IN FULL WOOL but not for long, these ewes west of San Angelo represent a decision faced by many producers this year. Recent advice from industry leaders cautioned against using traditional burlap wool sacks this shearing season because buyers would no longer accept them, but current synthetic bags have their shortcomings, and better replacements will be a while in coming. To add to the uncertainty, at least one buyer disavows the warning.

Fat, Feeder Lamb Trends Kinda So-So
Fat and feeder lamb price trends showed little enthusiasm in either direction this week despite the second week in a row of stronger carcasses prices. Slaughter ewes were basically steady.

Plains Fed Cattle Movement Brisk And Higher At Midweek
Plains feedlots were able to maintain their New Year momentum this week, adding a dollar to last week's improved market. A stronger beef trade, good movement and short-bought packers all contributed to the brighter outlook.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Hi-Lo Country Movie Premieres In The Land Of Story's Birth
The Los Angeles Times headlined their story, "John Ford Country Meets Hi-Lo Country." Not so, countered author Max Evans at the New Mexico premier of the movie, The Hi-Lo Country. "It's not John Ford country, it's God's country. I named it."

ASI Members Approve Proposal For New National Organization
A proposed plan to unify the sheep industry through a new national individual-fee membership organization is one step closer to reality.

Bad Company Rodeo Claims Stock Contractor Of The Year Award
While 10 newly crowned world champions count their money and celebrate titles they earned at the $4.2 million National Finals Rodeo last month in Las Vegas, other NFR participants are also enjoying holiday season wins.

Stockmen Throwing In The Towel On Clinton's "Instant Monument"
Five Utah ranchers have agreed to sell or trade grazing rights on 120,000 acres inside the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Babbitt Under Fire Once More, This Time Over Indians' Money
Clinton administration Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is in trouble over Indians again. Babbitt is still under investigation for a case in which he is accused of deciding an Indian casino dispute on the basis of a campaign contribution. Now a federal judge is threatening to hold him in contempt for his department's failure to hand over Indian trust records for a lawsuit. To make matters worse, the judge is looking into Babbitt's recent moves against officials in charge of investigating the mishandled accounts.

Ingenuity In Face Of Adversity Helps Cowboy To Ace Christmas
Well, it seems as though Christmas came right on time again this year — not until after I had my shoppin' done. For the most part, I like the Christmas season. Most people are in a fairly decent mood, and the music is the type you can actually understand. I like driving around town at night looking at "most" of the Christmas decorations, even though there are some people that go just a tad overboard with the light thing.

Judge Dumps Edwards Aquifer Pump Limits
A final ruling in a lawsuit brought against the Edwards Aquifer Authority by a catfish farmer strikes down not only water pumping limits but also the agency's regional drouth rules.

Ecos Demand Charges In Wolf's Trap Death
The controversial federal scheme to reintroduce wolves is beginning to bear the bitter fruit its opponents warned of all along.

Feds Agree With Plan To Limit Bangs Tests
A team of federal animal health officials has endorsed plans to scale back a brucellosis testing program that ranchers have criticized as unnecessary and time-consuming.

Officials To Block Others' Prairie Dogs
Prowers County officials aren't buying a Boulder group's plan to relocate prairie dogs evicted from the Front Range by development to Colorado's southeastern plains.

Texas Fed Steers, Heifers Open New Year Trade On Higher Note
Slaughter steers and heifers sold $1 higher in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week. Trade was slow all week except for Thursday afternoon, when most of the activity took place.

Feeder Cattle Trend Took Sharp Upward Jump To Begin New Year
Feeder steers and heifers opened the new year around the country $1-5 higher, occasionally $6-7 up. Buyers came back from recent holidays with an entirely different attitude than late last year and prices for both calves and yearlings enjoyed a substantial rebound.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 10,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered nearly 10,000 feeder cattle and breeding stock at their first video sale of the year. Prices were termed generally stronger, trade and demand good.

U.S. Meat Production 2.8% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 919.4 million pounds, 23.1 percent more than a week earlier and 2.8 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was down 12.6 percent at 1.011 billion pounds.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Firm, Fats Higher
Feeder lambs sold firm in a limited test, slaughter lambs firm to $2 higher, slaughter ewes steady. Receipts totaled 9820 and included mostly slaughter ewes and about 35 percent goats.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers sold $2-6 higher in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers $1-4 higher on a light test. The weather was mild until midweek, when a northern blast hit, dropping temperatures 30 degrees in an hour. Sales were confirmed on 6650 head.

Most Lampasas Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $3-5 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $4 higher. Receipts totaled 1150 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Feeder steers sold $4-7 higher in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, feeder heifers $3-6 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2-6 higher, stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2663 head at the three sales.

Graham Feeder Steers, Heifers Sell Higher
Feeder steers sold $1-2 higher, instances $3 higher, heifers $1-2 higher, slaughter cows $1 higher, pairs fully steady, stock cows $20 higher. Receipts totaled 2149 head.

Fredericksburg Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers were strong to $5 higher, the advance on weights over 500 pounds, heifers $2-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2-5 higher. Receipts totaled 1393 head.

Goldthwaite Feeder Lambs Trade Higher
Feeder lambs sold $2 higher, slaughter lambs steady, slaughter ewes and bucks fully steady; slaughter Angora goats steady; slaughter Spanish muttons and billies $8-10 lower, other slaughter Spanish goats mostly steady, stock nannies steady. Receipts totaled 3500 head.

Llano Feeder Steers, Heifers Trade Higher
Feeder steers sold strong to $2 higher, heifers $2-4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 887 head.

Abilene Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-4 higher, slaughter cows steady, stock cows steady, pairs $10-20 higher. Receipts totaled 2634 head.

Junction Feeder Lambs Off, Angoras Steady
Feeder lambs sold $4 lower, slaughter lambs steady, slaughter bucks $2 lower; stock Angora goats fully steady, slaughter kids $3-5 higher, other slaughter Angoras $2 lower; slaughter Spanish wethers and billies $8 lower, other slaughter goats $3-5 lower, stock nannies $3 lower. Receipts totaled 5000 head.

Most Giddings Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers sold $5-10 higher, the greatest advance on lightweights, heifers $4-6 higher. Receipts totaled 848 head.

Milano Cattle Prices Termed Mostly Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1663 head.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-5 higher, slaughter cows $1-2 higher, bulls $4 higher, bred stock cows $25 higher, pairs firm. Receipts totaled 1319 head.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Move Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold higher, slaughter cows $1-2.50 higher. Receipts totaled 1910 head.

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
January 16 — Special Cow Sale, Pearsall Livestock Auction, Pearsall, Texas. January 19 — Grand Opening of Western Livestock Auction, Midland, Texas. January 21 — Special Consignment Sale Featuring The Complete Dispersal of Veale Ranch Herd, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas.