Livestock Crossing: Going With the Flow

Jennifer Pinkerton August 12, 2008

Photo by Cassi Griffin

On Sunday, as my dog Stella and I went for our morning stroll, we ran into a gang of noisy, smelly interlopers: A large band of sheep. I grabbed her leash more firmly and we backtracked, heading out on a different trail, not wanting to harass them. (Well, Stella probably wanted to harass them, but I did not think the sheep - or the Peruvian sheepherder - would appreciate that.)

It’s not unusual, in my central Idaho town, to be confronted with roving sheep during the summer and fall months. This time of year, co-workers inevitably arrive at the office late once or twice, complaining that “the sheep are on the highway again,” or weekend camping trips get rescheduled when the flocks move into our preferred locations. Most locals have come to accept their presence and just work around it. I mean, really, what can you do when 200 sheep are crossing the road in front of you? Not much.

Sheep have historically played a major part in Idaho’s economy, and have been a part of the Wood River Valley since the 1860s. Early in the summer, the bands on the Snake River Plain travel north through the Wood River Valley to higher summer pastures. A traditional route, this migration takes them right on up Highway 75, through the towns of Hailey and Ketchum. In the fall, the shepherds will guide them back down south to the desert. We celebrate this return migration every fall with a valley-wide event called the Trailing of the Sheep Festival - on their way down south, the shepherds lead hundreds of bleating sheep down Main Street, back to their southern pastures, while all of us townspeople line the streets and eat parade food and wave them on their way.

It’s just one of those things. Not everyone finds it charming to have to wait in a line of traffic or rearrange their routes every once in a while to let the sheep and their Great Pyrenees guard dogs go by, but I sort of enjoy it. It’s quirky. It’s part of life in a rural area. Stella and I will just take our hikes somewhere else this week.

Photo by Cassi Griffin


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