"Bushing" in this context is clearly referring to what cowboys in the Texas tradition usually called "bobbing," that is, a method of marking cattle by trimming their tail hair (viz: a 'bob-tailed' nag ... a 'bob-tailed' truck).  The cowman might "bob" the tails of the cattle he intends to keep while he is working them.   This mark is made by cutting straight across the end tassel of tail hair.  The mark is very distinctive and able to be seen from a  long distance. Cattle workers after the British tradition (viz: Australia) tend to cal this "docking."

The suggestion in your passage is that evidence (the 'bush' or hair from the end of a cow tail) was found lying on the trail, suggesting someone had illicitly changed the marking of a cow (see, "rustling") at that point along the trail.

Bob (never a cowboy, but ex-rancher) Skiles
~~~~


----- Original Message ----
From: Gail & Muriel Carbiener <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 3:53:20 PM
Subject: Re: "Bushing" cattle 1912


Graham:
    What you say is the most common response I have had, but it does not 
make sense with the diary entry that  says:

    "A bush of a tail was found on the trail as Pulsipher, Benson & I came 
along. The rest of the boys were 1/4 of a mile ahead. After thinking & 
talking the matter over we found there was no
way of finding out how the tail came there. I advised John to call all 
together and tell them what had happened and that we would not stand for it 
and if it was done their permits would be cancelled [canceled]."

    This sounds to me like a mark of some sort that sremained with the 
cattle as they were turned out and others then rounded up and counted. 
Certainly Ranger McAllister was upset that they found a "bush of a tail" on 
the trail.

thanks
gail


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
http://new.mail.yahoo.com