204 OUR NATIONAL FORESTS 



later and the grazing season extends from August 

 until November. At these elevations the snow- 

 banks usually lie until July and the growing season 

 is very short, for the new snow usually buries the 

 vegetation about the first of November. Thus 

 stockmen have what they call "winter range," 

 "summer range," and "fall range," depending upon 

 what seasons of the year the forage crop can be 

 utilized. The National Forests on the whole con- 

 tain very little winter range, hence stockmen must 

 move their stock in the fall to private lands at 

 lower elevations either where the climate is consid- 

 erably warmer or where there is very little snowfall. 

 A large part of the western winter grazing lands 

 are in regions of light snowfall, such as at the lower 

 elevations in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colo- 

 rado. Here the stock feeds on dry grass. Stock- 

 men who cannot get winter range lands must feed 

 their stock at ranches. 



The characteristic habits of sheep and cattle re- 

 quire that they be handled differently on the range. 

 Sheep are herded in bands while cattle are handled 

 in scattered groups. The new and approved 

 method of handling sheep called the "burro sys- 

 tem" calls for a burro with the sheep to pack the 



