The Last Cowboy

Steve Tellam, 54, is a fourth-generation cowboy working in a region where being a cowboy no longer makes sense.
A century ago, San Diego County was a cattleman's paradise -- endless open range, plentiful water, tall grass and convenient transport to slaughterhouses and growing cities.
Today, the range has been subdivided and developed, the water sucked away by cities, the grass thinned by years of drought. With the beef industry consolidated far from Southern California, raising cattle in these mountains is as viable a business as selling surfboards in Nebraska.

[@59snitt]

14 years later and the cowboy is still alive and kicking 💯❤️💋

[@tituslawingan8196]

cowboys life is a simple life but the life of a cowboy is enjoyable and that is great reward from the Lord.........

[@forddave5728]

So this video was posted 10 years ago today is the first I seen it an in ur video u say ur Pa is 70 an he still rides an cowboys that's awesome my Pa passed away when I was young but my grandfather is 98 years old he can still saddle and ride horse moving cows he needs help getting on an off he still owns his ranch in Harrison Montana his name is Bill Jackson

[@ds_const.2276]

World lost a good one today

[@dane5036]

So sad

[@fastfixitmom]

Steve was a good friend of mine. unfortunately Steve passed away 01/19/2022 and he will be greatly missed

[@dane5036]

Rest in Paradise

[@MeMeDaVinci]

In the true California environment, they really do look like happy cows. I am a native Californian, but my mother is from Wisconsin--and she is from an extended family of farmers. The 77-year-old father reminds me of my Uncle Carl now, and the son, Steve, when Carl was younger and used to raise cattle. Wow...

[@woody1977321]

Enjoyed your documentary - I've been around cows my whole life - here in east Texas we're having hell with hogs and last years drought was tough!

[@tgltyty]

Love the video. I had no idea it took so much acreage for only one cow/calf unit.

[@v4n778]

Just wanted to bring the old cowboy days

[@BillyJHoward]

Very nice. I do the same thing 3000 miles to your east & on a much smaller scale...

[@Waylonstillthebest]

Mick James often on western ranches it is not less stressfull to livestock to move them many miles to a modern yard. Also cattle that are seldom handle do not handle well in chutes. The film shows the process on much smaller scale. An actual branding set up right can process calves through at least twice as fast and handling each animal less.

[@SunnySinclair1979]

That's funny shit

[@texasrebels1066]

+Mick james or they might not have enough money yknow not everybody can afford it and maybe we like to stick to tradition

[@arn9091]

Como se adiciona legendas em português do brasil

[@Edgar.Cantú432]

no hay

[@Randy-1967]

Those would be some dead dogs

[@ledouxcountryboy32]

Boy, if you wanna. Better toughen up, if you aint already. A majority of us ranchers here in America, aint easy. We're not like Mcdonalds. Just look up dude ranches, in Wyoming, Idaho or Montana.

[@CiaranMakesMusic]

I live in a town in ireland and im 13 and i really want to be a rancher i can ride a horse but only english style how could i be a rancher when im older beacuse when im older i will go to america

[@neveahbaranko7271]

When you do come to America, look for smaller cattle ranches! I'm sure they would be glad to help you out in return for help on the ranch. Just make sure you don't look for the cheesy, huge ranches. The smaller ones are better.

[@davidcardone2141]

Not if you leave for a country that respects cows and no fences

[@petesakes1985]

Now gas is double 2021

[@nickcurry3051]

Respect to this guy for cowboyin but this looks incredibly inefficient and stressful for the cattle. Stressed out cattle destroy profit margins.

[@thomassandora9562]

WA

[@AnimalLeftist]

Hilarious. No chutes, no squeezes? You are asking for broken bones. Don't cry when you get one. You have the technology to keep yourself safer. Use it.

[@Octopetala]

ok "AnimalLeftist". also are you blind? look at 6:10

[@plebog]

@@Octopetala that was 10 years ago he probably dead

[@mickjames2406]

While I like the 'romantic' notion of the cowboy, here is a simple fact. There are a lot more effective ways to handle cattle than having four stumbling idiot's in a yard with a guy on horseback roping cattle just so they can tag, mark or brand them. With modern yard's and cattle presses creating a far less stressful experience for the livestock and a more cost effective method of working cattle, I really don't know why people still work cattle like this. Americans love the theatrics of it all.

[@toddsharron2952]

Mick James you really don’t understand animal stress if you think that way.....

[@REPR100]

@@toddsharron2952 he’s correct