Rustlers?

[jdmidwest]

Y'all having a little problem with cattle rustlers over there?

Cattle rustling rising in SW Missouri

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

01/20/2009

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The souring economy has led to a surge of cattle thefts in southwest Missouri.

The Greene County sheriff's office has received almost a dozen cattle theft reports since October, and 30 head of cattle have disappeared from nearby Barry County in the past six months.

Among the victims is Chip Porterfield, who said it will take years to recover financially after 10 of his Black Angus cattle were stolen from a farm outside Springfield over the Thanksgiving weekend. The cattle were worth about $10,000.

"That's a big chunk to try to overcome ... that's my livelihood," said Porterfield, of Sparta, Mo., who has been a cattleman for more than 20 years. "You're looking at four years to recover from losing 10 cows."

Jeff Windett, executive vice president of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association, said it's more prevalent in the southwestern part of the state partly because it's easier for cattle thieves to take their stolen property to nearby Kansas and Arkansas. Also, the area is full of beef cattle.

"With the economic situation that's going on, there looks to be more desperation to come up with cash," he said, noting that cows can fetch up to $1,500 based on the breed, weight and quality. Calves range from $400 to $800.

"For a lot of these people who have had these cattle stolen, that represents a significant chunk of their yearly income," Windett said.

Thieves also typically steal expensive trailers, he said.

Authorities with the Greene County sheriff's office and the Missouri Cattle Theft Task Force say arresting the thieves is difficult because cattle sales often involve little paperwork and it's hard to catch thieves in the act.

[Quillback]

Sounds like the meth heads are branching out into a new line of business.

[laker67]

This is sad and I'm sorry for the cattleman's loss. It sounds to me like the thieves are on both ends of the transaction. One stealing and one or more buying stolen cattle. I rank a thief right in there with a terrorist, and do hereby challenge either or to a "duel".

[soggyfeet]

Hang on there laker you cant duel or call out people in these two professions they have rights too you know. Just because it is illegal and nobody likes to happen to them it is an esential part of our economic system for this to go on (take from tose who have and give to those who dont have or have yet) and is OK as long as it doesnt the government. These people have every right and more than you and me(assumeing you are not a thief or a terriost). There is no need to give them grief and or punishment because our government thrives on these people.

This is was my attempt to a little hurmorous

I really dont belive all that crap I say string them up after water boarding them

[Terry Beeson]

I think we need to bring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood justice back...

[buckdandy]

Sounds like branding is going to have to be brought back into the culture of cattle ranching, that way they can't sell them as easy. Of course they could be stealing them to start their own herd, but if it is meth related they don't have the time, patience, or ability to raise them, they want fast money. Unless they are selling them to unscrupulous cattlemen who will buy stolen cattle at discount prices. You could implant one or two of your cattle with a chip they use for lost pets like dogs, that way if they steal one with the chip you can locate them. With the price of cattle these days it might be worth looking into.

[jdmidwest]

I think since mad cow, they have to be tracked someway. Amazing how we can find and back trace one package of hamburger back to the farm it come from but can't keep the Mexicans out.

[taxidermist]

Well Now Pilgrim, I think maybe a little vilgilante justicve may be forth commin.

The rustlers are using dogs to round the cattle up with. they pull into the field and pull up along side a fence, turn the dogs out and they go after the cattle, while the two ruslters are setting up two cattle panels. The dogs push the cows down the fence and into the trailer. Takes all of 10 minutes to get a trailer load of cattle.

Sad but true, it went on down here for several years, I knew who was stealing the cattle but the SO would not work on them.

Finally someone caught the man and beat him to within an inch of his life, the man laid in St Johns for several months and is now confined to a wheel chair, severe brain bleeding. He got what he had comming.

The farmers need to put game cams up that use infrared light instead of flash. Although a flash woould scare the crap out of them.

Dallas county has had the problem for years, maybe time to start branding cattle again.

[brownieman]

Might help if we got back to public hangins on the courthouse lawn...let some of these thieves see their own kind swing.

Maybe that would slow em down a little and save our justice system some time and money.

bm

[techo]

Taking Baldknobber applications?