In the Ankole region the overriding concern since the colonial period has been the commercialization of livestock production through the introduction of commercial ranching. The lack of success in this endeavor is due not only to the political and economic crises over the years, but to a failure to understand the underlying bottlenecks faced by the various categories of cattle keepers. In pastoral Karamoja the proliferation of firearms has had a profound impact on the organization of herd management. The inherent military organization of the harding cooperatives forced the Ngakarimojong people to adapt not only to changes in their physical environment but also to regional factors. This study examines the two issues that figure large in contemporary Ugandan agricultural and political studies -- ranching and pastoral institutions where the cattle move with seasons and droughts.