top of page
  • Black Facebook Icon
  • Black Instagram Icon

A LIFESTYLE BLOG

DSC02752.jpeg

A Sheepherder's Story

IMG-4007.JPG.jpg

Marie McClaren is a 5th generation sheep and cattle rancher with her family's ranch, Julian Land & Livestock from Kemmerer, WY. She is passionate about large range sheep operations, like her family's, and advocating and sharing their stories in hopes of keeping them alive.    

 

Check out her stories to learn more about the lifestyle, the animals, the sheepherders, and Marie!

DSC_0211.JPG

SHEEPHERDER VOCABULARY

Drop herd: The main bunch of ewes, during lambing, that have yet to lamb.

Lambing: The birthing of lambs.

Shed lambing: Tending to the ewes delivering lambs in barns and corrals.

Range lambing: Tending to the ewes delivering lambs out on the range, in the sagebrush and hills. No corrals or barns. 

Hired men/sheepherders/herders: Spanish speaking Peruvians brought in on work visas that stay with the sheep herds year round.

Bum lambs: lambs without mothers that we bottle feed.

Panniers: a box or bag set that hang on either side of the pack saddle for transporting supplies.

Camp: The place where the sheepherders are residing at the time whether it be in their tent or their camp- a rounded metal sheep wagon on four wheels as pictured above.

Commissary/supply wagon: A wooden wagon, pictured above, pulled behind the camp for holding supplies such as hay, wood, corn, and dog food.

Big Range Operation: Running the sheep in herds on the range year round. Often times on public lands, such as Forest Service or BLM.

Grafting: when a lamb dies, we skin it and put that skin on a live lamb like a jacket so the ewe will claim it as hers.   

© 2022 by A Sheepherder's Story. 

bottom of page