Message #131026

[bigo]

My Grandfathers family ran stock on open range in the Big Thicket from the 1850's untill they closed it in the 1950's. I can remember the open range but was too young to get in on the work. From the stories I was told, they marked hogs year round, just like bolo described. They pened them in the fall after they fattened on the mast crop. Some were picked out to butcher and some to drive to market. Some of these drives would take two or three days. I think people started using catch dogs after all the hogs were gathered and all that was left was the wild and spoilt hogs.