Everyone acknowledges that the most recent drought left cattle herds at their lowest level since the 1950s and reduced pastures and grazing lands to dry and crispy areas unsuitable for assisting with the replenishment of a herd lost or sold prematurely over the past year.

A recent flurry of activity regarding the rights of landowners in Texas and Nevada, states where the cattle industry is influential, should be a reminder to all cattlemen that their most valuable long-term asset – private property rights – should not be considered unconditionally protected from the government or a party the government favors over the landowner.

There once was a time when you could, and did, rely on another person’s word when conducting business. Unfortunately, “the gentlemen’s agreement” is now a relic of the past. The time of doing business this way is over.