TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The Minidoka allotment carries a unique piece of Idaho history. For nearly a dozen permittees, it’s one of the few remaining allotments the government manages as a large pasture with no range improvements. Purportedly, sheep have been grazing the area since before the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.

True to its past, the allotment has no fences or water-trough developments. The Bureau of Land Management manages 95,421 acres of the allotment’s 99,461 acres. The remaining acreage falls under the management of the Idaho Department of Lands.

Each spring, BLM’s Burley and Upper Snake Field Offices, along with area sheep permitees, co-host the “Bite-High Tour” on the Minidoka allotment. The tour, which occurs in the early spring, determines the date the permittees can turn out their sheep to graze – and is generally as soon as the grass is bite-high.

Once BLM determines the turn-out date, an interesting dynamic of competitive camaraderie begins among the sheep permittees. By turnout time, they jockey to capture the best spot for their sheep to spend the night before the long, opening-day trek across the desert. From the get-go, herders amiably but purposely persist in leading their sheep to the best available forage throughout the 90-mile journey.

Second-generation sheep rancher Robert Oxarango and his wife, Rochelle, take part in the discussion regarding the turn-out date during the tour of the allotment. The turn-out date is critical to the management of their operation, and will determine how quickly they must have everything and everyone in place in order to begin the crossing of the desert.  The Oxarangos employ Peruvian herders, several of whom have been with them for years. These skilled herders, with their instincts, mellow demeanor and knowledge of the Minidoka allotment, prove invaluable, particularly when it comes to sheep “weigh-out” time in August.

Hang around the outfits’ herders, and before long you’ll likely hear talk about who has the best lamb weights. It’s always a congenial conversation amongst competitors; one they know reveals who employed the best management practices during the trailing across the desert. “Many of these Peruvians ride nine months out of the year,” said Robert Oxarango. “It’s why we breed our horses for strength and durability, often crossing them with draft breeds.”

In addition to the rigors of herding, there is the work of supporting the herders. This involves delivering food each week, moving water trucks and sheep camps, and ensuring the health of the sheep and the dogs that watch over them.  And that doesn’t even mention the moving the Oxarango family has to do each year. Family members spend each winter and lambing season in Rupert, Idaho, at the home ranch.  They then spend each summer and the beginning of the school year in Soda Springs, Idaho, near where the sheep are grazing.

Operating the Oxarango’s outfit takes tremendous heart, determination and fortitude. It’s hard but rewarding work, a tradition that the Oxarango’s say they hope to one day pass along to their children. “New challenges face us each year it seems, but when my son tells me all he wants to do is grow up to be a sheep rancher just like his Dad, it makes it all worth it,” said Rochelle Oxarango.

Properly managing public lands within the historic  Minidoka allotment, while helping the tradition of livestock grazing makes it worthwhile for BLM offices in Idaho as well.