Babblings of Buzzard = Sheepherding

Buzzard

Mumbel-a-lings of Buzzard = Mop Ears

My Dad owned one of the old Chisum ranches;
{Sage brush, Cactus, Mesquite , rock and sand }
some deeded, some govt. lease, some private lease
and was a Cowman,
and didn' t care too much for sheep;
but, some of the ground he had, was better for sheep than cattle,
so he kept a few:
Don't think he ever had more than couple hundred head.
But the ranches north and west were all sheep country;
Several thousand head.

We don't herd "the old way" any more,
easier too load em in livestock trailers and haul em.
As a kid growing up, I spent a few nights with the flock;
I am no expert, so this is how I remember it:

You have too --"Lead the Sheep"--;
You can drive cattle / horses:
But you have too "Lead the Sheep"
Sheep are not too smart;
Can't find their way home;
Get more than ½ mile from water and can't find their way back:
Climb up on a rock cliff and won't come down;
Get their wool tangled up in the Mesquite and can't get loose:
--"Totally Helpless"-- from the Predators

Too herd sheep, you need 4 things,
<>half crazed horse with 4 good feet under him;
{if he had any sense, he wouldn't herd sheep}
<>Mule, {More dependable}

<> Lead Goat {preferably a smart one}
{Stockyards call them a "Judas Goat"}

Sheep will follow a Goat anywhere he goes;
But a sheep can't go where a Goat can go;
Goats are strange;
They know the "Wolves" {Coyotes} are not hunters but Scavengers;
and will scarf up on the sick, young, old, and lame;
also will go for the easiest to catch:
So he will offer the Sheep as
--"a sacrifice"-- to the Wolves:

<> Lead the flock into the brush and let some get tangled up;
<> Butt a Ram off a Cliff for Predators too get:
<> Or just plain hurt one so it is the
--"Lame of the Flock"--
and then lead the flock away:
and leave the cripple for the Wolves:

As long as the Ram keeps his eyes on the Goat
Goat can't whip the Rams of the flock:
so he has too --"Ambush the Ram"-- when he isn't looking:
and he goes for between the Rams rear legs;
{Ruptured Ram, and something to give too the Wolves}
--{Daniel 8:5}--
And as you have seen on cartoons
Turn your back and ---"BUTT"--- he will go for you too,
{Always in the Back of the knees}

Got to have the ---"Leaders of the Flock"---
---{HE GOATS}---
But don't ---"Turn your Back"--- on them:
Don't trust the--"Goats of the Flock"--

<>3-4 small Blue Heeler / Sheltie type cross small dogs:
{Big dogs are too rough on the sheep}
but because of their size, too small to protect the flock}
Sheep dogs don't lead the flock;
Their job to keep them together as a herd / group / flock
and find any stragglers / lead the Shepard to the lost:

<>One {1} Mean / No fear Nothin Hound Dog
{His job to protect the flock}
and a good hound hunts alone

The one I remember the best was ,
Black and White spotted ½ cross Blue Tic type
and Hinze 57 variety:
Out run a horse; and I know he could go 10 - 12 miles
in a almost a dead run;
Snake would buzz and, all he knew was attack.
Been snake bit so many times he had no hair left
on his face, shoulders, front legs:
Snake bite didn't even make him sick anymore.

Didn't learn to leave Porky Pine alone either:
Ears been chewed on so much, they hung in strings
{What was left of Em}
Looked like an old Cotton String Mop;
So we called him "Mop Ears"

Wouldn't come around the flock;
Sheep stink, so he would stay away by himself:
but he wasn't far.
come to camp to get fed,
sniff noses with the sheep dogs:
lick a few hands to say Hell-o;

Blue Tic is good for hunting Coons and such;
But a pack of coyotes will kill a Blue Tic;
Unlike a wolf, they pick on those
that are unable to defend them selves:
And run in packs.
Coyotes are cowards,
so they fight as a coward.
Send one out, to lead the hound into an ambush.

Just after full dark:
Coyote would Yip:
Mop ears would Howl back.
Coyote would yip;
He would howl back;

Make a trip around the flock and growl at the sheep dogs.
Making sure the little dogs don't go off into the night
and get led into a trap
{You little dogs stay with the flock; this is my job}

Coyote would Yip;
He would Howl Back;

Sniff the wind and "Down Wind" from the coyote
into the dark he would go;
A Blue tic runs with his nose to the ground:
tracking the scent of the one he is chasing:

Not so with a good hound;
He don't want the ---"ONE"--- teasing him;
He wants the --"WHOLE PACK"--
So he runs with his nose to the wind;
looking for the scent of the pack,
and as he runs he is moving always
Down wind of the one he is trailing:

Coyote will Yip;
He Howls back;
Coyote will yip;
He will howl back;
Coyote will yip,
------------
Coyote will Yip:
------------
Coyote will Yip,
but he don't howl back now;
He's found what he is looking for:

He is Thru Talking;
{Matt. 10:27}
Time for action now:

And while the coyote is Yipping;
He moves down wind from the pack;
after a few minutes "The Whole Pack" goes to yipping;
Trying too tease him back into the open:

and while they are making so much noise teasing him
they can't hear him sneaking thru the pucker brush,
and then all that
--"Teasing turns too Screaming"--
But you don't hear the Hound Howling;
he's too busy Biting

And the --"Trap"-- they set for Him;
he has sprung on ---"them"---

Next morning;
Get up, get the coffee on,
catch the mule and go find your horse:
{Mule has got enough sense to stay at camp}

But don't look for your flock;
Sheep dogs already got them moving;
and you will find them in the same pucker
brush where the coyotes were last night;
Cause the Goat was listening;
and he knows its now safe to go
cause the Hound was there last night.

Somewhere, if you look, you will find 2 - 3 dead coyote:
may - be more
Check all the water holes, small springs, wells, ect.
And you will find your hound laying in the mud,
licking his wounds.

Check him, make sure he isn't hurt to bad,
Shoot a rabbit, and feed him good;
then let him lay there in the cool mud all day,
licking his wounds:

About dark, he will find your camp;
sniff a few noses, and want fed good:

And about full dark a coyote will yip;
he will howl back
Coyote will Yip;
He'll howl back
coyote will Yip
He'll growl at the sheep dogs:
Sniff the wind,
And off into the night he goes:

Looking for the ones that got away last night:

Buzz:

Buzzard · Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2002 2:06 am Post subject: 1 Horned Goat of Daniel

The One {1} Horned Goat;

--{Daniel 8:3}--
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes,
and saw, and, behold,
there stood before the river
--"a ram"-- which had --"two horns"--:
and the two horns were high;
but one was higher than the other,
and
--"the higher came up last"--

5 And as I was considering, behold,
an --"he goat"-- came from the west
on the face of the --"whole earth"--
{Universal; World Wide}
and touched not the ground:
and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

6 And he came to the ram that had two horns,
which I had seen standing before the river,
and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram,
and he was moved with choler against him,
and smote the ram, and brake his two horns:
and there was no power in the ram to stand before him,
but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him:

there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

As I pointed out in the story: