Record Drought Gets Cattle Hoofin’ It

The great expansion of America took ranchers west. The drought is pushing them back east.


Lifelong Wyoming rancher Neil Forgey is hoping the grass is greener in Winner, South Dakota. This year’s drought has forced a terrible choice on Western ranchers: sell, or haul. Forgey’s usually verdant land in Douglas, Wyoming—home for decades—is “drier than it’s ever been,” he said. Every county in that state is a declared disaster area, eligible for federal money. Forgey’s property was also threatened by the Arapaho Fire, which destroyed nearly 99,000 acres, the worst in Wyoming this year. “It was selling them, or South Dakota,” he said.

Forgey found greener pastures seven hours and 330 miles east, on an expansive prairie owned by family friend. There, at risky expense, 120 head of cattle will graze until September in the hope next year will bring rain.

Not so lucky are ranchers just an hour south, in Bassett, Nebraska, where the local auction house can barely keep up with a brimming cattle yard.

As ranchers flee fire and drought, and scientists warn of a more severe droughts driven by climate change, Forgey’s story is repeating all over the West.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

Fact:

Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do.

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2022 demands.

payment methods

Fact:

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2022 demands.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate