Dillon ranchers implement virtual fencing technology to track cattle

A Montana ranching family near Dillon is adopting satellite-enabled virtual fence collars designed in New Zealand to track cattle grazing on remote public lands in the Beaverhead National Forest. The technology, which transmits location data via app rather than cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, could have expedited recovery of over 1,000 head during August wildfires that forced emergency evacuation. Fourth-generation rancher Tell Holland views the system as a management tool rather than a threat to traditional ranching practices.