▁and ▁Colorado . ▁Gener ally , ▁the ▁cattle men ▁saw ▁the ▁she e ph erd ers ▁as ▁inv aders , ▁who ▁destroyed ▁the ▁public ▁gra zing ▁lands , ▁which ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁share ▁on ▁a ▁first - come , ▁first - ser ved ▁basis . ▁Between ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁approximately ▁ 1 2 0 ▁engag ements ▁occurred ▁in ▁eight ▁different ▁states ▁or ▁territ ories . ▁At ▁least ▁ 5 4 ▁men ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁some ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁sheep ▁were ▁sla ugh tered . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Texas ▁C attle ▁ran ch ing ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁well ▁established ▁trade ▁in ▁Texas ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁when ▁she ph erd ing ▁was ▁starting ▁to ▁become ▁popular ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Old ▁West . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁in ▁Texas ▁and ▁elsewhere , ▁many ▁cattle men ▁had ▁close ▁relationships ▁with ▁local ▁government ▁figures ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁use ▁this ▁influence ▁to ▁their ▁advantage . ▁According ▁to ▁one ▁Texas ▁historian , ▁" In ▁court ▁action , ▁the ▁cow boy ▁[ c attle man ] ▁usually ▁won ." ▁The ▁she e ph erd ers ▁were ▁always ▁considered ▁the ▁we aker , ▁or ▁less er , ▁of ▁the ▁ant agon ists . ▁They ▁were ▁often ▁advoc ates ▁of ▁free ▁gra zing ▁on ▁public ▁land , ▁while ▁the ▁cattle men ▁typically ▁f enced ▁off ▁the ▁territory ▁whether ▁it ▁was ▁public ▁or