The Tally

Getting an accurate count of the number of cattle in a herd is very important to the cow man. This count is often called 'the tally'. In order to get the best count, the cowboy will position himself opposite a stationary object such as a gate post, where the cattle will go by it. He will keep his fingers pointed on the post, which helps his eye not to move back and forth which would result in losing track of the count.