Media Bias on the Range ★ Exposing the Ignorance
Series Entry No 1
Breaking the Narrative
The article exposes a complete ignorance of basic Western range management and livestock husbandry, relying on cheap sensationalism rather than actual ranching facts.
First, the accusation that a rancher is somehow negligent for leaving cattle out in the winter demonstrates an utter lack of understanding of desert operations.
In the Intermountain West, the entire production model relies on year-round grazing. These herds are specifically bred—using hardy crosses like Brahman and Hereford—to thrive on desert brush and low-growing shrubs through every season.
Forcing cattle into feedlots or barns during a desert winter is not how open-range cattlemen operate; the range itself is their sustenance.
Second, the complaint about cattle wandering onto areas like golf courses completely ignores the legal reality of Open Range doctrine.
Throughout the West, the law dictates that it is the responsibility of private property owners to fence livestock out, not the rancher’s duty to fence them in.
By twisting standard, legally protected range practices into signs of neglect, the piece reveals itself as a coordinated hit job designed to mislead anyone unfamiliar with the realities of Western cattle ranching.
Relying on arbitrary commentary to validate a confirmation bias only underscores a fundamental misunderstanding of the industry, exposing the lack of baseline knowledge held by both the author and those who cite them.
— Vincent Easley II
https://reallibertymedia.com/author/https-reallibertymedia-com-author-vine
Reference: https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/local/2016/02/18/cliven-bundy-s-bizarre-ranching/25684713007