Branding a Calf at Crazy Woman Creek, Wyoming Territory, 1884-1885

Cattle ranchers in the American West marked their livestock with a unique brand. Cowboys heated branding irons and then pressed the hot metal onto the cow's hide. The branded cattle were then allowed to wander the open range--mingling with cattle belonging to other ranchers. Later when the cattle was rounded up, the brand helped ranchers identify the livestock they owned.