STATE OF MONTANA 7 



MONTANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK — 1971 



The winter of 1970-71 heijan with teiiipeiatures a\era.!iinK near normal tliroiiiih December with lijjht 

 precipitation at the h)wer elevations and a heavier than normal accmnulation of tiie monntain snowpack. 

 The first two weeks ot Jannan were cold, then temperatures wanned the remainder of the niontii. Janiian's 

 snowfall was hea\>' throuiihoiit the State as several stations reporteil the heaviest JanuaiA' precipitation on 

 record. The snow reached depths of up to 3 feet along the "Hi-Line". A mild anil drv- Fehruan- was followed 

 hv' a rather "normal" spring. Mountain snowpacks continued above nonnal throughout the winter anil spring 

 until melting commenceil. 



The summer was ilrv- as lielovv nonnal precipitation began in Jinic anil continued through .\ugust throughout 

 the State, anil through September along the "Hi-Line". Drought conilitions were e.xperienced over much 

 of the central anil eastern portions of thi' State before the end of summer. The drought reached severe proportions 

 along the "Hi-Line". September rains allev iateil the ilronght conditions except in the northern border counties. 

 This northern area remained dr\ throughout the fall. 



Late spring anil earlv sunnner produced a larger tlian usual number ol damaging thunilerstonns. Hail 

 ilamage occurreil in a number of places east of the Rockies. Eight tornadoes were sighted; the largest number 

 that has ever been recorded in anv one v ear in Montana. However, thev' caused onlv- minor ilamage. The 

 thnndcrstonn activ itv' ilecreased nuuki'dlv in late Julv and .\ugust, allowing iileal harvest conilitions. 



CROPS 



Cool, wet weather during the fall of 1970 slowed winter wheat seeding progress. Generally adequate 

 soil moisture prevailed during late fall and stands were good and even. Snow covered most of the wheat 

 during the winter months, bringing the crop through the winter with limited wind damage and adequate 

 soil moisture. Early spring rain and snow showers provided excellent soil moisture to almost all areas but 

 created spring wheat seeding problems. However, completion date of spring wheat seeding was about nonnal. 



Soil moisture was good earlv' in the growing season but coo! temperatures slowed growth. B> mid-Julv- 

 temperatures had improved but soil moisture was becoming short in most areas. Dry, hot weather continued 

 for the duration of the growing season, with onl>' temporarv relief in the fonn of cool nights and timely 

 light showers. Winter wheat tlevelopnient had advanced enough that the continued dr>-, hot weather effect 

 was limited but it forced maturation of the spring wheat crop and caused drought conditions in some areas 

 especiallv' where spring wheat had been "stubbled in". Above nonnal harvesting progress was made as a 

 result of fast maturation of the crop and good weather conditions during harvest. Many fanners were amazed 

 at their good spring wheat yields, after watching the poor crop development during the summer. 



Field work started in early .\pril and by the 12th, 5 percent of the barley, oats and sugarbeet acreage 

 had been planted. Bv- .\pril 19, sugarbeets were 25 percent planted and on May 17 w-ere about finished. 

 Oats, barley and dry bean planting was nearly complete by June 1. Fifteen percent of the sugarbeets had 

 been thinned by June 1. Com planting was finishing up the first week of Jime. By mid-June virtually all 

 flaxseed and potatoes were planted; cutting of the first alfiilfa crop was .5 percent complete and wild hav 

 harvest was getting underway. On Julv- 6 and 7, gardens, potatoes, corn and alfalfa were slighth' damaged 

 by frost. The first cutting of alfalfa hay was nearly finished by Julv- 26. Barley and oats harvest started about 

 .\ugust 1. By the end of August, wild hay was 95 percent stacked and hanest of corrn for silage had started. 

 On September 20, potato digging was just getting underway. Sugarbeet lifting started about the first of October. 

 Com silage harvest was finished October 12. Dry bean harvest was completed by the 18th of October and 

 potatoes by the end of October. 



Sugarbeet harvesting was running behind the nonnal pace. Heavy rains during October caused muddy, 

 frozen fields, slowing harvest. Harvest conditions remained poor in November and at the beginning of 

 December, several fields were still unharvested in the lower Yellowstone Valley. 



LIVESTOCK 



Early in January, 1971 grazing became difficult to closed because of heavy snow and ver\- cold temperatures. 

 Calving, lambing and shearing started in earlv' February. Ice jams and local flooding caused some loss of 

 livestock along the Yellowstone River. At the beginning of March, 95 percent of the range livestock was 

 receiving supplemental feed. 



Mild spring weather helped reduce losses of newborn calves and lanijjs bv- reducing stresses. 



Thirtv-five percent of the range cattle and sheep had been moved to summer ranges by Mav- 10. Mov ement 

 was completed by mid-June. Calving was virtually complete by nrid-Ma\', and 10 days later lambing was 

 completed. Shearing was completed by the end of June. 



Dryness developed during the summer and in .\ugust stockwater became short in several areas. Many 

 stockmen found it necessarv- to haul water for livestock. Some range livestock were moved off summer range 

 earlier than usual because of dry conditions. By the end of .\ugust about 10 percent of the range livestock 

 had been moved from sunnner ranges. Rains in earlv- September replenished water supplies in most places 

 anil improved grazing. 



Marketing of livestock was a little ahead of the nonnal pace, .\fter .i hot, dry sunnner in most areas 

 of the State, calves and lambs were coming off summer ranges a little lighter than nonnal. On November 

 I, niui'tv percent of the cattle anil sheep had been moved from summer ranges and movement was virtually 

 complete by miil-\oveinber. CJrazing was generally open early in Decendier but as snow accumulated, gr;izing 

 decreased, and bv the end of December grazing was limited throughout the State. M the end of December, 

 most range livestock were getting some type of supplemental feed. 



