Ag & Outdoor

Agriculture and Outdoors

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Sale barn, livestock auction maintain family oriented atmosphere

By Layce Gardner

Over the past few decades, a lot has changed about Tahlequah, but one of the things that has remained relatively unchanged is the Tahlequah Sale Barn and Stockyard.

The Tahlequah Sale Barn and Stockyard is a prominent auction facility at the “Y” south of town, where the new roundabout is being built. It is a hub for buying and selling various types of livestock, including cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. With its convenient location and excellent facilities, the sale barn has become a popular destination for farmers, ranchers, and livestock enthusiasts in the region.

It is not only a place for selling and buying livestock, but it is a community event, offering ranchers and farmers one day a week to catch up on market prices,

stock quotes, and news.

The family-owned business is operated by Gary Davis and his son, Reese Davis.

“We used to be located where the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store is now. We moved here in the mid-’80s,” said Gary Davis. “My son Reese joined the business a couple of years ago. We move, on average, about 450 head of livestock each week.”

The professional auctioneer, Joe Hopping, has been chanting the “cattle rattle” every Saturday for years. He knows most people in the audience of bidders and exchanges greetings and jokes with them between bids. Despite his easy-going attitude, he is a skilled professional with an in-depth knowledge of the livestock industry and he ensures a fair and transparent bidding process.

There is a spacious auction arena where the livestock is paraded before

being put into an onstage holding pen. The raked stadium seating holds up to 250 people.

Behind the sale barn is the stockyard, equipped with well-designed handling facilities, including holding pens, chutes, and sorting areas. These facilities ensure the safety and welfare of the animals during the auction and transportation processes.

“Right now, sellers are taking their business elsewhere because of the new roundabout being built. Ranchers can’t sit at that light with a full stock trailer for 40 minutes in this heat. As soon as it’s built, business should be back to normal,” said Gary.

With its convenient location, professional services, and customer benefits, it continues to play a vital role in the livestock industry, connecting buyers and sellers, and contributing to the growth and development of the agricultural community.

“We are always looking to hire,” said Gary. “If somebody shows up and is willing to work hard, then they can have a job here.”

Leach Livestock Auction in neighboring Delaware County is a renowned marketplace for the buying and selling of livestock with an emphasis on pigs. With its long-standing reputation, it is the ultimate destination for many traders in the region. It is located in Rose, a small community eight miles west of Kansas, Oklahoma.

Leach Livestock is owned and operated by Billy Joe Simpson. He prefers to go by “Joe” in order to be distinguished from his father. It is a family-owned business.

“Me, my wife, Kyla, and daughter Rylee, run the business,” said Simpson.

According to Simpson, “We deal with hogs, sheep, and goats. We run about 2,500 head a month. Or 30 to 35,000

head a year. Business has been steady so far this year. Thankfully, the rain has helped keep things steady.”

The sale barn has been in the same location since 2017, but has an updated look.

“The inside, from the front doors onward, has been renovated,” said Simpson. “We remodeled a couple years ago. We bought the old movie theatre seats from Tahlequah and bought cedar planks from Arkansas.”

“The spring sale is held the first Friday in April and the Fall sale is the first Friday in November,” Simpson. “That’s when we auction bred ewes and nannies.”

Auctions are held every second and fourth Friday of the month at 6 p.m.

Be sure to follow Tahlequah Stockyards and Sales Barn on Facebook.

Tahlequah Sale Barn is open Monday through Friday, from 7-9 a.m. and Saturday, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. The sale begins promptly at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Their address is 22701 OK-82.

Like Leach Livestock on Facebook to keep up with its current sales and events.

No wO pen for Deer Sea so n

We’reproud to offer deer processing righthereinCherokee Nation. Bring your deer by 1839 Cherokee Meat Co. to gethigh-quality processing at ac ompetitiveprice.

We’l la lso have extend ed hou rs on the we ekends of No v. 18 and Nov.2 5.

