When you hear the word “thief,” your mind can’t help but conjure up images of horsemen lurking in the bush outside in some prairie waiting for the moment to attack and cut off one, two, or thirty heads of prime beef. the muleteers carried the herd to the head of the lane for shipment “back to the east.”

Just like thieves, murderers, embezzlers and any other type of criminal you may think existed in the days of yore and our society is still plagued today, thieves also exist today and are the cause of millions worth of losses. dollars to our nation. farmers and ranchers.

One of the reasons why stealing livestock is lucrative is the high prices generally received for livestock. Many readers who own small herds or even a single dairy cow may feel they have little or nothing to fear, as some producers have lost truckloads of animals worth $ 250,000 or more in a single incident. But if you only have four head of cattle and lose two to a thief, then you have just lost 50% of your herd. Therefore, you will be bothered by the loss of one or two animals at a time, especially if it occurs over the course of several months.

The National Association of Ranchers indicates that theft of cattle is probably the most important crime committed in rural areas of the United States. The main reason for his position on this issue is that not only are livestock producers incurring significant financial losses as a result of spending on the animals and the loss of potential income from their sale, there is also the loss of future breeding herds and bloodlines.

Another major concern that is rarely considered is the fact that many stolen animals are later sold with fraudulent health certificates and disease tracking records. This single problem presents an incredible risk to the US domestic and international trade. A single sick calf, stolen and then sold may have contaminated not only the herd from which it was stolen, but also the animals with which it has been placed until that can be sold.

A concern for many of us who own small herds or one or two animals that we intend to raise for our own livelihood is the theft of an animal intended for the same purpose we had in mind for it (placing next to our homegrown potatoes, beans and carrots). The economic crisis facing our nation has greatly intensified the level of despair for many. That is no excuse in my book because stealing is stealing the cause or the reason. Ask me and I will feed you, I will rob myself and you will go to jail if you are caught.

Many of you, like me, have a small lot compared to the ranchers mentioned above, who may have to travel 11 miles or more to check their mail and never leave their border line. Those of us who keep a small acreage have an advantage when it comes to accounting and keeping a closer eye on our livestock. I know that raising cattle takes a lot of time and work, but all too often when the chores are done, you “get out of sight and out of sight.” So to make sure you don’t become a victim of the “screaming belly scoundrel thief” or at least lower the likelihood, let’s consider some steps we can take to protect our investment.

What you can do

Like any security measure, your efforts should try to accomplish three things:

1. Deterrence – Implement measures that will make a potential thief look for an easier target. Make your risk greater than your potential profit.
2. Delay: don’t make it easy for them. Close or lock gates and livestock shelters. Keep your fences and gates in good repair. Door hinges should have a cover on so that they cannot be easily lifted off the hinges.
3. Detect: lighting is very important both to deter and to detect thieves. Backup lighting (often referred to as motion sensor controlled) is considerably cheaper than in the past and reduces costs in terms of maintenance and utility fees. Plus, it’s worth investing in alarms, whether store-bought or cans tied to a fence or gate, if it only saves you a head of beef. Another advantage is that many electronic devices are now solar powered or can be powered by a solar source.

Another option that can help you achieve the above three, as well as being a great addition to the family, is a dog. I know very little about dogs other than that I like them tremendously and they tend to give a pretty loud alarm whenever something goes out of the ordinary or if something or someone that doesn’t belong smells. And they work cheap!

Don’t discount geese or guineas, which really know how to rowel when disturbed.

Walk around your property and see it from the thief’s point of view. If you were to steal your livestock, consider where, when and how you would do it and check your livestock daily if you can. Check the fields and fences where the animals are grazing, especially if you live near a corral / livestock auction and there is a sale scheduled to make sure suspected losses are recognized and reported to the police as soon as possible.

Pay particular attention to the fields or pastures that line the roads. Be sure to locate livestock pens or loading ramps away from these public 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. In use.

Be active and visible on your property and leave evidence such as tire tracks showing that you check your fields frequently.

Always be on the lookout for strangers or unfamiliar vehicles in your area. When my wife and I first moved to our place in the country, I made a conscious effort to see how many vehicles I noticed traveling down the road in front of our house. I counted only nine and I am sure I did not miss many since I was working close to the road most of the day. It would be relatively easy for me to pick up on people who are out of place, who don’t belong, or who are suspicious. So if you notice a suspicious person or vehicle, write down their license plate number and all other relevant information and notify your neighbors.

I cannot emphasize enough the benefit of neighbors looking out for neighbors. I know that we may not always agree with the politics, ideals, or other characteristics of those who live across our borders, but on no other issue can we agree to take care of each other when it comes to crime prevention , we will obtain a higher level of security and tranquility. If you have two or more incidents where someone has accessed your property, notify your neighbors and ask them to watch for the same thing happening to them.

Talk to your neighbors, tell them when you are away from your property and where they can reach you.

Theft report

If you become aware that you are the victim of a livestock theft, report the incident immediately to the police. Some believe that it is a waste of time because a robbery is very difficult to prove, or the amount of time between the discovery of the crime and when it actually occurred. However, the police or sheriff’s office should be alerted to the theft, even if some time has passed and regardless of how many stocks are missing. There may be a pattern of crime in the area or region and the more information they have, the greater the likelihood of catching the perpetrators.

When reporting a cattle theft:

• Do not disturb anything in and around the area involved until officers arrive.
• Do not allow people or animals to enter or around the area or areas where entry was possibly made.

You will need to provide 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 cattle were
• When you last checked them

Every agency, office, or rural association emphasizes the importance of accurate livestock identification and agricultural records to track stolen livestock. Officers are often trained to better prepare them to investigate these types of crimes, especially in rural areas. Identifying your livestock is absolutely essential to the return of stolen livestock and the eventual conviction of violators. There may be multiple witnesses to a cattle theft, but without positive identification the thief will never be prosecuted. Identification of your cattle can be achieved through the use of ear tags, markings, tattoos, markings, etc.

Some states require trademarks to be registered in the state and it may even be illegal to mark livestock without registering first. So if this is a route you want to consider, be sure to check the laws in your state before starting the process.

While it will not prevent or even deter theft, in order to better claim your animals should they be recovered, you should take photographs of your livestock with any markings and / or ear tags clearly visible with some aspect of your farm, such as a building that shown in the picture.

“These people were organized and sophisticated”, they had to know how to cross my neighbor’s place and enter my pastures. They rounded up my cattle without making much noise; probably with dogs. And they came out the same way they came in. They are quite skilled. “

Bob Herndon, Christian County, MO

He lost $ 18,000 in cattle overnight!