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SigMT Vol13 Iss 3

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TEXT BY HOLLY MATKIN WORKING LIFE ike all lifelong Montana ranchers, Corey Embleton is well-versed in the important role livestock brands play in helping to organize the state's bustling animal industry. As one of Chouteau County's 12 deputy brand inspectors, he has been helping to keep livestock movements running smoothly in his area for the past 19 years. Riding The Paper Trail of Livestock Brands URBAN AFFAIRS "Montana is one of the toughest brand-law states," he says. "Ninety-five percent of the time it all checks out, but sometimes things happen." ousands of cale, sheep and horses are constantly being moved across county and state lines due to a myriad of reasons, including sales deals and herd grazing needs, Corey says. Sometimes, those moves aren't even intentional – every rancher has probably had to deal with someone else's animal suddenly showing up in their own herd. With all that shuffling around, the ownership records established through the branding process has long been an invaluable resource for keeping livestock connected to the proper herdsmen. Corey and his fellow inspectors are responsible for checking the brands on every animal before they are transported across the Chouteau County line or sold to another owner. Considering Montana currently has a total of 54,151 brands in use, the importance of their core duty is massive. "I have to make sure they aren't shipping anything that doesn't have their brand," he explains. "If it doesn't have a brand, they've got to show proof that they own it." In the extremely rare occasion when he encounters a problem, Cory turns the maer over to Chouteau County District Stock Inspector Ma Guderjahn for further investigation. Corey says ranchers appreciate the convenience of having brand inspectors in the local area so they can access them more readily and keep their businesses moving. Having the opportunity to travel to area ranches and speak with producers about their herds and operations are among his favorite aspects of the job. "Still to this day, I get to learn something new," Corey says. S MT SiG MT 18 PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC VISOCAN "Corey Embleton's work as a livestock inspector is key to keeping one of Montana's largest industries running smoothly." L

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