Elk County Range Wars?

[sodbuster]

My Mother used to mention stories of the Elk County Range Wars between the cattle ranchers and (I hope it's ok to use this vulgar word ) sheep herders. Any truth to the story? If so when did these happen?

David

[srkruzich]

it still goes on, i have had a rancher kill my goats before.

[sodbuster]

Sorry to hear that Steve. In the stories my Mother told me it was even more violent. The ranchers were shooting the sheep herders and vice versa. I appreciate your comments on the topic and am suprised, I think, from your statement.

David

[Lookatmeknow!!]

We have a goat, and it goes where every she wants to go. So far, no one has bothered it. But you have to remember with the lack of water and grass in this weather, it makes a cattle farmer nervous to house others cattle. There is very little water or grass for their own. Just saying.

[srkruzich]

We have a goat, and it goes where every she wants to go. So far, no one has bothered it. But you have to remember with the lack of water and grass in this weather, it makes a cattle farmer nervous to house others cattle. There is very little water or grass for their own. Just saying.

Well make sure they can't get out of the fences.  They will just run it down in their trucks if its out.  IF it does get out, just hope it doesn't go near the roads. 

[Diane Amberg]

So did you press charges?

[srkruzich]

So did you press charges?

Being that my eyesight sucks, and that i can't see the tag, no point in pressing charges if you don't know exactly who it is. 

These a**holes drive through town like its a freeway.   Its a 20mph speed limit and i'll guarantee you their hitting 65 by the time they have to slow down for the curve. Surprises me that the house in the curve hasn't been hit yet!

[Lookatmeknow!!]

She goes everywhere. I am surprised that something else hasn't gotten her yet, but she tries to stay with the horses or cattle by the house. But we don't have fences that she can't get out. She has just been lucky. She was a present from a man here in town for my girls. She doesn't even like the girls. She likes her freedom!! LOL

[srkruzich]

She goes everywhere. I am surprised that something else hasn't gotten her yet, but she tries to stay with the horses or cattle by the house. But we don't have fences that she can't get out. She has just been lucky. She was a present from a man here in town for my girls. She doesn't even like the girls. She likes her freedom!! LOL

Well if you don't have good fences they will find a way out.  Thats guaranteed.
Even with mine fixed and working right the two that were killed found a way to lift the bottom and squeeze under the wire. 

[W. Gray]

Like many people on the forum, I grew up watching western movies. It seemed like a good number of these movies were about the wars between sheep men and cattlemen. Even watched a movie last night on the Western channel starring Glenn Ford and Shirley MacLaine called The Sheepman.

That movie was made in 1958 and was rather tame. Earlier movies of the 30s and 40s starring John Wayne (who as Singing Sandy was the first singing cowboy), Tex Ritter, Bob Steele, etc., were real shooting and killing wars between the two groups.

Growing up knowing about these wars, I always thought it was very odd that my granddad on his farm southwest of Howard raised a good number of both sheep and cattle. He retired to town in 1951.

He kept the sheep in a separate pasture and always hired a crew to do the shearing. As a little kid, I got to watch that process.

And, for some reason, he always kept a single goat in with the herd.