76 NATIONAL FOREST MANUAL GRAZING. 



Sheep in Excess of Permit Number. 



Ordinarily an excess of 10 head per thousand may be ignored. If 

 the range is heavily stocked any greater excess should be removed 

 from the herd before it is allowed to enter. If the range is not 

 heavily stocked, the excess number may be allowed to remain in the 

 herd if the owner will immediately apply for a supplemental permit 

 for the whole excess. 

 Counting Cattle and Horses. 



Where cattle or horses are driven to Forest ranges from the feed 

 lots or winter ranges, a count may be made at points of entry desig- 

 nated by the Forest officers. In many instances, however, the stock 

 is either running loose or turned loose in the spring and naturally drifts 

 onto the National Forest ranges. Where yearlong ranges are included 

 the stock-may never leave the Forest and seldom be rounded up. 



In such cases the number of cattle or horses being grazed upon a 

 National Forest range may be approximately determined in several 

 ways. Stock may be counted in the feed lots where winter feeding is 

 the rule, a count may be secured in a round-up, or close estimates may 

 be made on the basis of range counts, branding tallies, or sales. 

 Feed-Lot Counts. 



Counting in the feed lots can be done at a time when it will interfere 

 little with a ranger's duties.' The results are fairly accurate. If the 

 number for which application is submitted is less than the number 

 in the possession of the applicant at the time the count was made 

 he may be required on entering the Forest to show what disposition 

 has been made of the balance. An applicant who refuses to allow his 

 stock to be counted in a feed lot may be required to arrange for a 

 count before entering the Forest or to round-up at any time there- 

 after if the supervisor has reason to believe that the number being 

 grazed is in excess of the permitted number. 

 Round-ups. 



A count of a permittee's cattle on the range is a difficult and 

 expensive matter. Where the cattle are wild and used to being 

 rounded up only at stated periods, this action will be taken with all 

 possible regard for the stockmen as well as the Forest. An unusual 

 round-up costs money, causes a loss in the value of the stock, drifting 

 from their ranges, and unnecessary damage to the range. Conse- 

 quently such round-up counts should be avoided unless absolutely 

 necessary and wherever possible the number ascertained by other 

 methods. 

 Not Under Control of Forest Service. 



Kegular beef, calf, or general round-ups inaugurated by the stock- 

 men themselves should in no way be under the control of the Forest 

 Service. Every Forest officer should avoid arbitrary action in busi- 

 ness matters of this kind, except when it is necessary in order to pro- 

 tect the interests of the Forest. Unless the force of Forest officers is 

 sufficient to be with each party of riders all day or unless they have 

 the full cooperation of the stockmen an accurate count of each per- 

 mittee's stock can not be expected, but luckily the latter is often the 

 case. 



Duty of Forest Officers With Round-up. 



Forest officers detailed to accompany a round-up will give first 

 attention to their work which is to determine the numbers of permitted 



