Winter Range Sheepherder

H2ajobs; Circle (MT); On-site; USD 25,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meals provided

Housing provided

Transportation provided

Job summary

H2ajobs in Circle, Montana seeks a winter-range worker to attend to sheep on the range and ranch during the cold months. You will live on-site, work long hours outdoors, and perform duties in animal care, water hauling, fencing, and shelter setup.

The role requires basic livestock experience and the ability to work independently in remote camps; meals, housing, and transportation are provided by the employer. Availability up to 24/7 is expected in winter months.

Qualifications

• 6 months of experience in ranch work or livestock handling.
• Ability to work outdoors in cold winter conditions and long hours.

Responsibilities

• administer emergency minor medical care to sick/injured pregnant ewes using roping methods to gently immobilize animal without causing undue stress
• assist with hauling water when winter and drought conditions eliminate natural sources of water for sheep
• assist with supplemental feeding when weather or forage precludes use of range forage
• attend to pregnant ewes in cold winter temperatures
• break ice over frozen water sources
• detect wind directions and storms to keep ewes gathered and safe
• guard against predators using tracking, trapping, and hunting methods
• herd sheep to grazing areas using winter trailing methods
• monitor and treat sheep vulnerable to cold temperatures and sickness
• maintain and set up supply wagon to provide windbreak/shelter for horses & dogs
• move pregnant ewes to ensure water/forage during daylight hours
• operate camp stove to provide heat in extreme cold
• repair and maintain fences and facilities for animal safety
• report dehydration and other indicators of deterioration in body condition
• use animal husbandry skills to prevent hypothermia/abortion/death
• attend to dogs and horses during tasks
• tend to water, forage, and weather conditions on the range
• spray pastures or fence lines with herbicides to prevent livestock consumption of poisonous plants

Job description

Required to be available up to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and spend the majority of workdays on the range. All job duties are closely and directly related to the production of sheep.

Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend to sheep on the range during the winter season

• administer emergency minor medical care to sick/injured pregnant ewes using roping methods to gently immobilize animal without causing undue stress
• assist with hauling water when winter and drought conditions eliminate natural sources of water for sheep
• assist with supplemental feeding (when weather or quality of forage precludes use of range forage)
• attend to pregnant ewes in cold winter temperatures
• break ice over frozen water sources
• detect direction from which the wind or prevailing storms are coming to keep ewes gathered and safe
• detect through winter tracking methods where other rancher(s)' livestock has been to avoid overgrazing of forage
• feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses
• guard against predators prevalent during the winter months using appropriate tracking, trapping, and hunting methods
• herd sheep to appropriate grazing areas using winter trailing methods to avoid undue stress
• intensely monitor and treat sheep vulnerable to the colder temperatures and sickness
• maintain and set up supply wagon in appropriate direction to provide windbreak/shelter/protection for horses & dogs
• make sufficient water from snow for horses/dogs at camp
• move pregnant ewes at a pace sufficient to ensure they receive ample water/forage during daylight hours before bedding down at night
• operate camp stove appropriately to provide/conserve heat in extreme cold/high winds
• properly hobble camp horses
• properly use/store food supplies for herder/horses/dogs
• repair and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage
• report to employer dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in animal body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition or disease
• report to rancher on water/forage/weather conditions
• use proper animal husbandry skill to prevent hypothermia/abortion/death

Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend to sheep on the ranch during the winter season

• administer emergency minor medical care to sick/injured pregnant ewes using roping methods to gently immobilize animal without causing undue stress
• assist in the maintenance of tools, equipment and handling facilities necessary to production
• attend to pregnant ewes in cold winter temperatures
• break ice over frozen water sources
• feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses
• intensely monitor and treat sheep vulnerable to the colder temperatures and sickness
• repair and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage
• report to employer dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in animal body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition or disease
• use proper animal husbandry skill to prevent hypothermia/abortion/death

Housing

Employer-provided (including mobile or range)

Meals

The employer will provide, without charge or deposit, three sufficient meals a day, or free and convenient cooking facilities with adequate provision of food to prepare meals. At least 4.5 gallons of potable water, per day, per worker, for drinking and cooking, delivered on a regular basis, and additional water (may be nonpotable) sufficient to meet the worker's laundry and bathing needs.

Transport

Transportation to the place of employment (inbound):The employer will provide or pay for commercial bus or airline service to workers, or permit workers to select any means of transportation they choose and reimburse workers at no less than the most economical and reasonable common carrier transportation charges for the distance involved. Upon completion of 50% of the work contract period, the employer will reimburse worker for reasonable costs incurred by the worker for transportation and daily

Experience wanted

6 months

Required to

perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, spend the majority of work days on the range, live and work singly or in small groups of workers in isolated areas for extended periods of time, to ride, handle and tend horses in a manner to assure the safety and health of the worker, co-workers, horses, dogs and livestock, work outdoors in all types of weather and may experience occasional exposure to hazards such as poisonous snakes and large game animals, biting insects and extreme temperature, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors for haying and supplemental feeding purposes and ATVs for irrigating and the movement of livestock, maintain and manage remote housing locations in a safe and responsible manner, spray pastures and/or fence lines for poisonous plants and/or noxious weeds with herbicides to prevent livestock from consuming them.