Stacking Hay in The Big Hole Valley Montana

Summers of 1970 & 1971 I worked on a seasonal haying crew just outside of Wisdom, MT. We hayed a total of 3,700 acres (hundreds of 20-ton stacks) to winter feed a residual herd of 10,000. All hay was cut with 7-foot sickle bars. The cut hay was left to dry for 3-5 days. Hoop rakes then dragged the dried hay into rows. Then buckrakes built from modified bare truck frames mounted with wooden tooth baskets pushed the rows into bunched loads. The bunches were then delivered to the basket of the derrick. We called them derricks, not beaver slides. With expertise operation of the derrick there was no need for hands to move or rearrange the hay by hand with pitchforks. As a seasonal hire, I was paid $9/day plus room and board my first summer. Second year I was paid $11/day. Work averaged 10-12 hrs a day. But there were days that stretched to 18 work hours, when we cut hay under a full moon. The entire valley would shift to “haying time” including the 2 bar/cafes in Wisdom. This was back when “punchboards” and card tables (gambling) were still commonplace.