Cattle Rustling
 

I was just up watching the farm report and there has been a big spike in cattle rustling in a couple of neighboring counties (one guy just lost 32K worth of cattle), anyone else seeing this?

They were saying that with cattle prices expected to sky rocket they expect a lot more of it and were warning to take precautions. I know that 2 years ago you could buy bottle baby dairy steers for $30 - $60 and lately they are going for $350 and up; anyone else seeing this or is this a regional thing?

Not sure if this is another theft but here in Lawrence County in the past week there have been two places hit, my neighbor had fences cut and gates opened but nothing missing. Seems this might be several groups operating same way but they are are in /out and no one sees or hears them.
Glenn

Man caught rustlers in the field several years back. They killed him. They were caught. It is like finding your front door open be very careful.

Law enforcement said this morning the rustlers better hope law caught them before the farmers

There's a wealthy, older man here in Spring Hill, TN. (Fact is, he recently died.) He owns (owned) a number of properties away from his main farm. There was a significant amount of rustling going on in his remote farms. It turns out that his farm manager and a couple of his employees were doing the rustling. They are due to be sentenced by the court soon. Locals are hoping that they do some serious prison time.

Tom in TN

I have just about enough land to raise a calf for the freezer so kind of watch calf prices locally. I almost never see a calf of any kind for less the $300, even the bottle babies. All of the calves from the local dairy are spoken for in advance.

The sooner farmers and ranchers start decorating some trees with these people, the sooner it will thin down IF not stop. At the very least, Those hanging around, doing nothing, will continue to do that, and not be a bother too honest people.

When I was a boy, late 50's early 60s, the phone went crazy one night. Seems you could do something and call all numbers on party line at once. Anyway, someone said that there were cattle rustlers on a place about 4 miles down the road, neighbors grabbed shotguns and converged, rustlers were apprehended and then the law got there to arrest them.
I rode down with Dad. Forgot about that til now.
Ed

Sounds terrible, I know, but I could just see shooting them in the middle of the night, and leaving them lay--it's hard enough making a living, and I wouldnt have a bit of sympathy for a thief.

My wife owns a ranch with several of her siblings. We run around 250 head in central NM. We regular lose 3 or 4 each year that are probably rustled. When they are killed, you usually find remains. These just disapear. Unfortunatly just a cost of doing business.

It's not just a cost of doing business when you lose 28 of your 40 head. That could put you out of business.

This subject kind of dovetails with my other post about leasing land adjoining ours. I can afford to buy more land some distance from my current place but I would be very hesitant to put my livestock on it. No problems around my county that I know of...yet, but I have some friends in that situation and it a constant worry to them.

There's been a rash of rustling here in SC in the past few weeks. The last theft was in the middle of the day, and caught on video. No arrests yet.

A bullet will do what a fence won't . I wouldn't confront them though, I'd hang back a bit and let em fly.

Had a kid here Okla riding a horse on his dads ranch. He saw some men on the property and went to look see. They were butchering a cow, and shot and killed him

We all feel like doing that at times but I never met a cow worth killing someone over myself and somehow I'm thinking "letting em fly" while you hide is not a wise course of action. Lots of ranchers and farmers in the affected counties are starting citizen patrols just to watch for livestock and equipment thieves and they have had some success.

Missouri doesnt have a branding or tattooing requirement and the Cattleman's Association is starting to rethink their stand on the issue.

Yea I see shooting from ambush costing you some time in the slam.

You give me a good Gurnsey, or Brown Swiss, Or Jersey cow, and let me see 10 thieves trying to steal them, and ill try to shoot them ALL.

Other than my kids, and im likly VERY partial there, I NEVER met a human the worth of a good milk cow.

There are a FEW humans who could = a Holstein tho. VERY FEW

passing another law will not stop a crininal,however if you ask them in nice way and say please,that will work!:hysterical:

Wonder what the law would say to shooting a rustler? It's killing, plain as day. Would you then drag them into your house so it'd be kosher, so to speak? BTW, don't use an AR - they would really not like that...

I would recomend to use a cell phone and tex them it is political corect:hysterical:

If they were butchering a dear, Id shoot them at the site, and let them rot, and give the gun to somebody for safe keeping for a year.

Either that, or try to come up behind them with ole snake eyes, and catch them at the act, make them lay face down in the dirt, fire a shot close to one and then tell them the next one will get closer unless they call 911

IF they were rustling cows, id find the stock trailer, call 911, and blow holes in as many tires as possible. IF I had my 22 Stevens simi, id load the radiator up with a doz holes.

Thats a nice fantasy Bill but you would be in prison washing your cell mates back for a few decades and no one believes keyboard commando posts like this. All it does is inflame the anti gun crowd who think everyone with a weapon truly thinks like this.

