Steve Bossman

Steve grew up in South Dakota on a ranch with his five siblings. Growing up the children were taught how to work both cattle and sheep on horseback as well as feed with a team of horses. After graduating high school Steve married his wife of 49 years Debbie Jacobson. Through the years they moved from ranch to ranch working livestock via horseback and caring for several bands of horses and herds of cattle and sheep. From 1979 through 1996, Steve along with his family worked in Campbell County, Washakie County, and a short time in Sweetwater County. One early job was for his stepfather, Leon Oedekoven, in Campbell County where he worked Leon’s cattle. In Washakie County he worked for two ranchers and for the Otter Creek Grazing Association. On every ranch Steve was horseback working the livestock, using horses he bred and broke. The ranch work involved herding hundreds of head of cattle and over 1,500 head of ewes and lambs. While working for Otter Creek Grazing Association Steve helped trail cattle to mountain pastures or to various neighboring ranches. Many of those livestock movements consisted of 10–12-hour days. Today Steve works for Pickrel Land and Cattle, overseeing 350 head of cattle, 10-20 breeding bulls, and two small bands of bucking mares and foals. As with most of his work, his wife continues to ride with him in the daily work. Steve and his family spent many years on the other side of the mountain, but Campbell County is where they finally settled.