Elk County Forum

General Category => The Good Old Days => Topic started by: sodbuster on July 18, 2011, 01:06:42 PM

Title: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: sodbuster on July 18, 2011, 01:06:42 PM
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 :D) sheep herders. Any truth to the story? If so when did these happen?

David
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: srkruzich on July 18, 2011, 01:51:51 PM
it still goes on, i have had a rancher kill my goats before.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: sodbuster on July 18, 2011, 01:58:24 PM
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
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Lookatmeknow!! on July 18, 2011, 02:05:03 PM
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.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: srkruzich on July 18, 2011, 02:23:27 PM
Quote from: Lookatmeknow!! on July 18, 2011, 02:05:03 PM
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. 

Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Diane Amberg on July 18, 2011, 02:43:26 PM
So did you press charges?
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: srkruzich on July 18, 2011, 03:39:43 PM
Quote from: Diane Amberg on July 18, 2011, 02:43:26 PM
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!
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Lookatmeknow!! on July 18, 2011, 04:02:58 PM
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
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: srkruzich on July 18, 2011, 04:11:19 PM
Quote from: Lookatmeknow!! on July 18, 2011, 04:02:58 PM
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. 
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: W. Gray on July 18, 2011, 04:19:12 PM
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.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: sodbuster on July 18, 2011, 04:24:54 PM
Mom used to tell me those stories, but also I know my Grandpa Winn was a sheep shearer. I am beginning to think this may be a bit of a tall tale and\or my aging memory.

David
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: srkruzich on July 18, 2011, 04:33:31 PM
Quote from: W. Gray on July 18, 2011, 04:19:12 PM
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.



They are called a judas goat. They are used to lead the sheep to barns, pens, trucks or to slaughter.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: sodbuster on July 18, 2011, 04:44:47 PM
Many of the famous and not so famous Thoroughbred racehorses had their special goat in the paddock. Kept them calm I was told.

David
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: W. Gray on July 18, 2011, 04:51:11 PM
I do remember being on horseback and having a long rope wrapped around the saddle horn with the other end of the rope tied to a goat. She, I think, might not have been fully cooperative.

I don't recall anything else but my granddad must have given me the rope with the intent of getting the goat to the shearing area with the sheep following behind.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: srkruzich on July 18, 2011, 05:05:00 PM
Quote from: W. Gray on July 18, 2011, 04:51:11 PM
I do remember being on horseback and having a long rope wrapped around the saddle horn with the other end of the rope tied to a goat. She, I think, might not have been fully cooperative.

I don't recall anything else but my granddad must have given me the rope with the intent of getting the goat to the shearing area with the sheep following behind.
Goats don't like lead ropes they prefer their independence. But eventually you can get them to work with ya on  a lead. The reason they use them is Goats are smart. Sheep are as dumb as a rock, but they have one thing in common they are herd animals.  The sheep will follow the goat everytime. 

THey are also used with horses and cattle. 
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Ole Granny on July 19, 2011, 04:49:08 AM
Goats or chickens around livestock keep the animals from being spooky.  If you have ever had a horse jump sideways from a bird flying up, you would appreciate the ones raised around smaller animals. 
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: larryJ on July 19, 2011, 09:12:55 AM
Rocks are dumb? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

Larryj
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: readyaimduck on July 19, 2011, 11:10:56 AM
Only the round ones.  The other ones are 'sharp as a tack!'   ;D
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Diane Amberg on July 19, 2011, 11:19:15 AM
YES! ;D
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Wilma on July 19, 2011, 02:53:00 PM
Some of them made pretty good pets, too, forty some years ago.  I wonder whatever happened to mine.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Diane Amberg on July 19, 2011, 03:42:04 PM
You actually had a pet rock? ;D
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Wilma on July 19, 2011, 04:24:18 PM
Didn't everybody?
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Diane Amberg on July 19, 2011, 04:55:07 PM
Didn't need one. I had a field full of 'em back home. We made some in my third grade class. I brought paint and wiggle eyes and glue. The kids brought the rocks and a box and made a home for their rock.Then they had to draw a picture of all the relatives and make up a name and story about their rock. Where it came from, what they liked and disliked, favorite foods, sports, etc. Really fun.    Sorry, off topic.
Title: Re: Elk County Range Wars?
Post by: Judy Harder on July 19, 2011, 07:00:17 PM
I have (started to say "rocks in the head" but you all know that) collected rocks through the years. Nothing particular, just what appeals to my eyes.
A few are fossils or impressions of such and most of the ones I have line my flower bed. Not special, but mine.
I do have a couple I keep here at the desk. Sharon Nichols gave me a heart shaped painted pink rock with the word Hug! on it. Kind of my signature...........and my worry rock I keep it to fool with when I am thinking hard or getting worried about something.............just one I saw one day in parking lot and now have had it several years.
You could say they are a peace maker for me.
And yes, some are dull but you polish them and you would be surprised what the heart of the stone looks like. Beautiful!