End of the Open Range

• Open range


  An area of land where cattle could roam freely
• Factors leading to the end of the open range

  1. Overstocking

  2. Fall in demand

  3. The Great Die Up
• Overstocking


  • Too many animals living on one area of grass, causing the grass to be eaten up too quickly, soil erosion, and animals to start starving
• Drought in 1883


  Remaining grass withered, not enough grass for all the cattle, cattle began to lose weight
• Fall in demand


  • So much beef available that shops had to reduce prices, making cattle ranching less profitable
• The Great Die Up


  The winter of 1886-87, incredibly harsh with temperatures dropping to -55 degrees, deep snow prevented cattle from reaching grass, around 15% of open range herds died, any surviving cattle were in terrible condition
• Ranchers tried to sell remaining cattle


  Prices dropped further
• The end of the open range