Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-20
STORMSTROUBLE SHEPHERDS
FlOokmasters Of HOutana Not Counting
Profits Of Early tpring.
ICE COVERS WINTER RANGE THIS YEAR
Clearing of Grassland only Hope that
FIOckmasters Have of Avoid
ina Heavy Loss DUR
ing the Winter.

BILLINGS. Mont, Jan. 1s-(special)-
The weather conditions in northern and
eastern Montana have been occasioning
apprehension. Sheep men do not sit about
the fire counting their spring profits. In
stead they are out in the cold and snow,
planning. seheming. and directing, en-
deavoring to get the bands Of sheep and
the base OF feed supply in close proxi unity.
The early snow falls and the changeable
weather have made the situation unusually
serious. Stock has been suffering and
| owners are anxious. Sheep can get on for
time with very little food. but there is
limit of endurance and much deprivation
means a dropping off in the amount of
WOOL at the clipping time, as well as loss
in the vitality of the sheep, IL not much
| loss Of life.
Montana is the greatest sheep producing
state in the union and every year some g.,
| 100000 sheep are out on the range picking
their living from the rich, dried grasses,
! watering at the rivers and creeks, and
growing a heavy coat Of wool. the chief
profit. Under favorable conditions the
wethers yield from eight to twelve pounds
each. the others somewhat less owners
of large herds may thus have neat train
load for summer shipment.
industry. From here many thousand head
of sheep are shipped yearly and an agsre-
gate of from 100000 to 100000 pounds
| of wool.
The sheep are usually kept In herds of
from 1000 to 5000. with two tenders to each
herd. These men live in what is known as
sheep wagons. fitted up with stove, bed
and cooking utensils. They often suffer
| greatly in their earnest endeavors to care
! for and protect the sheep under their
charge. Faithful dogs. almost as intelli-
gent the herders themselves, do much Of
the tending, sitting on a hillside with eyes
half closed, but all the time on the alert
for any danger or unexpected crisis.
Food for Weak sheep.
| In summer the bands are in what is
known as floating herds, with no perma-
nent station. Most of the herds of wethers
are floating" during the winter. as we'll
but many of the herders have central sta
tions for the weaker ones and food supply
Here the herds may become larger and be
divided into bands of ewes. lambs, and
an invalid band, composed of the weak
ones. Little range stock is kept In any
shelter except brush or woods, account
of the alternate heating and chilling and
consequent pneumonia. Different care is
given to each band according to it's
strength, and the weaker ones are not
taken far out to Craze When storm indl-
cations are imminent the herds are led to
the north or in the face of the threatening
storm, so that they will be driven toward
the station IL a blizzard swoops down upon
| them. .....,
The first snowfall of the season usually
comes early in November, but chinook
generally scatters 1t not many days later.
II not and the snow is light. the hills are
usually bare. and the triangular snowplow
will make path through the valleys
making them passable and permitting the
sheep to feed from hill to hill. In an ex-
tremity operations are begun on hilltop
and the feed is literally plOwed out Going
round and round, the big showplows crowd
the snow down to the base, leaving a large
feeding ground. Five or six Inches OF
snow are desirable, II It is light; the sheep
will paw and nose down to the grass and
the moisture permits ranging farther from
the water supply. A sheep cannot make
any Roadway through deep snow, how
ever nor is It able to get footing on a
slippery crust and IL the crust allows its
small feet to break through, there is danger
of skinning the legs and disabling many In
a short time.
Ice Covers Range.
But this year the SHOWS were heavy and
the early chinook did not suffice. Unless
all the snow goes of thaw is bad. and
the constant thawng and freezing has
become discouraging. The snowfall of the
winter, some fifteen inches in all, melted
slowly and settled down on top of the
ground IN a solid mass OF snow and Ice.
The chinook of the early part of January
relieved conditions somewhat. The north
west wind, coming warm and dry from the
coast stream, barred some of the hiutops
Near the mountains 1t took ali Of the snow.
leaving a clear range, so that within
distance of a few miles there Is bare
ground and several inches of snow. and
lucky is the feeder who has large range
with varied altitude and climate. Over
much OF the state the few hours OF warm
| weather were not sufficient the wind