Livestock arena will offer new features, open for many functions

By Skyler Hammons shammons@tahlequahdailypress.com

After over a year’s worth of construction and a location change, local agriculture affiliates will now have a new Cherokee County Livestock Arena to meet their needs.

The county arena was once located across Tahlequah at the old site of the Cherokee County Fairgrounds, but is now northwest of town by the Tahlequah Municipal Airport.

District 3 Cherokee County Commissioner Clif Hall said the old building was 16,000 square feet, with the new facility spanning 35,000 square feet, and 56,000 square feet of parking lot.

“[The new facility] is bigger, better, and it’s going to last longer,” said Hall.

Hall said the current road leading to the building is not blacktopped at the moment, but will receive this modification in the future.

One of the features of the $4 mil-

lion-plus facility is the Cherokee County OSU Extension Office, which has been moved to the site. Heather Winn, Oklahoma State University Extension Service educator, said when the previous fairgrounds were being built, there was talk that her office would be moved out there. As construction progressed, the Extension Office eventually just stayed at its location at 908 S. College.

Winn said the presence of the Extension Office will allow for the new building to be in use a lot more than when they had the old fairgrounds, as it was mainly only occupied for livestock events.

“The commissioners put a lot of time, effort, and finance into building this new facility, with our offices there it will be very useful for us for 4-H events and activities, as well as other livestock events that will happen in the county,” said Winn.

While the livestock arena will be used by Cherokee County FFA and 4-H

members, Hall said the building will also be available to put on statewide events. The building is already receiving attention from across Oklahoma, as the livestock arena has now been the focus of several tours by officials from other counties, so they can use the facility as a model for their next county arena projects.

The facility will allow for OSU Extension to not only teach canning and cooking classes out of the kitchen, but local 4-H students will be able to enjoy the building during the 4-H Day Camps and other related activities.

When it comes to livestock show season, Winn said having amenities such as dressing rooms and the indoor wash racks, complete with hot and cold water, will be more convenient.

While 4-H and FFA members had to use the Cherokee County Commu-

nity Building for the 2022-’23 livestock shows, the Cherokee County Livestock Arena will be ready for use by the county’s livestock show on Sept. 6-9, 2023.

Those with the Cherokee County OSU Extension Office pose for a photo at the new Cherokee County Livestock Arena. From left are: Heather Winn, Dee MacKall, and Carolan Schaefer.

After along day of work or play, you deserve

Specialty meat companies cater to eclectic tastes

By Lee Guthrie lguthrie@tahlequahdailypress.com

Two specialty meat shops in Tahlequah offer a wide range of choices for consumers.

Tinajero Meat Market has a selection of meats that are marinated with a secret family recipe.

“The marinade is a house secret,” said Destiny Jones, a helper in the carniceria, Spanish for butcher shop. “I’m not even allowed to know the ingredients. It’s a family thing.”

Owned by Gregorio Tinajero and his wife, Martha Tinajero, the Tahlequah store is one of four the couple owns.

The most popular meat is the marinated taco meat, and the second favorite is the fajita, said Jones.

Customers can choose from an abundance of cuts of chicken, beef,

pork, bone-in and boneless ribs, corned beef, and ground beef. Jones said dried and fresh chorizo sausage, another favorite of customers, goes well with eggs.

In the front of the house of 1839 Cherokee Meat Co., there’s a large display case and freezer stocked with cuts of meat processed in-house, from harvesting to packaging.

In a tour of the facility, Adrian Sinclair, general manager, said part of the company’s mission is to provide a safe, clean product that people can be proud to take home to their families.

The large maroon mural along one wall states the mission of the company is to promote security for generations of Cherokee citizens, ranchers, and communities.

The Cherokee Nation raises beef and bison. Cattle are pastured behind the Cherokee Casino, and buffalo are kept

in Bull Hollow, by Kenwood, Oklahoma. Individuals can also bring their own animals, and deer which individuals have taken during hunting season, to be processed.

