# Land + Winter in Montana Canonical: https://4rjournal.farm/issues/winter-edit-2026/articles/land-winter/ Issue: The Winter Edit · No. 001 · Winter 2026 Pages: 27–35 ## Journal page 27 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA | RANCH LIFE Beyond the snow on a Montana ranch REBEKAH CLARK | PRESIDENT, MADISON COUNTY CATTLEWOMEN When winter arrives in Montana, snow-covered pastures, freezing temperatures, and shorter days become part of everyday life. For many people, winter means spending more time indoors, enjoying the holidays, and settling in until spring. But for cattle ranchers, the work continues regardless of the weather. While the landscape may look quiet beneath a blanket of snow, winter is one of the busiest times of year for those who care for livestock. Raising cattle doesn’t follow a traditional work schedule, and winter brings its own set of challenges. From feeding cattle in freezing temperatures to keeping water available and monitoring herd health, ranchers spend much of the season making sure their animals have what they need to stay healthy. CLARK CATTLE RANCH | PHOTO COURTESY OF REBEKAH CLARK View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-27 ## Journal page 28 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA | THE WORK BENEATH THE QUIET What the herd needs One of the biggest parts of winter ranch life is making sure cattle have enough to eat. During warmer months, cattle graze on pasture, but winter weather quickly changes how easily they access that forage. In areas where the wind blows, cattle can keep grazing through winter months, but in places where the snow piles up, ranchers rely on stockpiled feed for their cattle, often in the form of hay harvested during the spring and summer. Producing and storing enough hay for winter requires planning well in advance. Ranchers must estimate how much feed their herd will need, account for the length and severity of winter, and make sure they have enough supplies to last until cattle can return to pasture. Depending on the operation, feeding may involve hauling round bales into pastures, flaking hay off of a truck for cattle, or delivering feed using tractors and other equipment, such as mixers. Nutrition is about more than simply keeping cattle full. Cows need adequate energy, protein, fat, minerals, and other nutrients to maintain body condition and support their stage of production. Cold weather can increase their energy requirements, particularly when temperatures drop, wind picks up, or cattle have to contend with wet conditions. Ranchers pay attention to the condition of their animals and adjust feeding programs as needed throughout the season. All of this work takes place regardless of the forecast. Even on the coldest days, the herd depends on someone showing up. Feed is only one part of winter cattle care. Access to clean water is equally important, and freezing temperatures can make it a daily challenge. Ranchers regularly check water tanks and watering systems to ensure cattle can drink throughout the day. Cattle also need protection from harsh conditions. With adequate nutrition, a winter coat, and protection from severe wind and wet weather, healthy cattle are generally well equipped to handle the cold. However, prolonged storms and extreme temperatures can create additional stress. Winter weather can also make everyday ranch work more difficult. Ranchers watch forecasts closely and prepare for incoming storms by checking fences, making sure feed is accessible, and ensuring water systems are working properly. Snowdrifts can cover gates and make familiar roads difficult to travel, turning routine chores into longer, more demanding tasks. Consistency is essential, but ranchers must also be ready to adjust their plans as conditions change. Winter on a cattle ranch often means early mornings and long hours outside. Ranchers balance feeding and checking cattle with maintaining equipment, repairing fences, and preparing for changing weather. Unlike many jobs, these responsibilities cannot simply be postponed when conditions become unpleasant. Ranch families organize their days around the needs of their livestock, often adjusting their schedules to ensure their animals receive consistent care. View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-28 ## Journal page 29 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA | THROUGH EVERY FORECAST The daily commitment Winter is also a time to prepare for the seasons ahead. Ranchers may plan breeding programs, maintain machinery, and get ready for calving season. For operations with winter or early-spring calving, the colder months can bring additional responsibilities as ranchers prepare facilities, monitor pregnant cows, and gather supplies for newborn calves. Even for those who calve later in the year, winter remains an important time to manage the herd and plan for the coming grazing season. Despite the challenges, there is satisfaction in seeing cattle healthy and well cared for through the cold months, knowing that the work done now helps prepare the herd for spring. For those who don't live or work around cattle, a snow-covered ranch may appear peaceful and still. Behind that scenery is a daily commitment to planning, hard work, and caring for animals through every season. Raising cattle in Montana means