Senior Baylor Ritter had never used a chainsaw before.
The task was to chop down trees around the pond dam. Out on the ranch in Leavenworth, Kansas where Baylor works, the growth draws water away from the cattle pens.
At Baylor’s past jobs, like at Chick-fil-A, he hated being constantly managed — even when taking orders. But the ranch owner, Birck Hoagland, didn’t walk him through every step of operating machinery. He just showed Baylor the tool shed and the trees.
“Every day is different,” Baylor said. “It's not the same thing over and over again, and there's always new things to do.”
Baylor cut several days a week for two months. His chain often got stuck. Poisonous honey locust thorns poked his arms and feet. But it felt good to get that text from Hoagland about a job well done.
“He was very self-sufficient and productive and did a really good job,” Birck said.
Baylor’s been working on the Hoagland family ranch for eight months, herding cattle and handling handiwork from the end of school to sunset. Out there in work boots and jeans, Baylor sees his future: living and working on ranches across the country. Next year, he plans to move to Colorado or Wyoming.
“I like not having to worry about where [I’m] gonna live,” Baylor said. “Or how you're gonna pay for that. I just love being out in the open, and [I’m] not gonna worry about anything else.”
Baylor’s mom, Colby, says he’s always been hyperactive. He used to circle the block riding on a miniature John Deere Gator.
He never liked school. Sitting around all day, doing what felt like nothing. His Study Skills teacher since sophomore year, Brandi Krahulik, says he’s a hands-on learner and the weirdest, funniest kid she’s ever met. She’d help him manage assignments.
“I’ve been there to push him when he needed to be pushed,” Brandi said. “He’s one of those kids I’ll remember forever.”
A year ago, Baylor reached out to Birck to work at the ranch because he wanted to try hands-on, outdoors work. He loved working with the cattle, a crossbreed called black herefords. He smiles when he shows videos of them milling around.
Through email chains, Baylor’s been searching for jobs out west, where he hopes to gain more experience. If he still loves the work, he may go to college to study agriculture. He figures if he learns the money side, he could someday own his own ranch.
Though the job can be exhausting, Baylor can’t imagine sitting in an office all day. And the hard work doesn’t feel so bad when he’s outside, listening to country music by Billy Strange on his JBL speaker.
“It just feels free,” Ritter said. “There's not really businesses on every side and people everywhere. You can kind of just go out there and not feel judged. You can be your own person. You can listen to music however loud you want. You can just sit there and take it all in.”
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