Livestock Guardian Dogs on the job in the Red Desert
Modesto is also on the job!
two noses are better than one
Tag Archives: Red Desert
Over and under and on to the Red Desert
Here’s Modesto’s ewes, ready to head through Rodewald’s gate
Today, the third band of sheep crossed over the UP line and under I80 at Creston Junction. They are trailing north to winter pastures on the Cyclone Rim and Chain Lakes allotments in the Red Desert. This is a long walk from the summer pastures on the Routt and Medicine Bow National Forests.
Here’s the sheep topping the railroad overpass south of Creston Junction.
Modesto in the mirror
passing the Fireworks Stand
heading north, past I80
almost to the gate
Under I80 and over the UP Line
leaving the Red Desert
All three bunches of sheep which wintered on the Red Desert have now crossed under Interstate 80, over the Union Pacific railroad overpass, and across Rodewald’s pasture. The early lambers are at the lambing sheds north of Dixon. After last year’s experience of lambing in the wool, we are most anxious to get on with shearing. Meanwhile, the second and third bunches are in the Badwater Pasture, also awaiting the shearers. They will soon trail on through the Atlantic Rim to the Cottonwood lambing grounds. Here’s some photos of leaving the Red Desert.
Leo heading south
trucks above, sheep below
crossing the railroad
almost to Rodewald’s gate
The first sheep head south
The sheep are ready to leave winter pasture on the Red Desert
We have to flag as the sheep enter the highway
Today, the first band of ewes headed south, under Interstate 80 at Creston Junction, and over the Union Pacific line on Wyoming Highway 789. After a hard winter on the Red Desert, they are going to greening pastures. The other two bands which wintered on the Red Desert will follow in a couple of weeks as they travel to Badwater for shearing and Cottonwood for lambing.
crossing under I80, in the rear view mirror
sheep heading down from the Union Pacific overpass
The traffic was backed up as it waited for the sheep to pass over the narrow bridge.
Filomeno heading for the gate
through the gate into Rodewald’s pasture
Most of the Livestock Guardian Dogs rode in the truck–after various escape attempts
Meghan and Pepe with multiple dogs
Working sheep on the Red Desert
bringing up the ewes
We have been working the ewes, getting ready for the spring trail to Badwater, where we plan to shear the ewes. We then head south to the lambing grounds. Pepe, Walter, Leo, Meghan, Maeve, Tiarnan and Sharon worked Leo’s bunch on a relatively warm day, just before another snowstorm gave us more much needed moisture.
Tiarnan and Pepe at the chute
Maeve and Tiarnan with flags
Meghan turning the ewes out of the corral
Some are lambing, some are still pregnant
Enjoying the sunshine
ewes, lambs and bulls
Pregnancy testing ewes on the Red Desert
Bucks–all dressed up and someplace to go
bucks in their working clothes
Jumping out of the trailer
The bucks have been waiting all year, or at least since February, to hang out with the girls again. They spend most of the year hanging out with each other, and plotting to escape from the buck pastures. At long last, breeding season has arrived and they can find romance. We sprinkle their wool with red powder to make it easier for the herders to count and identify them, load them into the trailer and take them to the pasture where the ewes are awaiting them. For the ewes, it means a very brief moment of passion, five months (less five days) of pregnancy, and four or five months of raising lambs. They probably find their lives to be a lot more interesting!
on the run
Filo gets ready to move the bucks
Headed for the Promised Land
Destination: the sagebrush sea
Every year at this time, we are almost there with the final leg of our 150 mile trek as the sheep trail from their summer country in the Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests to winter pasture in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Each way, spring and fall, we must cross the overpass across the Union Pacific line, and the underpass below Interstate 80–both coast to coast trails of a different sort. We make this part of the trail on WY Highway 789. For several miles, we share the highway with cars, pickup trucks and trailers, motor homes, and semi trucks hauling everything from livestock to oilfield supplies. We flag the road, ‘fore and aft, to warn traffic that the sheep are on the highway. We’ve only had a few near wrecks over the years, due mostly to inattentive or inexperienced drivers, and sometimes bad weather. Mostly we see our neighbors, who wait and wave, fellow travelers, and folks who stop and take photos and ask questions. I always send up a prayer of thanks when sheep, dogs, horses and humans have safely threaded the needle, and are on their way to the Red Desert. Then I pray for a good winter, good feed and a good living for all.
at Rodewald’s gate
Jean Carlos on the run
Filo on the railroad bridge
headed East
passing the Fireworks Stand
sharing the road
Prima Express–dos direciones
Under I80
Ovcharka livestock guardian dog sees them through the gate
trailing crew–Rhen, Pepe, McCoy and Pat
more crew–Pepe, Tiarnan and Meghan
Tiarnan and Modesto headed north on adopted wild horse
Ladder Ranch
