by Jim Stasiowski, Rapid City Journal
PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) — No manual exists to guide the removal of the 40 or so cattle carcasses stuck in the ice at the White Clay Reservoir.
So, for the dozen men shivering Tuesday morning at the northeast corner of the iced-over reservoir on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, everything is improvisation.
That approach worked on Monday, when the men dragged out a dozen of the cattle, many of which were prized 2-year-old bred heifers in the herd owned by Mike Carlow, a Pine Ridge rancher, the Rapid City Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1CkAJCa ).
A week ago, a rambunctious wind pushed about 100 of the cattle, most owned by Mike but some by his brother, Pat, onto the ice.
White Clay ice isn't Saran Wrap — it's more the thickness of a loaf of bread. But 100 multiplied by a cow's weight, about 1,100 pounds, is going to tax any midwinter ice.
When the ice cracked, the estimated 100 head of cattle crashed through and died. The young ones, he says, went onto the ice. Older cattle in the herd instinctively knew not to venture there. They survived. They are grazing nearby.
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Source: Rapid City Journal
Posted by Jami Howell
