Sheep
"Sheepherder and Sheep at the Shearing Shed," 1949. Courtesy of the Judith Basin County Free Library via Big Sky Country Digital Network.
An influx of homesteaders led to fencing and farms, diminishing grazing land for cattle and marking the end of the open-range era. Natural disasters such as drought and overgrazing, as well as an extremely severe winter in 1886–1887, contributed to the decline of the cattle industry. By 1890, sheep were becoming the predominant stock shipped into Montana.
Sheep are historically the second most numerous type of livestock in Montana after cattle. In 1847, Father DeSmet brought sheep to the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana. The industry began to grow in 1869 with the arrival of a band of 1,500 sheep from Oregon in the Beaverhead Valley in the western part of the territory. The first herd in eastern Montana was located in Miles City in 1876. The climate and land were well-suited for sheep, providing a good return on a modest investment.
After the decline of the cattle industry following the disastrous winter of 1886–1887, sheep were allowed to graze on land formerly filled with cattle. Acres of land covered with wild forage that could not support cattle turned out to be perfect for sheep. Sheep handled Montana winters well, cost less to raise than cattle, and brought in annual profits from their wool.
Eventually sheep owners turned to winter feeding, relying less on the open range. The majority of sheep were raised east of the Rocky Mountains.
