Drought sends North Dakota ranchers flocking to cattle sale SUE SITTER, Minot Daily News July 9, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail RUGBY, N.D. (AP) — Trailer after trailer of cattle unloaded for sale day at the Rugby Livestock Auction as buyers and sellers sat down in the barn to negotiate prices on cow-calf pairs. “This shouldn’t be happening this time of year,” one local rancher said. Auctioneer Mike Ostrem introduced a group of young cattle to the crowd. “This next group comes from the disbursal of an entire herd,” Ostrem said. “The owner just plumb ran out of grass.” The scene replayed itself all afternoon. Other classes of cattle had come in during the morning, keeping the auction staff busy with sale documents and phone calls, the Minot Daily News reported.