it's not like they weren't warned. >> my dad bought it knowing that there was a problem down there. but he had worked with the federal agencies in the previous ranch in california and got along with them. and he thought, well, you know, i can work with these folks. come to find out you can't get along with somebody when they're actually trying to take your property. >> why would the government do that? the hages say the feds were trying to strip their rights in order to take control of the land. partly for environmental reasons and the water which in a desert state is like gold. in fact, many western ranchers feel the government would like to end their way of life completely. no sooner had the hage family settled in and the government offered to buy the ranch. hage declined so the government filed a claim for his water rights. wayne sr. wasn't having it. if the government wanted a fight, a fight is what it would get. he contested that claim starting