bulls neck. The driver has a switch. You need a hazer to get the bull close enough. We had a 4 wheel bike which was just out of the picture. He actually came in a bit fast and was locked up and sideways at the catch. This bull also got his horn in the sprockets driving the arm and stopped it closing completely. The bloke on the bike got a rope around his horns quickly and tied him to the catcher as he was almost escaping.

 

[Steel]

Err, I was doing that in the Gulf Country nearly 40 years ago

we didn’t have any bionic arms, just grabbed their tail, threw them off balance then quickly put a set of hobbles on them

that was back in the days of the Brucellosis / TB program of the ‘80s

The head stockman and an experienced bloke both have their own bullcatchers on this station. The head stockman was on the bike during this catch and I videoed the whole chase and catch. The video was only 15 seconds. We led the bull to the cattle yards with the head rope then grabbed it with the arm again to get him through the gate and trim his horns.
The bloke I was in the bull catcher with just caught bulls and buffalos last year. Usually caught around 50 a day.

 

[Steel]

Err, I was doing that in the Gulf Country nearly 40 years ago

we didn’t have any bionic arms, just grabbed their tail, threw them off balance then quickly put a set of hobbles on them

that was back in the days of the Brucellosis / TB program of the ‘80s

They knock a few over on the 4 wheel bikes there and tie their legs, but nobody seems to throw them by hand.
Most the staff are women these days. 5 girls and 3 men in the stock camp.

 

[Blue.]

That bull looks pure evil! How does the catcher work? Do you have to right next to the bull?

 

[Steel]

They catch a lot of Buffalos too.
They say buffs are smarter and if you miss one with the arm you never get another chance.
Buffs are also stronger and push the bull catchers around more when they are caught.

 

[AGN76]

Looks like they need to breed some Belgian Blue temperament into them!

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

I recently got back from visiting my daughter who is a Ringer in the Northern Territory. They were mustering a mob of about 3,500 Brahman cows in one paddock. The station has over 30,000 cows. Micky bulls are smart enough to avoid the yards are caught with bull catchers. I was lucky enough to get a ride in the passenger seat to catch one.

What are "Micky bulls" and what are they catching them for ?

 

[Wisconsonian]

What are "Micky bulls" and what are they catching them for ?

Accidents that were missed in the last roundup. The females are just another cow and will trail in with the herd, but the half feral bulls are the problem.
Do they want to pick more domesticated bulls? and do they shoot the buffalo and bulls that get away?

 

[Steel]

What are "Micky bulls" and what are they catching them for ?

Wild bulls that have never been yarded. Also called scrub bulls or cleanskins.
Caught to stop them breeding with cows as they fight and outcompete the bulls they want breed

Accidents that were missed in the last roundup. The females are just another cow and will trail in with the herd, but the half feral bulls are the problem.
Do they want to pick more domesticated bulls? and do they shoot the buffalo and bulls that get away?

These bulls have never been yarded. They also come in from nearby aboriginal land nearby.
If they get a chance they will also shoot those the smart ones they can't catch.
There are smart bulls which run when they hear a helicoptor they run and keep going or hide in thick bush patches.

 

[YELROM]

So what do they do with them once they are left tied to a tree

 

[Muddyroads]

So what do they do with them once they are left tied to a tree

Part 2 shows that bit, getting them loaded up.

 

[Steel]

So what do they do with them once they are left tied to a tree

In the truck and off to market.