Is Your Cattle Operation an Easy Target for Thieves?
Most cattle producers understand that it’s not just the stuff of old movies and television Westerns. Cattle rustling really happens, and lately it appears to be happening more often. During the past few months, cattle thefts have been the subject of numerous articles published in newspapers and posted on web sites. And the stories usually quote law enforcement personnel who claim reports of stolen or missing cattle are on the rise.
This kind of activity has increased enough to catch the attention of big city newspapers. In March, The New York Times offered an article about the rustling revival, citing a surge of cattle thefts in Missouri. Four southwestern counties were mentioned specifically as locations where groups of cattle, ranging from 30 to more than 90 head, were reported missing and presumed stolen.
Thieves also target farm and ranch equipment, such as stock trailers, portable panels, saddles, and just about anything they can quickly throw in a car trunk or the back of a pickup. The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association figures thieves have made off with cattle and equipment worth more than $1 million during the last four years.
Variety of culprits. A lot of cow country communities have, at one time or another, had their “usual suspects” — individuals thought to have picked up an occasional baby calf or poached a nice fat critter to fill a home freezer. Most cases of cattle theft involve very few animals, such as last December’s theft of three show steers from an Oklahoma State University facility. And, in Virginia, a man was caught trying to sell five cows he had stolen from a nearby farm.
In March, authorities arrested a man trying to sell a small group of cattle at a southeastern Nebraska auction market. The nine cows and six calves had been stolen in Kansas. That same month, even bolder thieves backed up to the chutes at a South Dakota stockyard to load and leave with more than 100 head of cattle.
There was an interesting case in Alabama, where a farmer reported seeing someone loading a couple of bulls belonging to his neighbor. It seems the thieves had been gathering quite a few cattle in the region. After a joint investigation by multiple county sheriffs’ departments and state officials in Alabama and Georgia, the cattle were recovered, along with an assortment of equipment, including tractors, all-terrain vehicles, power tools and stock trailers. Authorities estimated the value of the stolen goods exceeded a half-million dollars — not counting the moonshine liquor also found in the thieves’ possession.
Last year, special rangers of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) investigated cases of missing cattle involving more than 6,400 head. Not all were stolen, as many cattle reported “missing” are animals that have strayed across fencelines. However, TSCRA special rangers pursued about 1,000 separate cases involving theft of cattle, horses, trailers, saddles or ranch equipment. Investigations resulted in the recovery of livestock and personal property worth about $5 million.
Special Ranger Hal Dumas says a thief often looks like a typical cowboy or farm worker. Many times he or she is exactly that — an area farm or ranch employee. The sight of such a person driving a pickup and pulling a trailer down a country road might seem pretty ordinary.
“They look like they belong out there, doing their job, and may not raise suspicion right away,” Dumas says. “But some thieves are city folk. It can be anyone that recognizes an opportunity. It’s not that hard to grab a few small calves and run. For someone with some (cattle handling) experience, crowding a few cattle into a corral and onto a trailer isn’t too hard either.”
Dumas says the stealing of livestock often is an “inside job” committed by an employee, or a past employee, of the targeted operation or a neighboring outfit. The thief or thieves usually know the lay of the land and are familiar with cattle movements. Sometimes, it’s a repair person or contract laborer who “cases” a farm or ranch and feeds information to cohorts.
Typical targets. Small, nonresident cattle operations are frequent targets, because the owner lives in town and trips to tend the operation usually follow distinct patterns. On public lands grazing allotments or in any really remote location, it might be easy for larcenous activities to occur unobserved, even in broad daylight. In big country, owners or others in charge of cattle may see them infrequently and take a tally even less often. In such cases, cattle may be missing for some time before it is discovered.
In other cases, Dumas says, cattle may disappear from a pasture or field near a well-traveled road. The close proximity of cattle, loading facilities and the road present an opportunity too tempting for unscrupulous persons to resist. So much the better if the site is located near the border of a neighboring state. Once they transport cattle across state lines, thieves usually are more difficult to catch.
Law enforcement personnel often report increased incidence of cattle theft and cases of cattle-related fraud during times of economic stress. Rustling cattle must look like a low-risk way for shady people to supplement their incomes or stock their larders. Thefts involving one or two animals may be about putting meat on the table, with animals butchered on the spot, or spirited away to a thief’s garage-based processing room. Black-marketing of meat is known to occur too.
However, according to its chief of the Bureau of Livestock Identification, California sees the most significant spikes in missing and stolen cattle during periods of high cattle prices. Greg Lawley oversees a staff of 50 brand inspectors who conduct inspections of around 3 million head annually. Like most states that have brand laws and maintain brand registries, California requires inspection of animals when they change ownership, leave the state, or go to slaughter.
Protecting your property. Lawley considers use of a recorded brand to be the most basic, commonsense practice to deter thieves. Ear tags can be lost or intentionally removed, but a brand on an animal’s hide is permanent. Authorities in states having brand laws cite favorable rates of recovery for missing and stolen animals carrying recorded brands.
“We also advise producers to keep a good record of their inventories. Count cattle often and know how many should be at every location,” Lawley states. “Keep gates locked whenever possible and report any cattle thought to be missing, as soon as possible.”
Too often, he explains, producers find their tally is short when cattle are gathered for shipping. However, the missing animals may have been gone for weeks or months and investigators must follow a cold trail.
Lawley and TSCRA Special Ranger Dumas also advise producers to pay attention to strange vehicles prowling the back roads. Whenever suspicious activity is observed, producers should note the vehicle make, color and license number if possible, along with the date and time it was seen.
“Notify your neighbors, as well as law enforcement. Try to watch out for each other,” Dumas adds.
Along with gates, Dumas recommends fitting locks to anything that can be easily hitched to a pickup truck, including stock trailers and portable cattle working equipment. He also recommends changing the locks periodically, particularly if keys or combinations are distributed among multiple employees or service people who visit the operation on a regular basis.
Thieves also look for smaller items that could be easily stolen from a farm or ranch. Dumas says countless saddles and firearms make their way through Texas pawn shops. Many ranches, and especially professional horse training facilities, have tack rooms full of equipment for which thieves can find willing buyers.
“In addition to using locks, we advise producers to mark their equipment with their name or driver’s license number. If it’s a licensed trailer, record the vehicle identification number. Take photographs of saddles and other equipment, showing any marks or blemishes that might help identify them,” Dumas offers.
“These things take a little time and might inconvenience you a little bit, but they are a big inconvenience to thieves. Most thieves are lazy, but in a hurry, and they prefer a path of least resistance,” Dumas adds. “Make it harder for them and you’re more likely to keep your stuff.”