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DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas -- Ranchers who have had to try to get their cattle through a rough drought have a new battle: cattle rustlers.
Seventeen head were stolen last week near Mansfield, the latest in a recent rash of cattle thefts from ranches in Johnson and Ellis counties.
"These guys are out on horseback stealing cattle just like they did 120 years ago," said H.D. Brittain, a special ranger with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Fort Worth.
Eight mostly black cows branded with a turkey track on their left hip and nine unbranded calves were stolen from Feb. 15-17.
More than 30 head of cattle have been stolen from the same area since the end of last year, but that's only a fraction of those stolen each year across Texas.
In 2010, 7,500 head across the state were stolen -- triple the number just three years before.
Read original story on NBCDFW.com
A stolen cow can fetch nearly $1,000, while a bull can bring in $1,500.
"The way this economy is, we're going to see it continue to rise," said Brittain. "You get full market value for a cow, whether she's stolen or whatever."
There is a $2,500 reward for one of the thefts, and TSCRA's Operation Cow Thief will add a $1,000 reward for information leading to arrest of the cattle rustlers.
Convicted cattle rustlers can spend years in prison.
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Leave a Comment:
Dang, I thought we still hung 'em high. (Which we should)
People should use more guard dogs on their property.
Guard dogs on 1000+ acre ranches? Right. The food bill alone would bankrupt the ranchers, hehe, along with the droughts, etc.
hungrymongoose, if guard dogs were used the perps wound sue the owner for any injuries or inconvenience caused by the dogs. Don't you know it is the perps' constituational right to trespass onto your property and steal whatever they can find. Perhaps the owners should just hang 'em and tell the police officers they committed suicide.
flowerchild, I like your idea of suicide. Just make sure they are dead before you call the cops. And ten to one the cops would agree with the rancher. Texas does have what is called the "Castle Law". One of the best laws pertaining to the Castle than any other state has.
If unfamiliar with the Castle Law, it has to do with protecting you and your family in your home against intruders. If I had my way, that Castle Law would demand all intruders can legally be killed, plus it would extend to all property you own outside the home. (Car's in driveway, etc).
The way this economic mess is now, if it really goes into a tailspin, more and more homes will be broken into. I don't have a lot of valuable things, but whatever I have, junk or decent, I busted my butt to be able to purchase it. I demand to have the right to proctect it, in the home, garage, or driveway. It's mine, not the theives.
Well hungrymongoose, I would like to help you but don't see how I could succeed.
SallyAnne: Over and above the castle law, Texas law states that if you ask someone to leave your property (including your car, (which is covered by the castle act)) you can use force, up to and including deadly force to remove them.
SallyMoon -
As of September 2007, the Castle Doctrine in Texas DOES extend to your vehicle or RV, and not just in your driveway. You can now legally carry (not in sight) in your vehicle anywhere that's not prohibited by law, including your workplace parking area/lot/garage. The law now views that as an extension if your home or 'castle,' and does not require the person to have a CHL (which is a very good idea, for both safety and to exercise our rights).
Saddle up boys !!
Just bring your own rope and shoo-ten irons . Mind you stay away from Bushes place. Don't want to shoot the wrong VARMINT now do we !!
We can laugh and tease all we want. But the fact remains. Ranching and farming are 7 day a week, 52 week a year jobs. If you are not tending your stock or working the fields. You are working on your equipment, making sure it is it tip top shape and ready to go come spring. Next to hard rock mining they are the hardest jobs with the longest hours around. So when their stock is stolen we all suffer from the theft. With beef prices on the rise again. That one steer equates to a large loss of income to the rancher. It isn't cheep to raise stock of any kind.
bob
Is there anything worse (or funnier) than Redneck on Redneck crime? You know you might be a redneck if the worst thing you've ever done is steal a cow...
About the same as your "elitist city" crimes....."He done stoled my ipod"
You clearly don’t have a clue, do you?
Dang, I thought they educated city folks but Wallingford’s proof of the failure of inner city schooling...
Wallingford : yes I prefer Redneck on dumba$$ crime!
Those cows do pretty well for themselves. No more Cow Tipping for me
Yee Haw.... let's go...... Let's get um
Strong Brand Inspection laws is what is needed. Texas's brand inspection laws are weak at best. Only none alterable brands can be registered with a brand board and all cattle sold at auctions must have proof of ownership. That mean bill of sale for all cattle that don't have your brand or are unbranded. No slaughtering unless the ownership paperwork is in order.
But as my grandfather that was brand inspector said. Cattle rustling isn't a crime of the 1880s. More cattle rustling happends today, but now it is for insurance fraud. Probably stolen by their owners, move across inspection boarders and sold in a neighboring state.
shoot 'em!
Here's to Mr. Wallingford.....why don't you come to Texas and make that comment, jackass. Stealing is stealing in any language or any state, so why don't you think before posting snide comments about the people in the GREAT State of Texas.
csm, I agree that stealing is stealing. No doubt about it. People do love to make snide comments about people in every state.
Poor Ranchers. lucky they were to have cattle stolen instead of being penned up all their lives, scared for their lives, then corralled and transported to a slaughter house to smell the blood of their massacred brethren on the killing floor, forcibly pushed onto the killing floor, dragged, hung up by a hook, stun gun, throat slit, sometimes dismembered alive so humans could satisfy their tastebuds for blood and guts!
Get a life, “animals voice”... Transcend cowflies and become one with the cosmos... kumbaya.
Bottom line is that our President is on top of it and keeping an eye on it, just like the gas prices. Can you imagine another 4 years with him at the helm???? Everyone that has a job will pay for those that don't want to work cause they make more on government handouts than they coulc working. Plus everyone will be paying higher taxes -- his last budget gets down to 200K a year but once again no one is reading the fine print. We have to tax the rich, last time I checked 450K a year was middle income, sooooooo why down to 200K a year. Head them up, Raw Hide!!!!!!!!!
Fatboy, can you pull your head out of your arse just for a moment and stay on topic? Turn off Fox and the Limpbag, learn to think for yourself and.... grow up.
Oh and get used to hearing “President Obama”. You’ll be hearing it alot more in the next 5 years.
@ Mr. Wallingford,
So glad that you find this amusing. For the fest of us, it's not funny at all. You make it sound like a childhood prank to steal a cow. It's not. It's a hard thing to accept when you go check your investment and find that some one had stolen $5000 right off your own property. I bet you would think that it was a little more serious if you lost that kind of cash out your bank account.
Think this calls for the same punishment they had in the 1800's. Find a "Hangin' Judge". Cattle rustlin was no joke back then and it still ain't acceptable today.
Did any of you ever think about the fact that a lot of this so called cattle rustling is to get the insurance? A whole lot of this is bull@!$%#! The area in question is a fairly well to area.. If anyone is going to steal moo cows, it is going to be in the poorest counties in South Texas...
Let me see here, if they claim the cattle were stolen does the insurance pay them? But if the cattle just die on the ranch, I'll bet they get no money for them. These ranchers know how it works, believe me they do.
What do you think is the real answer to this?
The Mexicans must be becoming cattle ranchers.