Wrangler Cody Fahrion keeps a feral cow calm in Los Alamos County recently while waiting for a cattle trailer. Courtesy/LACA
A cowboy ropes a feral cow recently in Los Alamos County to be taken to the state brand inspector. Courtesy/LAC
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
There is a real gang of troublemakers in Los Alamos. With no regard to rules, they go where they want to go, do whatever they want and leave a trail of mess and destruction.
These hooligans may not be what you think. While most cattle appear docile and tame, the ones running amuck in Los Alamos are feral and the County is working to get control of these wild animals.
Feral cows have had a long-time presence in Los Alamos, County Open Space Specialist Eric Peterson said.
It isn’t known where exactly these feral cattle originated but wild cattle have been in the mountains around Los Alamos for 10 years, he explained. After the wildfires that have occurred in the County, fences fell and it didn’t take long for cattle to get loose. As a result, Peterson said there are whole generations that were born and died on the range.
There are three separate areas where feral cattle frequent, Peterson said, including Pueblo and White Rock Canyons and there is a large population in Guaje Canyon. He added the County needs to work with local tribes as well as LANL and Bandelier to address the cattle. On the County’s end, 22 head of cattle have successfully been removed, Peterson said, adding that in the northern part of Forest Service land, 50 have been counted. There is no exact number for the total number of feral cattle, but he said it is estimated between 100-150 feral cows are in Los Alamos and this doesn’t include those that are in White Rock Canyon.
It may seem like a novelty to have wild cattle, but they are a nuisance, Peterson said.
The feral cattle have done a lot of damage to the environment and with food and water becoming scarcer they are coming more and more into town, Peterson said.
“They are definitely over grazing the landscape … they are on (it) 24 hours every day of the year. The range doesn’t have time to rejuvenate … meanwhile, deer and native wildlife have to compete with the cattle for water and food. For instance, 5-6 gallons of water is drunk per cow per day. Right now, they are probably not getting that but there is a permanent water source in Guaje Canyon and they definitely contribute to the poor water quality with the amount of cattle trampling through that. Los Alamos County’s boundaries do not have grazing allotments, and no one leases gazing land from the Forest Service so there really shouldn’t be a single cow in Los Alamos County.”
It’s not just the environment getting damaged.
“We’ve seen an increase of cattle in Pueblo and Bayo Canyon and we may have to close the canyons to remove them,” Peterson said. “We will be doing a second round up as they are spotted on County property. Cattle are causing damage to cultural sites in their paths. These cattle are trampling federally protected cultural sites and it is my responsibility to protect these sites.”
People are getting caught in the cross hairs, too.
In September, a hiker came across a wild cow on a trail, which resulted in one of his feet getting crushed, Peterson said.
“That has prompted more attention to remove the cattle,” he said.
Los Alamos County hired Cody Fahrion, a wrangler out of Pagosa to catch the cattle. Additionally, Catahoula Catch Dogs are deployed to herd the cattle and cowboys rope them and bring them into a trailer. This isn’t easy work, Peterson said. These animals are not typical livestock – they have never been handled by humans or been inside a trailer. Plus, they can weigh up to 2,500 pounds.
Once the cattle are captured, they are turned over to the state brand inspector, which owns all the unbranded cattle in New Mexico, he said. If not claimed by an owner, the cattle will be sent to auction. What happens after that isn’t known.
Peterson said he believes the County’s response to the feral cows will offer good results.
“With proper funding and seeing the techniques of Cody Fahrion, I definitely feel these methods are successful and we can solve this,” he said. “It won’t be solved overnight but with proper funding and a proper management plan we can knock the population down in a couple of years.”
As of right now, $13,600 has been spent to capture feral cattle, Peterson said. Also, Los Alamos County and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have funded cattle removal.
Regarding LANL’s efforts, “Feral cattle have wandered onto Department of Energy (DOE) and LANL property in Los Alamos, Pueblo, and Rendija canyons from adjacent properties,” a LANL spokesperson said. “As the cattle pose health and safety risks and have had a negative impact on the environment, the Laboratory has hired a contractor to remove them from Los Alamos Canyon. Los Alamos Canyon east of Omega Bridge remains closed to the public.”
“The Laboratory continues to communicate with Los Alamos County and the Pueblo de San Ildefonso about the feral cattle,” the spokesperson added.
To have the feral cow removal project be successful, Peterson said tips on cow sightings are important. He encourages people to email him at eric.peterson@lacnm.us if they see a cow on County property and to send pictures. The areas of biggest concern are Guaje Pines Cemetery, Los Alamos County Golf Course and Open Space canyons.
Peterson remarked on the oddity of this problem but emphasized he is determined to solve it.
“It’s weird; we have bears peacefully going through trash cans, but we have cattle terrorizing trails,” he said. “I’ve made it a goal of mine to fix this issue. I don’t plan on stopping. I’m looking forward to going to the mesa tops and seeing herds of elk and deer – not herds of feral cattle.”
