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Severe and continuous droughts in the Sonoran desert have induced ranchers in the last several years to be more efficient in applying proper range management and beef production tools. This study was conducted from 2010 to 2012 in Rancho Grande at Carbo in Central Sonora, Mexico to evaluate the benefits of using early weaning to reduce drought risk and increase beef production and profitability. We compare cattle performance of two herds stocked in two different contiguous pastures planted with buffelgrass. Each herd was 100 head of mature Charolaise and Charbray crossbred cows, with similar age and body condition. Animals in both herds had sufficient forage, water and free minerals. In one herd all newborns were allowed to continue with the cows during six months until weaning (control), while in the other herd calves were removed from the cows at three months of age and fed in corrals for the following three months. All cows remained in the pastures with the bulls. We evaluated calf daily gains, cow conception rates, postpartum intervals, and cow body condition, as well as profitability. Results show that calves on early weaning treatment gained 1.1 kg/head/day while control calves gained 0.43 kg/head/day. Average cow conception rate on the early weaning treatment was 94% and 73% in the control. Cows on the early weaning treatment had an average of a 90 day postpartum interval, while the control cows had an average of 194 days. Body condition score for cows in the early weaning treatment averaged 4.5, while the control cows had an average body condition score of 3.2. In average cows in the early weaning treatment were 45 to 72 kg heavier as compared to the control herd. Profitability in the control was 1,250 to 1,890 pesos per cow, while in the early weaning pasture ranged from 3,520 to 4,590 pesos per cow. We conclude that early weaning is an effective alternative to increase range productivity and profitability.