adapting to the weather and making sure the herd's needs are met, no matter the conditions. The next time a winter storm rolls across the Montana landscape, remember that ranchers are still out there delivering hay, checking water, watching their herds, and preparing for spring. It's a side of winter that often goes unseen, but it remains an essential part of Montana's agricultural communities. CONTRIBUTOR + ORGANIZATION Madison County CattleWomen ARTICLE BY REBEKAH CLARK | PRESIDENT Madison County CattleWomen promotes the beef industry through agricultural education, scholarships, community programs and support for local farms and ranches. Its members connect consumers with the people, care and daily work behind Montana beef. MADISONCOUNTYCATTLEWOMEN.ORG Instagram Facebook View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-29 ## Journal page 30 ALTERNATIVE HEAT OF MONTANA AUTHORIZED CENTRAL BOILER DEALER Outdoor wood and wood pellet furnaces for homes, businesses, extra buildings, domestic water and more. 209 THOMPSON STREET | BOULDER, MT | 406-439-9663 ALTERNATIVEHEATMT.COM outofthebluelivingston.com The best just got better Engineered specifically to be easier than ever to operate and maintain, the Classic Edge 865 HDX is cleaner burning, more efficient and packed with enhanced features! View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-30 ## Journal page 31 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA ISSUE NO. 01 | WINTER 2026 WINTER TREE CARE Getting Madison Valley Trees Through Winter A practical guide for homeowners and landowners WORDS BY SIMON STRATFORD If you've spent a winter in the Madison Valley, you know it rarely makes up its mind. One week the thermometer sits at 30 below and the wind drifts snow over the fence posts. The next, a chinook blows through and it's 45 degrees and dripping by noon. Heavy, wet snow can arrive in September and again in May, and the bright sun reflecting off a snowfield can feel like July on a south-facing slope. We can handle those swings with a good coat and a warm truck. Our trees can't. BEFORE THE FIRST SNOW Most winter damage shows up in spring, long after its cause has passed. Working with trees and soil here every day, most winter damage shows up in spring, long after its cause has passed. The good news is that much of it can be prevented, and the work starts well before the first snow. Local nurseries supply many of the hardy trees that do well in this USDA zone 4b-5b landscape. The most common include Colorado blue and Black Hills spruce, Douglas-fir, lodgepole, ponderosa and Scotch pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, quaking aspen, cottonwood, green ash, Amur and Tatarian maple, Canada red chokecherry, crabapple, and willow. PHOTO COURTESY OF STRATFORD TREE View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-31 ## Journal page 32 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA ISSUE NO. 01 | WINTER 2026 When Winter Care Begins Winter tree care really begins in August. That's when heavy pruning should stop as it pushes out tender new growth that won't harden off before the first hard freeze. Trees need the late-summer slowdown to toughen their tissues for winter. Fall is for water. After a dry summer, our trees often go into winter thirsty, so give them a slow, deep soaking every couple of weeks from September until the ground freezes, usually sometime between late October and November. Water out at the drip line, where the feeder roots are, not just at the trunk. Then spread organic compost over the root zone, keeping it a hand's width away from the bark. Newly planted trees especially benefit from consistent moisture; a practical guide is about ten gallons per inch of trunk diameter during establishment periods. Trunk guards and wraps go on in November and come off in April. Through an open, dry winter, water once a month on a day above 40 degrees when the ground isn't frozen, and do it at midday so the water soaks in before nightfall. Late winter, from January into March, is the time to prune deciduous trees while they're dormant and you can see their structure clearly. THE WINTER CARE CALENDAR A steady seasonal rhythm helps trees harden off, hold moisture and enter spring with less preventable damage. AUGUST Stop heavy pruning so tender new growth has time to harden before the first freeze. SEPTEMBER TO FREEZE-UP Water slowly and deeply at the drip line every couple of weeks. NOVEMBER Add light-colored trunk guards and wraps; keep compost away from the bark. MILD WINTER DAYS If the ground is open and the day is above 40 degrees, water at midday. JANUARY TO MARCH Prune dormant deciduous trees; leave evergreen pruning until spring except for broken limbs. Evergreens: Spruce, Fir, Pine and Juniper The evergreens we plant most here keep their needles all winter and therefore keep losing water all winter too. On a sunny, windy day with the roots locked in frozen ground, the needles can't be resupplied, and they brown on the south and windward sides. That's winter burn, and the best defense is the deep fall watering and organic compost described above. Spruce, with its shallow roots, benefits most from winter watering on mild days. For young or highly exposed trees, temporary burlap screens on the windward or sunny side offer additional protection. Snow is the