Page 30 - MWC 4-23-20s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 23, 2020 · P30
How to Protect Your Ranch

and Prevent Cattle Theft

By Wade Yoder
W eeks 262 stocker calves in Lipscomb •Take pictures of equipment
later, by County, Texas. “If things don’t •Consider branding cattle
some mira- start picking up, people will A brand is the easiest way
The pasture was ridden cle, the stolen cattle returned. start picking things up.” to trace livestock back to their
and re-ridden. Gates, fences, “They just showed up in the That sentiment is echoed by rightful owners. Without a
and water gaps were checked pasture [Wednesday] morning,” CJ Fell, a criminal investigator brand, cattle are an easy target
to make sure the cattle hadn’t Leininger says. “We don’t know for the Nebraska Brand Com- for theft, Eggleston says.
gotten out. Three different peo- where they’ve been for three or mittee. “That is prima facia evidence
ple counted the herd – all three four weeks, how they got where “We have not seen an up- that registered brand on that
came up 60 head short. they did or how they got back.” tick in cases yet, but I suspect livestock belongs to that per-
“They weren’t just in another it is going to happen,” Fell says. son,” Eggleston says.
pasture,” says Andee Leininger Cattle theft could increase “With any emergency situation, The culprit of the Leininger
of Leininger Ranch. “They were It was a miraculous turn- people find opportunities to Ranch incident was an individ-
gone.” out for Leininger Ranch. How- take advantage of other people.” ual who knew the ranch well,
It was a shocking blow to ever, with the economy in a Both livestock law enforce- Leininger says, adding that the
Leininger, a young cattlewom- downturn and increasing panic ment officers said ranchers cattle were more than a mile
an helping her parents on a about the COVID-19 pandemic, should take additional steps to from the closest road. Unfortu-
family ranch located south of cattle and agricultural property protect their livestock and to nately, victims of agricultural
La Junta, Colorado. Facing cat- theft could increase, says Ben make theft more difficult. Ulti- theft usually know the culprit,
tle theft while attempting to Eggleston, special ranger for mately, cattle theft can be easy Eggleston says.
continue a family business is the Texas and Southwestern to accomplish, Fell admitted. “I hate to think of the per-
devastating, Leininger says. Cattle Raisers Association. “It doesn’t take much knowl- centage of cases where we’ve
“We have been on that place “Every time there is a down- edge or experience to gather had a successful conclusion
for 25 years and have never swing or times get hard, some some cattle and load them,” and you find out you know who
had anything stolen,” Leininger people will revert to stealing,” Fell says. “Once you’ve got them stole from you,” says Eggleston,
said. “It definitely wakes you says Eggleston, who is active- loaded, it’s just a matter of drive who has spent 30 years in law
up.” ly investigating the theft of time to get out of state to a non- enforcement and 15 years as
brand area.” a TSCRA special ranger. “You
have to know who you are doing
How to protect your herd business with.”
from theft If ranchers suspect they
The best way cattle produc- are the victim of cattle theft,
ers can prevent theft is to keep it is imperative to immediate-
accurate records, Fell says. In ly alert authorities to increase
the case of a partnership, part- the chances of recovering stolen
ners need to brand their cattle property, Fell adds.
differently and jointly docu- On Leininger Ranch, there
ment which cattle belong to will be more people to check
which partner. cattle and keep a closer watch
“Things have got to be down in the future, Leininger says,
on paper,” Fell says. “That is the adding that she will probably
only way these producers can scale back some of her off-ranch
protect themselves.” commitments to help her par-
Fell and Eggleston offer the ents.
following advice to deter theft: “People are following in their
•Lock gates, pastures and cor- family’s footsteps by raising
rals cattle,” Eggleston says. “It is
•Permanently identify live- very personal when somebody
stock and equipment (con- steals from something that is a
sider marking tack with legacy.”
your driver’s license num- Drovers
ber)