Roundup In Montana First Things First… Michel Pablo may very well have scratched his head wondering what on earth he had gotten himself into! This was truly a mammoth undertaking, requiring coordination, courage and commitment. Pablo was determined to make it happen, setting out to begin an unexpected four years of hard exasperating work. It was May 1907. First on the agenda was to secure experienced riders with strong horses. This was relatively easy, as he offered an extravagant wage of five dollars, daily. Supplies purchased, cooks and chuck wagons prepared, maps checked and spare horses obtained, the roundup crew headed for the open ranges of the Flathead Reservation. Meanwhile, activity was plentiful in Ravalli. Workers were commissioned to construct sturdy chutes, corrals and holding pens near the railway where the animals were to be lodged until such time as their numbers constituted a load. Feed procured for the buffalo’s journey was delivered to the location and extra hands were on call if needed. Easier Said Than Done! Pablo’s herd of wild buffalo had never been disturbed by insistent riders, never been penned and had no intention of being railroaded into emigrating. They knew nothing of gates and fences, these barricades proving to be quite inadequate unless specially constructed for the bison’s weight and strength. Alert and cautious riders found the buffalo able to travel at unbelievable speed for surprisingly long periods of time. Always vulnerable to attack by a crazed animal, the men tried to maintain their strategic positions during the chase. Failure to do so resulted in the possibility of the entire mass escaping. Many days ended in disappointment, when up to 75 bruised and tired cowboys admitted to having once again failed in corralling even one buffalo. A number of horses died due to injuries caused by constant running upon uneven terrain, being gored by defensive bison, or collapsing from pure exhaustion. Pablo’s crew indeed suffered losses in the attempt to honor the contract with Canada.