The Spanish Ranch - Nevada

Historic Cowboy Photography at the Spanish Ranch in Nevada

Documenting a Legendary Nevada Cattle Operation

Northern Nevada is home to some of the most historic cattle ranches in the country. North of I-80, the landscape becomes a patchwork of sagebrush and working land, a region shaped by generations of ranchers. I recently had the chance to photograph life on the Spanish Ranch in Tuscarora, Nevada, part of the legendary Ellison Ranching Company, which has been operating there since 1910. But the history of this land goes back even further. Buckaroos were running cattle here long before the Ellisons arrived, and luckily, many of the old traditions are still alive there today. You see it in the way the cowboys move through their day, in the gear on their horses, and in the quiet pride they carry.

Why Nevada’s Buckaroo Country Feels Different

Every ranch has something unique, but I’ll admit I’m especially drawn to those in Nevada. The Sagebrush Sea has its own kind of pull; wide open, endless, and meditative. The buckaroo style itself, the horsemanship, the gear, the rhythm of the work all feels timeless and intentional. Even just driving onto the ranch, you know you’re entering a special place.

When I visited, it was branding season, and the cowboys were camped in teepees out in the desert, hours from the nearest town. Each night, I’d fall asleep staring out at the fading light on the horizon, just the wind, the birds, and the slow color shift of the sagebrush. No noise. No phones. No traffic. It’s the kind of peace you can’t buy or download.

Mornings started early with breakfast at 4:30 a.m., and then the day unfolds just the same way it has for ages, horseback across giant swaths of pristine country. Watching these cowboys work in such a remote, beautiful place is something I’ll never take for granted.

Photographing the Spirit of the American West

Photographing working cowboys on historic ranches like the Spanish Ranch isn’t just about documenting a job, it’s about capturing a way of life that’s still deeply rooted in purpose, patience, and hard work. Every trip out to a ranch like this reminds me why I do what I do. It’s always hard to leave after spending time with great people that deserve so much respect, knowing the road home means traffic, screens, and emails stacked up like fence posts. But I carry the stillness of these places with me and I try to pass that along through the photographs.

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Black and white photograph of horses kicking up dust

Horses kicking up dust in a corral at The Spanish Ranch in Nevada

Photograph of a cowboy riding through open range in the American West

Riding through open range

Photograph with motion blur of cowboys dragging calves on a ranch in Nevada

Buckaroos dragging calves to the branding fire

Photograph of the desert landscape on the Spanish Ranch at sunset in Nevada

Sunset on the Spanish Ranch

Black and white photograph of a cow boss catching horses lined up on a rope in a cloud of dust

Pack of horses in a cloud of dust

Photograph with motion blur of a cowboys boot in a stirrup while riding his horse

Motion blur cowboy photograph

Close-up photograph of two calves being roped at the same time on a cattle ranch in the American West

Roping calves on a working cattle ranch in the American West

Black and white portrait of a Nevada buckaroo

Nick Donker

Black and white photograph of The Spanish Ranch in Tuscarora, Nevada

The Spanish Ranch - Tuscarora, NV

Photograph of a cowboy getting into his canvas teepee

Buckaroo getting into his teepee

Black and white photograph of buckaroos gathering cattle in open country on a ranch in Nevada
Leather fringe sways on a cowboys chaps as he brands a cow

Leather fringe on a pair of cowboy chaps

Black and white photograph of teepees set up at cow camp on a historic cattle ranch in Nevada

Cow Camp at The Spanish Ranch in Nevada

Photograph of buckaroos branding cattle in northern Nevada
Classic portrait of a cowgirl

Makayla Fulfer - Cowgirl

Group photo of cowboys on their horses in front of a beautiful cloudy sky in the American West

Group photo of cowboys on the Spanish Ranch

Black and white photograph of a horses running through dust
Photograph of a cowboy riding a bucking horse in early morning light on a cattle ranch

Early morning bronc ride

Photograph of a traditional buckaroo and his horse on a cattle ranch in Nevada

Cody Braucher - Cow Boss - Spanish Ranch

Cowboys working cattle on a ranch in Nevada

Bull Sale - Nevada

Bull Auction - Western Photos - Nevada - Bull Sale

Cattle Ranching - Culture - Photography

Been spending a lot of time up in Nevada outside of Lake Tahoe for a commercial client, but it’s grown into a lot more than that. I really enjoy the country up there and have taken to photographing various aspects of it. Not the land so much, but everything that goes along with it. The ranches, horses, people. etc. One morning I was shooting with a girl who owned a couple wild mustangs (will be posting those images soon). We finished shooting by about 9 am, so I had the rest of the day to kill, with the commercial shoot following the next day. Was pretty beat from not sleeping much the night before, so I pulled off into the local firehouse parking lot to make a tailgate sandwich. That’s where the day took a turn. Two guys in a truck rolled up and asked if I knew where the bull auction was. We talked for a minute or two, and next thing you know I was at the bull auction. Figured why the hell not? It’s a world completely foreign to me, so why not check it out. I have no plans on buying a bull, but it sure sounded like a fun event to photograph.

If I haven’t said this before, the camera is a passport. One of the many things I love about photography. It’s opened doors and taken me to places I never would have thought about. And the older I get, the more curious I become about interacting with and documenting other people and other cultures that are the opposite of my own. It’s so much fun to learn how other people live in different parts of the world. Sure, this part of Nevada is only 8 hours away from my home in San Diego, but it’s a different world. I used to be obsessed with the need to travel to far off countries in order to experience other cultures. Exotic travel is great, but there is so much culture right here in America that can easily be taken for granted.

I loved being a silent witness at the bull auction right from the start. The people were so inviting when I introduced myself and told them what I was doing. Everything about the event was stimulating. The sights, sounds, and smells. I’m from a small town in Upstate New York, and prefer to spend as much time as possible in the country/mountains, but have never seen anything like this in person. Hope to be showing you a lot more of this in the future.

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