granddaddy

my grandfather grew up in fla. close to ocala in the 20s and 30s. at that time it was all free range , people fenced their crops and their stock went free. he told me when i was aboy that theyed go out several times a year and mark/cut hogs and brand cattle. said him n brothers n dad would ride 2 or 3 days between the withlacoochee and rainbow rivers and never see another person. he said the dogs [sounded by his description to be bmcs] would bay up a few sows n pigs n they d catchem with anoose on the end of a pole n do thier markin n cuttin in the saddle [everybody had teir on mark]. he also said sometimes when they got enough handle onem theyed drive em to pens. they werent wild hogs but im sure runnin loose like that they wasnt to domesticated. he also told me when yall had adrought in texas in the 30s there was alot a cattle shipped into florida and they brought the screwworms withem. their cattle didnt have any immune to it , he said they wore out alot of dogs horses n men doctorin. his older brother , when he got old enough joined the army and never looked back, i guess it was to ruff for him. said sometimes they bayed n killed bears n even panthers with their dogs. my granddaddy died in 93 when i was afreshman in highschool, oh what iwould give to be able to talk to him again.