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Show - . . . i . . ' . ... . . .. ,.. i v.. : Branad Inspector Nettie Hoyt - 'vvlvr: I Jliilii' lit '- ': iff Jte.pflP ,--- iiiiiii cattle at Arvin Anderson's Diamond Bar X Ranch in Woodland. Nettie's grandfather grand-father had been a rancher in ; Oklahoma and she has taken care to reserve his brand, K-H, for -..her son Justin. Brands have come to be part of the mythology of the We,st. They are carefully guarded and passed down from generation to generation. genera-tion. Though clouds had gathered ga-thered in the West hills, the inspector had another stop to make. The work was going along just like clockwork. "Some days it does," she commented, "they load just as smooth as silk, but sometimes those critters pull every contrary trick in the book. You end up losing a lot of time and sometimes you almost lose your religion. " With a big sale" coming up next week in Omaha and trucks . already on the way, there isn't much time to spare. The local ranchers are the, sellers and they are required .to , supply the trucker and the buyer with By Nan Chalat ' - Cowboys and as a matter of fact, all things Western ; , are in vogue these days. .According to Summit County Brand Inspector Nettie Hoyt, that acclaim is well deserved. deser-ved. , But you know," she says, "It's not all jumping on horses and riding off into the sunset like you see on TV and in the movies. It's long hours of .mending fences, digging out springs, keeping the cattle on feed, watching for pink eye and foul foot, doctoring them and helping them with calving." Nettie Hoyt has lived among ranchers all her life and she divides them into three categories: real cattlemen, cattle-men, cattlemen and men who own cows. "Guess which one is the best," she says with a wink. This is the brand inspector's inspec-tor's busiest season and all weekend Nettie was busy traveling from ranch to ranch counting cattle and issuing : inspection certificates Her territory covers all of Summit County and she is one of only; four female brand inspectors in Utah. Nettie began by substituting for her husband, the former brand inspector when he was ill. When Mac Milligan passed away in 1976, the .Utah Cattlemen's Association unanimously re- v commended Nettie.' for the job. She was the -second . woman to take the position and there was only one rancher who gave her a hard time. "He just didn't think a girl could count cattle," she -laughs." "A brand is just like a return address on a cow," says inspector Nettie Hoyt. ' however, the law is different A rancher owns his brand just as one owns a piece of property. Nettie has seen these brands offered for sale for up to $3,500. : "A brand is just like a return address on a cow," she added while scrutinizing a herd of purebred beef proor of ownership in the form of a brand inspection certificate. The fee is 25 cents per head. Most of the cattle is sold on consignment to feedlots in Omaha, some -are sent to the auctions in N. Salt Lake and some are sent to Ogden. According to common concensus in the valley this year the market is , Her practiced eye has ' since' settled any doubts about a woman's ability to count cattle. '-I've always 3 been- fascinated . with brands," she explained i at the Tull ranch in the Kamas Valley. "I call this one T azy.:T." Getting, out the State Book of Registered Brands, Nettie offered a quick reading lesson. "Always "Al-ways read from the top down or left to right. A letter on its side is a lazy one. If it has a , quarter circle underneath like this, it's a Rocking A. Now this is a flying S but if it had an inverted V on top it would be Rafter S." The book contains over 800 : registered , brands and earmarks. ear-marks. The brand itself is not only registered but, also its location, left or right neck, . hip, thigh or ribs. Nettie explained that in Utah any brand that is not already in use may be registered with the brand recorder at the Department of Agriculture. The $ 10 registration fee comes up for renewal every five years. In Colorado, . ' " - - ' r ' . '"i 'C i-- 'Jx ' ;.'.' .V, V- , Woody, Tull. and Dick Gines match their tally with the inspector's. |