Rustling still a costly reality

The effects of cattle theft did not fully dawn on rancher Candace Owen until she got a call in 2010 from a fellow rancher. It was a heads-up alerting her that some of her cows were missing their calves. The clue that something was amiss: Each cow was “tight-bagged," the term ranchers use to describe cows with sagging udders that have not been milked. Owen soon discovered that as many as 25 calves had been taken from her ranch in Red Bluff, Calif. She had been hit by cattle rustlers, characters that for most people exist only in history books and cowboy movies. Cattle rustling, it turns out, has never gone away. And it’s on the rise in California and nationwide. “It’s a terrible crime when you steal someone’s livelihood," said Owen, whose husband’s family has been ranching in and around Tehama County for generations. Last year, 1,317 head of cattle were reported stolen or missing in California, said Greg Lawley, chief of the state’s Bureau of Livestock Identification. That’s a 22 percent increase from what was reported before the recession. “We assume this is an outgrowth of cattle price rise," Lawley said. The rise in cattle theft in California is part of a national trend. In 2012, more than 10,400 head of cattle and horses were reported missing or stolen to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association — a 36 percent increase from 2010. In many instances, a cow can sell easily for $1,000. Cattle prices have been increasing steadily, with prices hitting record highs in 2011 and 2012, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. “The thing with stealing livestock, and especially cattle, is you can get 100 percent of its value, especially with unbranded animals," Lawley said. In most cases, a brand is the only way to establish ownership. Unlike the old days, when stolen cattle were herded on horseback, today’s rustlers use trailers and trucks. “The speed of transport means you can load up a gooseneck trailer full of cattle and be in Colorado 24 hours later," Lawley said...more