Branding of livestock picking up as theft deterrent

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP)--A string of cattle thefts in southwest Missouri has prompted some ranchers to use armed night patrols and cattle branding to protect their assets.

The thieves have struck almost every southwest Missouri county this year as the price of cattle reached a record high. Christian and Berry counties are the most frequent targets in the area, but authorities say thefts also have been reported in Lawrence, Greene, Polk, Dade and Cedar counties.

Bob Herndon had 25 calves stolen in mid-October from his land, which straddles Lawrence and Christian counties. Since then, Herndon has been holding meetings in his garage to discuss how cattle farmers can guard against theft and has encouraged the night patrols.

"We're kind of looking out for each other's backs," Herndon told the Springfield News-Leader for a story Nov. 27.

Herndon also decided to record a brand with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, allowing him to tell which cattle are his. Recording a brand with the state costs $35.

Branding cattle is a "pretty darn good theft deterrent," Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with the University of Missouri Extension in Lawrence County, said. Generally, he said, about two-thirds of stolen cattle that are branded are recovered. But, he noted, branding can make hides worth less and can injure animals if not done properly.

Herndon's cattle were taken from a pasture on the Christian County side of his land, making it one of five such thefts reported in that county this year, according to Capt. Jeremy Whitehill with the sheriff's department. He said 74 cattle worth more than $50,000 have been stolen in all.

The most recent theft--22 head of cattle--was reported in mid November, Whitehill said. Authorities have some leads but no suspects, he said.

"We have our hunches and our suspicions. They're scoping this stuff out. They know where the cattle are. It's definitely not a fly-by-night operation," Whitehill said.

Herndon and neighbor Jack Ebert, who had 11 cattle stolen in early August, noted that the thieves know how to handle cattle and how to make their way around rural roads.

"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it were somebody we knew," Ebert said.

Whitehill says he welcomes cattle farmers' help.

"They are the ones that can tell us what's normal in their area," he said. "Our biggest asset right now are those cattle owners. That's how we're gonna catch these guys."