Open Range Law Reminder

Open Range Law Reminder

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

With summer vacation just around the corner, many people will be traveling across the Western United States. One thing to keep in mind on those long stretches of lonely road, you never know when you might turn a corner and find a cow on the road.

Unlike within herd law districts, open range law dictates that cattle have to fenced out, not in. So if you are driving through open range be careful for roaming cows or other livestock in addition to wild animals.

Washington Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Jack Field says those yellow Range Area signs serve a purpose.

Field: “It serves a very important role and that is to warn the driver that there is very high likelihood that you are sharing the road with livestock. And by that, you are taking on the risk associated with traveling that road and that when you come around a corner there could be a cow and calf on the road, there could be a band of sheep being moved to one area to another area, there could be horses. It is an important thing for everybody to understand. As you go through the road, it is just as if you see wildlife. You need to be aware that there could be animals there. Drive with more a little more caution, and understand similar to the china shop, if you break it you very well might have bought it. It is an important thing to understand. ”

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.