And ITSB, the Missouri Cattleman's Association isnt the law, its a trade association who is looking at making a recommendation that members brand their cattle to make it harder to pawn stolen cattle off at sale barns. Nothing to do with making another law so take the tin foil and put it back in the cupboard.

Neither have I... but then I think you are missing the point here. Its not about the cow. Its about protecting ones self and property from "people" (using that term very loosely) who obviously have no respect for you, your cows, your family or anything else.

Didnt say I wouldnt protect my family or my stuff YH. I have and do confront anyone on my property; just never shot at them from afar or shot them when they werent a direct threat to me or mine.

Some guys dont mind spending 10 -30 with a bunch of other men in a prison..just doesnt appeal to me.

I would call the law and flatten 2 opposite tires on their vehicle(s) though..... You can't do too much more than that...

Salmonslayer, I was surprised how few cattle are branded down in the Ozarks especially considering that the cost to register a brand in Missouri is only $50. A sale barn has to check the log on any stock that is branded but if its not branded what can they do. The local sheriff's deputy summed it up " What am I supposed to look for.. a black cow?"
I just saw a sign for sale at the Stock Show:
Trust everyone but brand your cattle

I do believe that it is still legal to hang a horse thief in Texas..

and sorry to say, but if I had cows, I would have Anatolians..they do not stand for strangers to mess with "their" stock. If you have never seen an Anatolian, I suggest you google them.

I have had Great Pyrs to watch my goats. They will watch them and they will watch YOU. They are bred to guard "their" stock. My Amos would just as likely hurt a person as a coyote coming after "his" goats. He was 150 lbs. of pure "this is my job and I am doing it" gold.

Gosh I miss that dog.

I think you would find Okla law alot different than Ark law. Specially when it comes to rustlers and ranchers./

Next door neighbor had a big dog they thought would do the trick. Place got robbed. Dog came up to meet them, and they shot it right out of the box, then proceeded to rob the place.

Hey MT, are you guys down here now full time? Stop by any time your passing through.

I have to admit I dont brand my cattle (dont have many) and I was against it until recently but I can see where it might help stop some of this. I would hate to see it mandated by law but the theft of cattle and equipment is on the rise and we need to do something.

I dont agree with the comments of some but I do understand the sentiments and frustrations.

Not much different than any other place Bill:

Oklahoma statute:

(a) A person who steals, takes and carries, leads or drives away property of another with intent to deprive the owner or lawful possessor is guilty of larceny.

(e) A person who steals any horse, mule, sheep, cattle, buffalo or swine is guilty of livestock rustling which is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), or both.

Google cattle theft in Muskogee County, you just had a case where the thief was given two 5 year sentences which were suspended. Cattle theft is on the rise in every state apparently.

Im talking about what happens to someone who comes onto larceny on his own property.?

Upon approching said thieves, they have weapons, and seeing that, he shoots them. Whats Okie law say about that??

Its called murder, see above.

Applicable section of castle doctrine I think:
D. A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=69782

But reading it I would be very careful using it.

salmonslayer,ya I know about cattlemen asso.I have branded a lot of cattle,we did it for years,after grandpa pasted we stoped,we had our brand reg.then they decited you had to pay to keep it reg.so we droped,it just gets soooo tireing trying to survie farming and then the gov.tryies to make you pay for something you have done for years,aswith laws that peotect THEVIES,yes I will protect my property!!!!! quit runnin cattel a couple years ago,the tin foil thing,I think that I will keep it out for a while longer:heh:

Oklahoma's brand law is not worth the paper it is written on.

Salmonslayer, my wife retires in one week and we will haul more stuff down in mid February, I will call you before we stop by (unlike last time).
I checked the paper work on my brand and Missouri only charged $35 to register it and only $20 every five years to renew.
Compared to Colorado where its $225 every five years to keep your brand it seems like a deal to me.
I just registered my father-in laws brand from Colorado down here and he gave me the iron.
So if you see any cattle with the [\ brand up your way call me!

Excellent, looking forward to seeing you again and if you need any help let me know.

ITSB and OneOkie - I am skeptical of branding myself because it would take everyone to follow along for it to work and from what I can tell its only the larger and higher end operations that are branding around here and they arent the ones rustling cattle. I read last night that they think its a couple of gangs that are doing most of the rustling and they suspect these people are in the industry themselves (either as ranch hands or stockyard/sale barn workers). They have apparently been using women to drive along and find a likely target and then they act like they are broken down, tag the property with tape (or something) and then move on and act as look outs when the rustling crew moves in. One poor guy had his cattle stolen with his own stock trailer he had sitting in a field and they even stole some of his round bales of hay.

SS your top post speaks only to what is liable to those stealing. It dosent say a thing as to what a person being stole from can do, and/or be liable for