Can you be a rancher even though you didn't grow up on a ranch?

Can you be a rancher even though you didn't grow up on a ranch?
For sure - the only issue is the economics of the real estate. If you buy out west (Colorado, Montana) or down south (Texas) you can't run near as many head on a piece of ground as you can in climates that you get more moisture (Iowa, Missouri, etc). Fewer heads per acre = greater expense in feeding, needing more total area to feed, tracking your group, fencing, taxes, etc.

Most ranchers have to make their money elsewhere, and buy into ranching. Or have a 2nd income so that the ranching operation can pay itself off at first, and then take income later. It's not the type of business that you walk into and start taking profit from day one.

This of course is all under the pretext that you want to OWN a ranch. You can get work on a ranch without being a rancher - they always need warm bodies ;) It's a good place to start to see if you enjoy the work.