Operation Hay Drop is on the way to save stranded cows in Northern California. Winter weather conditions in early March have left the region’s cattle stuck and starving. With farmers from Humboldt to Trinity County worrying over how these conditions could impact spring calving season, the California National Guard arranged “emergency hay drops” to keep the animals fed.
“The pilots are looking essentially for tracks in the snow,” Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal told NPR. “They’ll drop the hay in the area where they are, and what they found is [the cows] start coming out from under the trees and going towards the hay as soon as the helicopter takes off.”
Soldiers with Cal Guard’s 40th CAB aid @CAL_FIRE and @Cal_OES in delivering hay to stranded cattle in Humboldt County yesterday. #bovinebailout #alwaysreadywaysthere pic.twitter.com/cKJEXHAuXg
— The California National Guard (@CalGuard) March 9, 2023
These emergency missions, dubbed “Operation Hay Drop,” have been crucial for Northern California ranchers. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, some ranchers have lost 10% of their herds due to the snowy conditions. With no grass on the ground, the hay drops will help keep the cows fed and give them a chance at survival. The project is supporting 40-50 ranchers and roughly 2,500 cattle.
“As long as the weather conditions remain cold and the snow accumulations aren’t melting off, the mission will continue,” Tran Beyea, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Humboldt-Del Norte Unit, told the Los Angeles Times.
Initial cattle support efforts began with the Coast Guard and gained support from Cal Fire and the National Guard. Operation Hay Drop got the green light on March 5, and the project has assisted ranchers ever since. Many of these ranchers already consider Operation Hay Drop a success.
As Trinity County rancher Robert Puga told NPR, “If it wasn’t for them, I guarantee you 110% there’d be thousands of cattle that are dying. Thousands.”