other evergreen hazard. When heavy, wet snow piles on, brush it off gently with a broom, sweeping upward. Never shake or knock limbs that are frozen, because they snap like glass. Upright junipers and arborvitae can be loosely tied with soft cloth in fall to keep them from splaying open. Save evergreen pruning for broken limbs until spring. Heavy snow should be brushed gently upward from evergreen limbs. Never shake or knock limbs that are frozen, because they snap like glass. EVERGREEN CARE PHOTO COURTESY OF 4R FARM View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-32 ## Journal page 33 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA ISSUE NO. 01 | WINTER 2026 Deciduous Trees: Aspen, Cottonwood and Friends Our most common deciduous trees face a different primary threat: sunscald. Low winter sun warms the south and southwest side of a thin-barked trunk during the day, the bark cells wake up, and a hard freeze after sunset kills them. The result is cracked, peeling bark that invites disease. Young aspen, maples, crabapples, and ash are most at risk. Light-colored tree wrap or a plastic guard on the lower trunk from November to April reflects sunlight and prevents most damage. Late winter is pruning season. Remove dead, crossing, and broken branches while the tree is dormant. That timing matters most for chokecherry, where black knot galls should be cut out six to eight inches below the swelling, and for crabapple, where winter pruning helps avoid spreading fire blight. With aspen, keep wounds to a minimum, because every cut is an open door for canker. Sharing Trees With Winter Wildlife In winter, our trees become shelter for a lot more than us. Chickadees and nuthatches ride out storms in dense spruce, deer and elk bed down in the lee of shelterbelts, and moose browse the willow bottoms. That habitat is part of what makes living here special. It also means our trees become a winter food source. Deer and elk nip buds and twigs from anything within reach, and bucks and bulls rub saplings raw in the fall rut. Moose strip aspen bark with their teeth. For young trees, an eight-foot fence or a sturdy wire cage around each tree is the only protection that holds up through a hungry February. Repellents help, but rarely once animals are truly hungry. Some of the worst damage happens where you can't see it. Voles tunnel under the snow and chew a ring around the base of a trunk, girdling the tree by spring. Wrap the lower trunk with hardware cloth set a couple of inches into the soil. Rabbits and snowshoe hares feed from the top of the snowpack, so guards need to extend above your usual snow depth. Porcupines climb pines and strip bark high in the crown, so check your pines after a snowfall for fresh tracks. THIN BARK + WINTER SUN Guard against sunscald Warm afternoons followed by hard freezes can split the southwest face of a young trunk. Wrap young aspen, maples, crabapples and ash from November to April. Choose a light-colored tree wrap or plastic guard, remove it in spring, and inspect the bark beneath it for damage. BROWSE + BARK DAMAGE Protect the first years Young trees are most vulnerable when forage is scarce and snow raises the height animals can reach. Circle saplings with a sturdy wire cage or eight-foot fence against deer and elk. Set hardware cloth a few inches into the soil to discourage voles. Extend guards above the usual snow depth for rabbits and hares. After snowfall, check pines for fresh tracks and bark damage higher in the crown. View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-33 ## Journal page 34 LAND + WINTER IN MONTANA ISSUE NO. 01 | WINTER 2026 Come Spring When the snow pulls back in April, take a slow walk around your trees. Pull off the wraps, look for chewed bark at the base, browned needles and split trunks, and give everything a deep drink as the ground thaws. The hardy species commonly available from local nurseries are resilient once established, especially on well-drained sites with some wind protection. The first two or three years after planting remain the most critical window. A little care in fall and winter means you'll spend spring enjoying your trees instead of replacing them. WINTER GIFTING — STRATFORD CONSULTATION, PAGE 57 A little care in fall and winter means you'll spend spring enjoying your trees instead of replacing them. SIMON STRATFORD / STRATFORD TREE SIMON + KARRE STRATFORD CONTRIBUTORS Simon and Karre Stratford SIMON Simon Stratford is a UK-qualified tree surgeon and ISA Certified Arborist with a science degree in arboriculture and forestry management. He brings more than 30 years of experience in urban, utility and silvicultural forestry. KARRE Karre Stratford is an ISA Certified Arborist specializing in soil health and landscape design and installation. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Management in Natural Resources and Agriculture. ABOUT STRATFORD TREE ISA-certified arborists providing sustainable tree care, diagnostics and landscape restoration for urban, rural and forested properties. VISIT STRATFORD TREE STRATFORDTREE.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF STRATFORD TREE View designed page: https://4rjournal.farm/#page=pdf-page-34 ## Journal page 35 LOCAL SERVICE. REAL EXPERIENCE. OIL CHANGES. TIRES. BRAKES. 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