Traditions: Branding Day at Cantlin Place

Cantlin Place Ranch sits just about 100 miles from Grand Teton National Park near Pinedale. While visitors from around the world flock to the park for its iconic wildlife and epic mountain views, life on this neighboring ranch tells an equally important story: one of family, stewardship, and a way of life that has shaped this landscape for generations. The Green River Valley Program (GRVP) of the Jackson Hole Land Trust closed a conservation easement on Cantlin Place Ranch in May 2026, permanently protecting this 145-acre, 120-year-old livestock operation managed by three generations of the Manning family.

I was welcomed by Tesa Manning, the family matriarch, with a pot of hot coffee, and we settled at the kitchen table beside a large window overlooking the ranch. To the left stretched a green pasture; to the right, barns and corrals were beginning to stir with activity. One by one, trucks and horse trailers rolled down the driveway — branding day had arrived. Cowboys, kids, and horses began gathering cattle, slowly pushing them toward the corrals. Beyond the scene, large homes dotted the mountainside, a striking contrast to the working ranch below. Seeing the homes above the pasture was a reminder that the landscape is changing, but life on the ranch remains grounded in traditions that have endured for generations.

Branding day is one of the best days of the year. Family, neighbors, and friends all show up because there’s a big job to do, and everyone can get involved. The kids work right alongside the old-timers, learning by watching and lending a hand wherever they can. Groups of three or four calves at a time are carefully roped, held securely, and marked with the family’s brand, a permanent symbol of ownership that has long been essential to managing a working cattle operation. Alongside branding, the calves receive vaccinations to ensure they stay healthy before heading to their summer pasture. It’s hard work, but it’s also one of the traditions that keep ranching and the people who make it possible, going strong.

Wyoming’s Green River Valley is a region defined by deep agricultural roots, remarkable wildlife habitat, and big game migration corridors. The GRVP is proud to help keep the legacy of these landscapes alive by facilitating conservation easements, a powerful tool that enables landowners to protect what they love well beyond their time on the land. With an additional 6,400 acres of conservation work underway, this effort continues to build a more resilient future for both the land and the people who rely on it.

To explore the growing mosaic of conservation easements taking shape across the region, visit: Green River Valley – Jackson Hole Land Trust.

Words and photos by Alexandra Munger, outreach and events manager.

Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature.