If Craig Smith’s grandfathers were alive today, they might be surprised to see their grandson raising sheep.

“They’re probably spinning in their graves right now,” he says, chuckling at the thought of the two cattle ranchers and the friendly competition that once existed between cattlemen and sheepmen.

But for Craig and his wife, Stacey, raising sheep on the ranch they purchased in 2014 near Coleman, in west-central Texas, just makes good economic sense. 

The couple, who own GameGuard Outdoors, bought the ranch with two goals in mind: to raise good-quality animals that would help offset their expenses, and to take the best-possible care of the land. But personnel was also a factor in their decision. Craig says his ranch manager is “not a cattle guy” and he didn’t want to ask him to do a job he wasn’t comfortable with, so Craig started investigating the sheep business. He quickly determined it would be a good fit.

“When I started researching the [U.S.] market, I learned we import twice the lamb we produce,” Craig says. “And so, I thought, ‘Well, this is not going to be as volatile as the cow business.’ I liked that.”

Easier Than Cattle

The Smiths chose to raise the Dorper breed and quickly grew their flock to about 500 ewes, although they’ve reduced their numbers from time to time due to dry conditions. In fact, lack of rainfall is one of the greatest challenges that comes with ranching west of Interstate 35, which slices north to south through Texas. It is also one of the reasons that sheep, which perform better during drought than cattle, are a good fit for the western edge of the Texas Hill Country, where the Smiths’ ranch is located.

Sheep make for an easier entrance and exit to ranching than cattle, according to Craig. Ewes are bred in the springtime and lamb in the fall. By late October, the Smiths’ flock totals roughly 1,000 head of sheep. Within four to five months, the lambs are weaned and then marketed at about 60 pounds, completing the production cycle until the next go-round. 

While some ewes are sold as replacements, most of the lamb crop is sold through the auction market. However, the Smiths also have fed out some lambs to sell through an all-natural program.

“We’re new to this, but we’re finding our way and learning the business,” Craig says. “And we just love it.”

Stacey especially likes the lambs and was heartbroken the first year when they lost several sheep to predators — which can be a big problem for sheep producers.

“In the beginning, we started having all of the cute little lambs running around. And we’d come back the following weekend and they were all gone,” Craig says. “It just killed my wife. She said, ‘We have got to get some dogs.’”

Dogs to the Rescue

After thorough research, the Smiths purchased several Kangal shepherd dogs to guard the flock. Large, aggressive and protective, the dogs are also human-friendly, which eases the Smiths’ worries about their grandchildren going into the pastures with the dogs present.

The couple now owns nine Kangals, and when they separate the rams, ewes and lambs, they assign at least two dogs per pasture. The move has paid off — since purchasing the dogs, they haven’t lost a single lamb. 

A lifelong outdoorsman, Craig makes good stewardship a top priority. He’s worked hard to establish more native grass, dig out tanks, perform soil tests, do controlled burns, tear down old fences, plant bluebonnets, introduce bees to the ranch, and adopt other practices meant to improve the environment and wildlife habitat. 

Craig is quick to credit his relationship with Lone Star Ag Credit and Craig Hartman, credit office president in Denton, for his credit expertise in financing the ranch, as well as advice on how to continue improving the land.

At the same time, the lender says the Smiths embody the entrepreneurial spirit so common among Lone Star Ag Credit customers and are a pleasure to work with.

“Craig [Smith] is not satisfied with the status quo. At GameGuard, he’s always trying to find ways to improve upon what he has, and that carries over to his ranching operation, too,” Hartman says. “He’s a phenomenal steward of the land and just wants to leave it better than he found it.” 

- Katrina Huffstutler