Mustering in full swing
Mustering season has started for most of the 57 cattle stations across the Pilbara.
During the season, station workers herd their cattle to be trucked out for export or sold to the domestic beef market.
Yarrie Station manager Annabelle Coppin said the mood on her station in the east Pilbara was positive after some late rain.
"It was looking pretty bleak there in January and February," she said.
"That beautiful rain in late April and May really saved us and the country's looking good."
Ms Coppin said the station plans to move about 3000 head this year, with most of the cattle destined for the domestic market.
"It's a good year, prices are strong and there's a strong demand at the moment from every market," she said.
Mundabullangana Station manager Michael Thompson has chosen to export most of his 5000 cattle based just south of Port Hedland, near Yule River.
He said the late rains had led him to delay mustering until next month.
"The calves need time to grow … if you take them away from their mother, they fall in a hole and don't get the benefit of all this unusually late rain we're having," he said.
Mr Thompson will muster the cattle using his helicopter, herding about 600 cattle in a day.
"I do it myself with the helicopter, our station is pretty much a big farm with no hills," he said.
"We will be finished mustering within eight weeks from start time.
"That would give us time to sell our cattle, truck all the cattle and mark all the cattle we're going to keep for breeding."
Further west, one of the Pilbara's oldest stations, Mt Welcome Station began its muster last week after being bought by Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation last year.
Station manager Dave Rutherford said when arriving last year, the grounds were rough and the cattle were all over the place.
"There's no pressure I don't think.
"There is a fair bit of pride though to build it back to be bigger and better than it ever was.
"We're well on the way to doing that now.
"We're running close to 1500 head now of droughtmaster shorthorn cross and I've got my UltraBlack bulls, which we bought last October.
"Should have calves on the ground end of July with them too.
"So we'll have a bit of a mixture but we're just trying to tick all the boxes for all the markets."