“We use a cap bolt stunning gun, a handheld device that uses a .25-caliber blank round to dispatch a bolt into the brain cavity, which renders [the animal] senseless,” said Sinclair. “Once they are dispatched, [the animal is] pulled out and we start the skinning process.”

Sinclair said the animals are kept calm and cool while waiting to be brought into the plant.

“A high spike of lactic acid inside the blood, causes tougher [and dry] meat,” said Sinclair. “From stun to the bleeding of the animal is a very quick process, probably less than 30 seconds.”

Matt Perrier, Cherokee Nation Business spokesperson, said this is the most humane way of harvesting the animals, and it’s important that the animals be treated with respect.

The animals are hung in cooler rooms for a total 14 days, which allows for a much more tender meat. The car-

cass has to be chilled below 45 degrees in 24 hours.

Part of the meat that is harvested, supports the Cherokee Nation’s nutrition program.

As fishing season reels down, hunting season locked and loaded

By Jake Sermersheim jsermersheim@tahlequahdailypress.com

Throughout Cherokee County, the fishing has been hot throughout the summer.

Fishing reports out of the area have touted the strong fishing throughout the summer. Consistently warm weather has kept the water temperature at a good balance, while the constant rains have been good for the Illinois River’s water level.

“Fishing has been good at the lake and the river,” said Cody Youngblood, Cherokee County game warden. “The rainfall we have gotten over the summer, the levels have stayed up enough for the floaters and the anglers to have good success.”

Competitive fishing has also been strong in the area, with Sequoyah High School and a local youth team made the State Tournament.

While fishing reports have touted the bass, catfish, panfish – crappie, bluegill, perch and more – and other game fish that have been caught, anglers looking for something else have also had success. Bowfishing has remained popular throughout the area.

Bowfishing is key in keeping away predatory fish like grass carp and gar, which can kill the environment for game fish.

“We have had a good summer on Lake Tenkiller,” said Paydon Moore, a local bow fisher. “Usually we are able to bring in a good batch of carp out of there.”

While fishing dominates the summer months, once the temperature starts to turn, it will be time to get out the duck blinds and set up the deer stands. The first hunting season is just right around the corner in Oklahoma. Dove season starts Sept. 1 and lasts

ShaneRichardson|CourtesyPhoto

Kobe Rider shows off his fish while Zack Cooper celebrates in the background. Rider and Cooper competed in the State Tournament this year for Sequoyah.

until the end of October. After that, the hunting seasons begin to topple like dominoes, with September teal and special resident Canadian goose.

“I think it will be pretty normal; it will be busy, [hunters] will have good success,” said Youngblood.

Hunters can hunt on their own private lands or if they need to go out somewhere, there are plenty of local spots they can head to.

“There are lot of public lands to hunt around here. Those without private property have plenty of opportunities to go hunt,” said Youngblood.

Cherokee County offers public hunting spots at Cookson Wildlife, Sparrow Hawk, Tenkiller, and the Cherokee Wildlife Management area.

On Sept. 9, a free, in-person, youth hunter education class will allow kids to get hunter education certified if they want to hunt out of the state.

“If they go out of state they have

to be certified,” said Youngblood. “In Oklahoma, if you are not hunter ed certified, you have to be accompanied by an adult. But they need that education if they go anywhere else.”

As the hunting season rolls in, that means it is time for regulations to come out. While some years there are updates and new rules, this year there was not much change.

Important upcoming seasons

Dove — Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, Dec. 1 to Dec. 29

Deer archery — Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, 2024

Turkey fall archery — Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, 2024

Crow — Oct. 1 to Nov. 16, Dec. 9 to March 4, 2024

Deer muzzleloader — Oct. 28 to Nov. 5

Turkey fall gun — Nov. 4 to Nov. 17

Deer gun — Nov. 18 to Dec. 3

Turkey fall archery — Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, 2024

Turkey fall gun — Nov. 4 to Nov. 17