When you hear the word "rustler" your mind can't help but conjure up images of riders on horseback lurking on the brushy outskirts of some prairie waiting for the moment to attack out and cut one, two, or thirty head of prime beef from the drovers taking the herd to the railhead for shipment "back east".
Like robbers, murderers, embezzlers and any other type of criminal you can think of that existed in the days of old and that our community is plagued with still, rustlers too exist today and are the cause of millions of dollars worth of loss to our nation's farmers and ranchers.
One presume why stealing cattle is lucrative is the high prices ordinarily received for livestock. Many readers who own small herds or even a singular milk cow may feel they have diminutive to nothing to fear as some producers have lost truckloads of animals worth 0,000 and more in a singular incident. But if you have only four head of cattle and lose two to a thief, then you have just lost 50% of your herd. So you will unquestionably be bothered with losses of one or two animals at a time, particularly if it occurs over the course of some months.
The National Cattlemen's connection indicates that livestock theft is likely the most valuable crime that occurs in rural America. The former presume for their stand on this issue is that not only do cattle producers incur valuable financial loss as a consequent of the expenses put into the animals and the lost possible income from their sale, there is also the loss of hereafter breeding herds and valuable bloodlines.
Another major concern that is seldom carefully is the fact that many stolen cattle are then sold with fraudulent condition certification and disease tracking records. This singular issue presents an unbelievable risk to the both domestic and international trade from the Us. A singular diseased calf, stolen and then sold may have not only contaminated the herd from which it was stolen, but now too the animals with which it has been placed until it can be sold.
A concern for many of us that own small herds or one or two animals that we intend to raise for our own sustenance is the theft of an animal intended for the same purpose which we had in mind for it (placing next to our homegrown potatoes, beans and carrots). The economy emergency that our nation faces has greatly intensified the level of desperation for many. That is no excuse in my book because stealing is stealing regardless of the cause or reason. Ask me and I'll feed you, steal from me and you go to jail if caught.
Many of you, like me have a small piece of land in comparison to the ranchers previously mentioned who may have to tour 11 or more miles to check his mail never leave his boundary line. Those of us who vocalize small acreage have an benefit when it comes to accounting for and keeping a closer look-out on our livestock. I know how time keen and labor oppressive raising livestock can be, but too often when the chores are done, it is "out of sight-out of mind". So to ensure that you don't come to be a victim of the "yeller bellied scoundrel rustler" or at least lessen the likelihood, let us reconsider some measures we can take to protect our investment.
What you can do
Like any safety measure, your efforts should effort to perform three things:
- Deter- Implement measures that will cause a possible thief to look for an easier target. Make his risk higher than his possible gain.
- Delay- Don't make it easy for him. Lock or block gates and livestock shelters. Keep your fences and gates in good repair. Gate hinges should have a cap put on them so that they cannot be unquestionably lifted off the hinges.
- Detect- Lighting is very prominent in both deterring and detecting thieves. Stand-by lighting (often referred to as motion sensor controlled) is considerably economy than in the past and it reduces cost in terms of maintenance and utility fees. Additionally, alarms whether store bought or tin cans tied to a fence or gate are worth the investment if it saves you just one head of beef. Other plus is that many electronic devices are now solar powered or can be powered by a solar source.
Another option that can sustain you in accomplishing all three of the above in increasing to being a great increasing to the house is a dog. I know very diminutive about dogs other than I like them tremendously and they tend to raise a pretty loud alarm anytime something is out of the ordinary or if he/she gets a whiff of something or person that doesn't belong. And they work cheap!
Don't rule out geese or guineas, both of which unquestionably know how give a rowel when disturbed.
Walk your property and reconsider it from the thief's point of view. If you were going to steal your livestock, reconsider where, when and how you would go about doing it and check your livestock on a daily basis if you can. Check the fields, and fences where the animals are grazing, especially if you live anywhere near a stockyard/stock auction and there is a scheduled sale advent up to ensure suspected losses are recognized and reported to the police as soon as possible.
Pay singular concentration to any fields or pastures that border roadways. Make sure that you locate livestock pens or loading ramps away from these collective roads or main entrances to your property and keep them locked when not in use and ensure loading ramps are stored out of sight when not in use.
Be active and descriptive on your property and leave evidence such as tire tracks demonstrating that you check your fields frequently.
Always be aware of strangers or unfamiliar vehicles in your area. When my wife and I first moved to our place in the country, I made a aware effort to see how many vehicles I noticed traveling down the road in front of our home. I counted only nine and am sure I didn't miss many as I was working close to the road most of the day. It would be relatively easy for me to take notice of citizen who are out of place, don't belong or are suspicious. So if you notice a suspicious person or vehicle, write down their license plate estimate and all other relevant data and acquaint your neighbors.
I cannot stress enough the benefit of neighbors finding out for neighbors. I know we may not always agree with the politics, ideals or other characteristics of those who live on the other side of our boundary lines, but if on no other issue we can agree to watch out for each other when it comes to crime prevention, we will acquire a higher level of safety and peace of mind. If you have two or more incidents where person has accessed your property, acquaint your neighbors and ask them to be on the watch for the same thing happening to them.
Talk with your neighbors, tell them when you are away from your property and where you can be reached.
Reporting a theft
If you perceive you are a victim of livestock theft, description the incident immediately to law enforcement. Some believe it is a waste of time because a theft is so very difficult to prove, or the estimate of time in the middle of the crime discovery and when it unquestionably occurred. However, the police or sheriff's office needs to be alerted of the theft, even if some time has passed and regardless of the estimate of stock missing. There may be a pattern of crime in the area or region and the more data they have, the higher the likelihood is of catching the perpetrators.
When reporting a livestock theft:
- Do not disturb anyone in and nearby the area complex until the officers arrive.
- Do not allow citizen or animals in and nearby the area or in areas where entry was possibly made.
You will need to contribute the officers with an accurate description of your animals including:
- The breed, age, and sex of your animals
- The type of identification used and the numbers
- Where the livestock was located
- When you last checked on them
Every rural agency, office or connection emphasizes the point of livestock identification and accurate farm records for tracing stolen livestock. Often times, officers are provided training to best equip them for investigating these types of crimes, especially in rural areas. Identifying your livestock is unquestionably valuable for the return of the stolen livestock, and the eventual conviction of the offenders. There can be some witnesses to a livestock theft, but without positive identification, the thief will never be prosecuted. Identifying your livestock can be ended by using ear tags, earmarks, tattooing, branding, etc.
Some states wish that brands are registered in the state and it may even be illegal to brand livestock without registering first! So if this is a route you want to consider, make sure you check the laws of your state before you begin the process.
While it won't prevent or even deter theft, to best make claim for your animals should they be recovered, you should take photographs of your livestock with any brand and/or ear tag clearly descriptive with some aspect of your farm, such as a construction shown in the picture.
"These citizen were organized and sophisticated," They had to know how to get over my neighbor's place and into my pastures. They rounded up my cattle without making much noise; probably with dogs. And they went back out the same way they came in. They're pretty slick."
Bob Herndon, Christian County, Mo
Lost ,000 worth of livestock overnight!
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