Young Longhorns To Join North Unit Herd

The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park will be the new home for two Texas longhorn steers from Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, located in Deer Lodge, Montana.  The one- and two-year-old steers arrived yesterday, just in time to help showcase the park’s 60th anniversary on April 25th.

Superintendent Valerie Naylor is excited about the new additions and the fact that they will be coming from Grant-Kohrs Ranch.  “Longhorns are a part of the North Unit’s history because of their association with the Long X Cattle Trail,” said Naylor.  “It is also great to have this connection with Conrad Kohrs, a cattle rancher pioneer admired by Theodore Roosevelt.”

Longhorns were introduced to the North Unit in April 1967 as a living exhibit to commemorate the open range cattle industry.  The first six steers obtained 40 years ago came from Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska.  Additional longhorns were added to this historic demonstration herd over the years with the last coming to the park in 1993. 

Theodore Roosevelt is well-known as America’s conservation president, and to most people that conjures up pictures of deer, bison, pronghorn and other wildlife, as well as millions of acres of national forests, wildlife refuges, parks and monuments.  His old friend, Conrad Kohrs, was known as the Cattle King of Montana, and both men were important in organizing stockgrowers for the benefit of the largest industry on the Northern Plains.  

The ranches of both men are now part of the National Park System, and though the longhorn gave way to beefier breeds, each man was aware of the importance of the rangy Southwestern cattle in the early days of the open range.  By 1900, Texas longhorns had all but vanished from the ranges.  A remnant herd was established in the Wichita Forest and Game Preserve in Oklahoma, which had been established in 1905 by Roosevelt.

By the late 1900s, longhorns began to be appreciated for their role in history and also gained attention from diet-conscious consumers because they carried less fat than the English breeds.  Today, Texas longhorns can be seen at both parks and at many ranches in the west, a colorful reminder of the days of cowboys and cattlemen, roundups and trail drives.

“We are excited to have two young longhorn steers join our aging herd,” added Naylor.  “We hope the four older steers will teach the new ones the ways of the North Unit and that they will help to educate visitors for years to come.”