American Ranch

Chapter 10 Buying a Gun
Chen Mo originally wanted to pay Bai Xiaoou a large commission, at least according to the agency fee of a regular agency company, but he only had $70 in his pocket.

Filled out a check for 20 yuan, and planned to owe the rest, but Bai Xiaoou hasn't received it yet.

Xueshan Ranch is poor and empty, with nothing.Fence repairs, barns repaired, irrigation systems overhauled, machinery in the warehouse replaced... cattle and sheep had to be bought. 70 U.S. dollars, no matter how you calculate it, is tight.

Bai Xiaoou was delayed for more than ten days because of Chen Mo's affairs, and he had to go back. Chen Mo hugged him and said, "I will continue to owe it. Let me know when you need money."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything...Also, take your hunting license and go to the gun store to buy a shotgun. You are a rancher now. Although it is only a temporary green card, it is no problem to buy a shotgun. Buy Guns are not against people, they are against animals...bye."

"Bye-Bye."

It is really nice to have a friend like Bai Xiaoou, but Chen Mo is ashamed because he has helped him too much.These things can only be kept in my heart, and I will return them later...

Watching Bai Xiaoou leave, Carlby came over and said, "Boss, how do you plan to run this ranch."

Canlby is the veterinarian of the Snow Mountain Ranch. The rancher ran into an economic crisis and not only sold all the animals on the ranch, but also laid off all the employees.Camerby was newly hired by Chen Mo, with a semi-monthly salary of US$1550.High income in Montana...

The per capita annual income in Montana is around $4.The per capita thing has always been high and low... For example, to recruit an ordinary ranch worker, a monthly salary of 1900-2500 US dollars is enough.In addition, during this period of time, the agricultural economy is not good, and people are willing to come to work with lower quotations.

"First recruit a few workers to repair fences and cowpens. Then raise some cattle and sheep... By the way, how many cows and sheep can be raised in the Snow Mountain Ranch." After a period of oral training, Chen Mo was able to conduct some simple conversations with the locals. It is really impossible to have a mobile phone translation for the communication of problems.

"A maximum of 230-260 cattle can be raised in the cattle pen. The pasture has a grazing area of ​​1000 hectares. There are local regulations, and the bearing capacity of the land has also been calculated. In the grazing area of ​​the Snow Mountain Pasture, 10 hectares can graze one cow plus four sheep. "

Chen Mo nodded and thought about it, 10 hectares equals 150 mu.

150亩，10万平方米……也就是长500米，宽200米的一块土地。标准足球场是7140平方米，也就是10.71亩地，10公顷土地相当于14个标准足球场，就只能放养1头牛和4只羊。

From this, one can imagine the barrenness and desolation of the land.

The snow mountain pasture can raise up to 360 cattle in a saturated state, which is an ideal state.Add another 300-500 sheep.

Let’s not calculate the cost of raising cattle for the time being, let’s talk about how much a cow can be sold for... American beef sales are basically monopolized by oligopolies, unless cattle with very good meat quality can be raised.Selling to the slaughterhouse, the price of a normal-quality Angus cattle is between 2100 and 2800 US dollars.

Taking an average, a cow can sell for $2500, which is very ideal.

The pasture raises 300 cattle, plus sheep, and the annual output value is about 75 US dollars.Raising cattle costs a lot...

The vast majority of ranches in Montana are family-based, and only very large ranches employ workers.For example, Snow Mountain Ranch hired three workers before, and its main profit point is not grazing, but the ginseng that is about to be harvested.Chen Mo didn't know anything about ginseng, and there were very few people in Montana who knew about ginseng.

Chen Mo didn't know anything about how to run a ranch. He regretted buying the Snow Mountain Ranch just now. He knew that he should buy a small ranch.

Raise a few horses, a dozen cows, and leave a lot of money to be happy and happy...

At this stage, the ranch has too many things to solve. Chen Mo scratched his hair and looked at the dilapidated ranch, pointing to his pickup truck: "Where can I buy a gun around here?"

The United States can legally hold guns, and Chen Mo has been interested in it for a long time.

"You can buy firearms in the town of Moccasin and Harlowton. The distance between the two places is about 30 miles." Canlby said: "I suggest going to Harlowton, where you can buy daily necessities. Supplies."

