Tom the Dairy regions are the biggest buyers of the Washita River valley alfalfa hay. I'm certain you would have had a good life just different, circumstances only influence our lives, while attitude and drive mold them to our purposes.
Ralph I'm rather fond of that part of Missouri and it has some rugged landscape and great Ag resources as well. My Dad was a cattle trader and shipped many cattle into that region, mostly Angus black and red. Access to & through land has definitely changed here as well from the days of my youth and pretty much free access, with landowner permission of course as a courtesy to his rights and almost always granted. Not so today. As to rent for pasture my Dad leased thousands of acres of grass and Winter wheat pasture. The grass leases were primarily Indian land and school land. The wheat private property. He ran thousands of light weight cattle on these pastures in Winter and switched to grass for the reminder of the year, supplemented with hay and grain feed.
No hunting allowed when cattle were on the land except with small shot quail or dove loads. Fishing year round, but you had to walk no vehicles allowed on the property. Serious fishermen didn't mind , drunks etc. found someplace else to bob a cork.
Rick C.
