The Cattleman: History, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Profile, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
The Cattleman magazine has served Texas and Southwestern ranchers since 1914 as the official voice of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a group founded by open-range cattlemen in 1877 to fight rustling. More than a century of covers, from Peter Hurd paintings to prize steers, tell the story of Southwestern ranching. Here is its history, profile, content and staff.
| First published | 1914 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) |
| Association founded | 1877; its 150th anniversary convention is set for 2027 |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Managing Editor | Sharla Ishmael |
| Archive | The Cattleman Digital Archives and monthly Pages of History |
| Official website | TSCRA.org |
History of The Cattleman
The Cattle Raisers Association of Texas, now TSCRA, began in 1877 when a small band of pioneer cattlemen banded together against cattle theft. By 1914 it had grown enough to launch its own monthly, The Cattleman, which carried association business alongside markets, range management and ranch life.
Early covers reflected the times: grand champion carloads of steers from the 6666 Ranch, a World War I cartoon cowboy urging livestock to do their part, and later celebrated paintings by New Mexico rancher-artist Peter Hurd. Writers like Mary Whatley Clarke chronicled conventions and the people who attended them, and the magazine recorded the association's Special Rangers breaking up rustling rings across Texas and Oklahoma.
The magazine's Pages of History feature now revisits issues from 50 and 100 years earlier each month, showing how concerns such as theft, drought and markets have recurred across generations.
The Cattleman Today
The Cattleman remains a monthly member benefit of TSCRA, published from Fort Worth and supported by a digital archive. Sharla Ishmael, who worked for the association from 1995 to 2001 and later freelanced for publications including BEEF, Angus Journal and Successful Farming, was named managing editor to oversee editorial content and day-to-day management.
TSCRA is preparing for its 150th anniversary convention, and the magazine continues to cover its theft and law work, policy advocacy and education programs such as Ranching 101.
What The Cattleman Is Publishing Now
Ranch management
Grazing, brush and range management, herd health, genetics and wildlife on working ranches.
Theft and law
Reports from TSCRA Special Rangers and crime watch notices on missing cattle.
Policy and heritage
Water, property rights and trade policy, plus Pages of History and ranch family profiles.
The Cattleman Editors and Staff
TSCRA announcements and the masthead name:
- Sharla Ishmael - Managing Editor, The Cattleman
- Mary Whatley Clarke - Historic columnist and association chronicler
- Don C. King - TSCRA secretary-general manager 1966-1995
General association mail: tscra@tscra.org.
Who Reads The Cattleman
Readers are TSCRA members, ranchers and landowners across Texas, Oklahoma and the Southwest. Texas leads the nation in cattle, and the Census of Agriculture counts tens of thousands of beef cow operations there, the core audience The Cattleman has served for more than a century.
Texas ranchers have a long tradition of tall tales, and The Cattleman's own archives are full of colorful characters. For a modern helping, farm.FM serves ranch humor, farm satire and plain farm humor that would feel at home around a Fort Worth convention table. The farm jokes there are tall enough to stand next to any Texas story.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
The Cattleman Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- TSCRA: Ishmael named managing editor - the editorial appointment.
- TSCRA: The Cattleman's Pages of History - the magazine's monthly look back.
- TSCRA: Pages of History, 1917 and 1967 - historic covers and items.
- USDA ERS: Cattle and calf receipts - the economics of cattle.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Texas cattle inventory statistics.
The Cattleman FAQ
Who publishes The Cattleman magazine?
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Fort Worth.
When did The Cattleman start?
The magazine began publishing in 1914.
Who is the managing editor of The Cattleman?
Sharla Ishmael is managing editor.
What is Pages of History?
A monthly feature reprinting items from issues 50 and 100 years earlier.
More than a century after its first issue, The Cattleman magazine still speaks for the ranchers of Texas and the Southwest, from the Special Rangers to the Pages of History.