"Okay... let's go." Chen Mo got into the pickup truck, and Calby sat in the passenger seat.

Snow Mountain Ranch has a thin concrete road about 3 meters wide, which leads directly to State Highway 191...

Along the way, the two chatted about Montana's climate, local customs, pastures...it wasn't boring.

Montana prairie, an arid and semi-arid climate zone with sparse vegetation, used only for grazing livestock.

The terrain on both sides of the road is slightly undulating. It is mid-April, and it is different from the vast scene when I came here. The grassland has grown tender grass, and the haystacks have disappeared, replaced by cows walking leisurely and grazing.

There is no particularly large herd of cattle, more than a dozen cattle gather together.

"This is a grazing area. The wooden fence is an area ranging from 50 hectares to 300 hectares. Every year in April, the cattle are put in, and they graze and grow by themselves, and come to catch them in October..."

"Did you use the word 'capture'?"

"The grazing cattle are usually left unattended. After a long time, these cattle are not very docile. When they are raised in October, these cattle are sold to large pastures for fattening... A shelf cattle can make a profit of about 500 US dollars after deducting the cost. This may be the most It's an easy way to make money." Canlby looked out the window enviously.

It takes 10 hectares to graze one cow, and 300 hectares to graze 30 heads.This way of grazing has almost no cost...

The air quality in Montana is really good, at least one notch better than the air in their hometown.In the land of the sky, on a sunny day, the sky looks like a huge blue curtain.

There are very few vehicles on the spacious asphalt road.The vehicles passing by can drive up to sixty or seventy miles, very fast...

Driving in Montana is also a pleasure to relax and unwind.

From a distance, I saw Haroldon, a small city, which was not as big as the town of Chen Mo's hometown.Canlby pointed to a country road: "The gun store is a bullet farm in the suburbs. You just got a temporary green card, so you are not eligible to buy a gun, but you have a ranch... Snow Mountain Ranch is a ranch with hunting rights... ..." Calby taught Chen Mo some general knowledge about firearms, but Chen Mo still didn't understand a lot.

Probably because Chen Mo has limited options and can only buy shotguns.You can't buy rifles and pistols, especially pistols...these will have to wait for Chen Mo to get an official green card.

Bullet Farm gun store, a yellow leather supermarket.

From the outside it looks like a local supermarket.

There is a big sign at the entrance of the supermarket, which says Outdoor Goods Store, and the logo of the Rifle Association.There are several cars in the parking lot. There is a hill behind the supermarket, and gunshots can be vaguely heard...

The door of the store is open and there is no security.The two female salespeople inside looked between 25 and 30 years old. According to Chen Mo's aesthetics, they were not beautiful, but sexy at best.The two waitresses have pistols on their waists, and the holsters are prominently placed...

As soon as he entered the store, Chen Mo saw a squad machine gun on the front wall, which was too exaggerated.In addition, there are various long guns hanging on the wall.The pistols are on the glass counter...

There are several rows of shelves in the supermarket, with various outdoor products and bullets.

A bearded man pushing a shopping cart, picking bullets is the same as Chen Mo picking Chinese cabbage in China...

Camerby went to the counter and told about Chen Mo's situation. The clerk entertained him with a smile, and gave Chen Mo a form first... Filling out the form was completed under the guidance of the clerk and Camerby.This form has to be sent to the FBI... After filling out the form and getting a reply from the FBI, it is not enough. It is not so easy to buy a gun through formal channels.

Chen Mo filled out another form to apply for joining the Hunter's Guild. First, he applied for a hunter's license, and then instructors came to teach Chen Mo how to shoot, how to maintain guns, and so on.

Bullet Farm is a one-stop service. It takes many places to apply for hunter licenses and gun licenses.Montana has a vast land and sparse population, and all of them are small cities, and the functional departments of the governments of small cities are not complete.For example, to apply for a hunter's license, you have to go to Helena to get the stamp... You also have to go to Helena or Billings to apply for a gun license.If you don't know the specific process and handle it yourself, don't even think about it in two or three months.

After filling out the form, Chen Mo picked out a Remington M870 shotgun with a dozen boxes of ammunition... The final bill was $4750, mainly for the license.It took Chen Mo the fastest half a month to get a hunter's license, gun license (long guns - shotguns, etc.), as well as shotguns and bullets.

(End of this chapter)