Or as some call it, “Welfare Ranching”.
They say it is welfare as the ranchers are screwing the public by paying such a low fee for the use of the grazing privileges. Well here are some pictures of a friend who’s family ranches in Utah. They were gathering the cattle off their allotment they share with other family ranches. Yup, sure looks like they are screwing over the public, doesn’t it? Getting the use of all this highly productive grazing land for such a low fee. Bad. Bad ranchers!
I hope to have some more pictures from another guy who cowboys in Arizona, and helps work cattle on the “cheap” public land and gathers wild cattle off from it, in the near future.
Dennisranch 
Thanks for the props Jinglebob. Fact is, with the costs of fencing, water, fuel, grazing fees etc., there’s no subsidy for public lands ranchers. We make good use of a natural resource. Its not always easy but its worth it for us and a good deal for the public as well. Without cattle and sheep the feed would go to waste.
Yes, there is a reason it is public land. Thing is, it was used by people for years in common as I understand it, but the government decided they should own it. According to the Constitution, the feds are not supposed to. Is it federal or state ground your family runs on, David? Only reason no one lived on it is that they couldn’t make a living or it would have been homesteaded, correct?
Man, that is really lush stuff!
NOT!
My backyard has more grass than all that land combined and it is winter here still.
I feel sorry for the critters that they are making survive on it, if you can call it that.
Seems like you should, doesn’t it? But they eat brush and what little grass that is there, when it grows. And the pictures of the cows, they were all pretty much in good shape. These are not baby set papered pet like so many around here have. David said they were moving them off this, as it is winter range and the grass is just now starting to come. Not much of it, but they allow it to grow and seed and establish. Matter of fact, they probably take better care of it then the government would as they need it for pasture. About 8 inches of rainfall/moisture a year. We live in a high desert, they have just plain desert.
They’d be calling you more then a “Bad Rancher” if you told them that you’d be willing to pay more, if their willing to pay more. Bet that wouldn’t go over well.