Cattle Country

Gordon Louis Mortensen

Cattle County provides a sweeping view of rugged terrain encountered by the artist in North Dakota. North Dakota’s highest mountain is White Butte, whose peak is 3,506 feet above sea level, and its lowest elevation is 750 feet above sea level at the Red River. North Dakota landforms include the Red River valley in the east, a Central Plateau, and the rugged, hilly badlands in the west. The North Dakota rangeland provide habitat for many native plants and animals, and today play a major role in the state’s livestock industry. The majority of present-day North Dakota rangeland lies in the western two-thirds of the state, with remnant populations found in the southeastern and northeastern regions. These lands provide forage for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, horses and other types of domestic livestock.