Robert and I love taking photos, we travel the country, looking for interesting stories, or beautiful sights to capture in digital form.
The story above is probably one of the most interesting we've come across. The man in this photo is Roberto Ninahuanca Tocas. He's a school teacher from Peru!
As we were driving along today, I noticed this band of sheep on the mountain. I told Robert, "When you see a band that large, there will also be a sheep herder!"
Robert reads my mind, he turned off the highway, and we bumped and crunched over a grass beaten trail toward the sheep. Luckily, our Yukon can go most anywhere! Presently we saw a small camper trailer, a saddle with rifle in the scabbard, hanging over a tree limb, and a man with a big smile.
We told him we came to see the sheep and to see if we could meet the sheep herder. We were so happy to meet him and learn about his life. He spends 9 months in the United States, herding the sheep who eat the knapweed that ruins Montana's forests. Sheep naturally eat forbes before they'll eat grass. Once they've eaten over a field of knapweed, the weed is injured enough it can be controlled. They also clean out small brush and shrubs, aiding in fire control.
Roberto has a wife and two children back in Peru. He doesn't have internet while he follows the sheep, for much of the time he lacks a connection for his cell phone. We told him we'd email photos of him, to his family, when we got home this evening.
Roberto has the three dogs at his camp, they help him with the sheep. The sheep like to keep to a routine. They sleep each day from noon until four pm. Then they head up the mountain where they spend the night. Early each morning, Roberto, the horse and the dogs, bring the sheep down the mountain to camp where the animals are given salt and mineral.
The dogs are trained to work with whistles. But Roberto said, most of the time he doesn't need commands. The dogs watch which way he turns his head, or his horse's direction, and they automatically point the sheep the right way.
It was fun to meet the dogs, they're very lean, all muscle, from the work they do, chasing the sheep up and down the mountainsides. They reminded me of the working sled dogs, healthy, slick and efficient! They were affectionate also and enjoyed being loved up.
Roberto told us his boss brings supplies to him when he needs them. He also told us his horse wears out fairly often, so his boss brings him a new horse when his current horse is to tired to climb the mountain.
I asked him about wolves, coyotes and bears and if he's had any trouble with them. He said a few days ago, a mountain lion killed six lambs. He called the government trapper, but they were unable to catch the lion. After the first attack, the lion seemed to be leaving the sheep alone.
What an interesting day, to meet Roberto and his animals. I hope you enjoyed meeting him and seeing a glimpse into his life also. He said he's looking forward to the day when he can see this post on the blog!
Donna Ridgway
