The Fictional Ages of the Cowboys?

I never saw the movie, and so I never heard any ages given for the cowboys in the movie.

But I do have access to IMDB and so I can find the ages of the actors when it was filmed.

The Cowboys was released on 13 January 1972 and filmed from 1 April 1971 to 21 July 1971.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068421/locations?ref_=ttrel_sa_4

1) Alfred Barker Jr. "Fats cowboy" was born March 19, 1957 & was 14 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0054809/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t5

2) Nicolas Beauvy "Dan cowboy" was born July 9, 1958 and turned 13 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0064742/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t6

3) Steve Benedict "Steve cowboy" - birth date not listed.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0070815/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t7

4) Robert Carradine "Slim Honeyicutt cowboy" was born March 24, 1954 and was 17 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001019/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t8

5) Norman Howell "Weedy cowboy" was born July 19, 1957 and turned 14 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397917/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t9

6) Stephen R. Hudis "Charlie Schwartz cowboy" was born May 17, 1957 and turned 14 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0399729/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t10

7) Sean Kelly "Stuttering Bob cowboy" was bornNovember 19, 1959 and was 14 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446856/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t11

8) A Martinez "Cimmaron cowboy" was born September 27, 1948 and was 22 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553436/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t12

9) Clay O'Brien "Hardy Fimps cowboy" was born May 6, 1961 and turned 10 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639475/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t13

10) Sam O'Brien "Jimmy Phillips cowboy" - birth date not listed..

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639798/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t14

11) Mike Pryeatt "Homer Weams cowboy" was born July 14, 1957 and turned 14 during filming.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0701448/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t15

So if those 11 were all the cowboy actors in the film, there were 2 whose ages were not recorded, 1 aged 22, 1 aged 17, 2 aged 14, 3 who were 13 & 14 during filmng, 1 who was 12 & 13 during filmng, and 1 who was 9 & 10 during filming.

Looking at some photos from the movie, it looks like Steve Benedict and Sam O'Brien were probably also about 14 when it was filmed.

Of course it is rather unsafe to assume that movie characters are the same ages as their actors, even child characters.

Hearing a character's age mentioned in a movie, or reading their age in their character description in the script, is much more accurate than assuming that they are the same age as their actor. The Cowboys is one of many movies based on a novel or with a novel based on the movie, which is another source of character information.