armers recoverina from livestock losses
By Don McCabe
One would think a rancher who had just lost 15
per cent of his annual calf crop would feel sorry for
himself or at least be in a depression.
But Bill Jaggers, a Hay Springs rancher who lost 70
calves and about 20 cows in the two late season
snowstorms in western Nebraska, seemed to accept
Ids fate.
"If a man is going to live in this area of the state,
then he must accept what Mother Nature brings
him," he said.
Jaggers was just one of many western Nebraska
ranchers who suffered livestock losses during the late
March and early April snowstorms. Mis attitude
appeared typical of the ranchers who seemed eager to
recover from their losses.
Severe blow
While Jaggers may accept the weather in his area
of the state, the two snowstorms dealt a severe blow
to Panhandle ranchers. In addition to the cattle
losses, the ranchers now are working long hours
trying to save their surviving calves.
Jaggers said that while most of the snow is gone
and spring may actually have arrived, most of his
troubles have just begun.
"My surviving calves are in a very weakened state
and I must constantly watch over them," he said. The
calves will have trouble gaining weight through the
summer, he added:
Williard Welinitz, a Rushvilie rancher, agreed with
Jaggers, explaining "I'm so busy I can't turn around."
Welinitz, who ranches with his brother and father,
lost 10 calves and four cows during the'storm.
'Didn't come out'
"The calves just drifted into a snowdrift during the
storm and didn't come out," he said. "About 160 of
my cattle wandered away during the storm but my
family and I were able to recover them."
He said he is putting in 18-hour days sorting and
caring for his remaining 70 cows and their calves.
What worries him most now, he said, is that his
calves, because of their weakened state, will be
susceptible to pneumonia and other sicknesses.
In addition to sicknesses, Welinitz said he is having
trouble with cows not mothering their calves because
they became confused from the effects of the storm.
Jack Resseguieu, who ranches near Alliance, said
he was just finishing rounding up some of his
scattered herd. He said he had about 1 ,000 cattle
scattered over a six-mile area and he didn't know if he
would ever find all of them.
Ressegieu, who lost about 150 calves in the storm,
said, "I would have lost many more but my cows
were nearly done calving." He said he thought the
March blizzard was the worst he had seen since 1949.
The next several weeks will be a critical time for
the surviving calves, he said.
"If the weather cooperates and I can combat
pneumonia, I can save most of the others," he said.
Jaggers said he was operating at a near loss before
the storms because of the deteriorating cattle market.
He said his losses now will mean an additional
$10,000 loss at market time next fall.
He said he, his wife and six children will have to
cut back on spending this summer.
The storm losses seemed to hit Welinitz more
severely than it hit the others. He said his family was
living "pretty sparingly" before the storm.
"I have a note at the bank which I had hoped to
pay off this summer," he said, "but now it will have
to stay there longer.
"We will have to spend what little we can and
hope the cattle market improves."
Ressegieu also said he hopes the market improves.
"I was already operating on about two to three per
cent margin before my losses and now it will really be
rough," he said.
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Snow blankets the western plains while the Army National Guard attempts to rescue
stranded residents and visitors.
Photos courtesy of Nebraska Army Nation Guard, North Platta
Te!ea?ph The Omaha World-Herald.
National Guard work
aids blizzard victims
By Jim Zalewski .
There may be no way anyone can fight a blizzard and win, but
the National Guard has proven it can hold its own with the best of
them.
The Guard wound up rescue operations Friday in western
Nebraska where two blizzards struck within a week-one on March
28, the other oh April 1 .
ju au nAir.A Omnanv CAir Ambulance) and Detachment
. of thT67th"lnfantryBri"gade performed the rescue operations from
six bases-North Platte (headquarters for all operations),
Scottsbluff, Chadron, Alliance, Valentine and Thedford, according
to Capt. Leonard Krenk.
The Guard flew 200 "sorties," seven of which were medical
evacuations, Krenk said. A sortie, he said, is an individual action,
such as delivering medicine to a snowbound family. A rwsjon,
which is a complete trip from the bass and back, consists of several
sorties, Krenk said.
No April Fool
The Guard used eight helicopters on March 28 when they 'were
50 per cent mobilized, he said. When they went o 100 per cent
mobilization April 1, 24 helicopters were available and 19 were
used regularly, Krenk said.
Each base had three helicopters one used
purposes, he said. Be remaining helicopter, and ma.n nance
crews were located at operations headquarters in North Platte.
, "Our top priority was the medical evacuari Kr said.
"Our next crionties were delivery v ;vw
t'poLPofV-nneI and cttb "s n
Wednesday, april 9, 1S75
Another calf frozen In the st.ow, claimed by the western Nebraska blizzard.
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