Greener Pastures: Amelia’s Salad Days Are Over
Grazing fugitive returns to the ranch
(01/08/2009) Amelia, a black heifer who escaped from Montauk’s Deep Hollow Ranch in May, returned on New Year’s Day after a summer of free-range grazing — just like the old days.
 Russell Drumm
Amelia, a Black Angus heifer, returned to Deep Hollow Ranch after being at large since May. |
“When you’re in the business of buying and selling 60 or 80 head of cattle, you don’t tend to give them names,” said Rusty Leaver, an owner of the Montauk pasture known as the oldest cattle ranch in the country.
“But, in deference to her travels, she has earned the right. Let’s call her Amelia, like Earhart, or how about Margaret Polo?”
Amelia’s travels began on May 1, shortly after she arrived at the ranch by tractor trailer in the company of a small herd of Black Angus cattle from Virginia. Their arrival mirrored the historic grazing practices on the East End in general, particularly in Montauk. “They were always driven out here in May from as far away as Patchogue and would stay here until Thanksgiving,” Mr. Leaver said.
“That period is reflective of when the grass is at its peak. Their departure was when the grass loses quality. A seasonal grazing program — it’s been our practice to respect those traditions and sell our cattle around Thanksgiving,” Mr. Leaver said.
When Amelia’s herd was disembarking from the trailer, Mr. Leaver noticed swelling on her leg, a possible sign of infection. He said he had instructed a new employee, a cowboy from South Dakota, to take the calf to a holding area to be “doctored.”
“Often they have their own style,” Mr. Leaver said of the cowpoke. “The best practice with herding-type animals, if you want to move one, is to grab a couple to move them as a group. If you separate them they can get stressed and ornery. These are not dairy cattle. They have a more casual relationship with humanity,” Mr. Leaver explained.
The cowhand got the young heifer into the pen by herself, but the heifer leaped over a five-foot fence, in spite of her bad leg, “and she was gone.”
But not forgotten. There was no sign of her for the first month, but then she began showing up in strange places throughout the summer. Her range was far-flung.
“She’d be seen near the ranch and be at the Lighthouse two hours later. Her usual stroll took her to Paul Simon’s house and Peter Beard’s on the cliffs. She worked the upper-echelon neighborhoods, but was an equal opportunity eater, visiting the stars and then the Air Base,” Mr. Leaver said, referring to the working-class community at Camp Hero. “Then she’d browse the Lighthouse.”
Mr. Leaver said the most frequent caller was Tom Dess, superintendent of Montauk’s state parks. “Over the years he makes the drive from here to [his house] near the Montauk Lighthouse often and has been known to hit deer. We thought that if anyone was going to kill her it would be him,” Mr. Leaver joked. “We had many discussions about offering a bounty and there were numerous volunteer hunters.”
Mr. Leaver said he and his wife, Diane, were concerned about the liability posed by a black cow in the road at night. “They are not trapable. Each day they’re free they get wilder and wilder.”
The rancher said that because Amelia frequented the old Indian Field “fattening field” north of the county-owned livery stable on the north side of Montauk Highway, the heifer got used to seeing people on horseback, but that vehicles or people on foot caused her to turn tail immediately.
Amelia had no trouble living off the land because grass was plentiful. “The same reason the English brought their cattle here in the 17th century. She gained 300 pounds even though the last month with snow on the ground she probably dropped 100 pounds — like the stock market,” Mr. Leaver said.
“Our cattle go to a custom feed lot in Lodi, N.Y. Her sisters sold for about $800 each — not net, feed is quite expensive. Except for Amelia — she represented our best business model of the year.”
Amelia will remain at the ranch to regain the weight she lost since the grass turned brown. “She is totally naturally fed, with no added trace antibiotics and hormones like most cattle. She will get corn and hay,sa and in three or four months we’ll decide where to go,” Mr. Leaver said.
“We could sell her as health food beef to people who would like to buy a quarter, but there is also a growing sentiment to keep her here, to give her a reprieve.”