AMARILLO, TX -- Last summer, we told you about the problem of cattle rustling here in the panhandle.
With cattle prices still on the rise, it's even more profitable now for people to steal cattle, but a new program just announced may cut down on thefts and put money in your pocket.
It's been a fact of life for about as long as there's been cows out here. Ranchers raise cattle and rustlers steal. And now, the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association is offering up rewards of up to a thousand dollars to catch the rustlers.
Special Ranger, Harold Dempsey says, ""Hard part is catching them...we want people to watch out for suspicious activity, and give us a call...I've got cattle missing north...south, all over the districts I watch."
Currently, there are about 40 head of cattle missing in Agent Dempsey's 16 counties he patrols around Amarillo. Sometimes, there's all too easy access for the rustlers to pull off the roads and make off with a few head at a time, and the ranchers don't always make it difficult for them.
"A lot of people don't lock their fences and we they still steal them and they're not as likely to be stolen, but there's a better chance of catching them if they're branded, " warns Dempsey.
Some of our neighboring states don't have market inspectors to check for brands and that makes illegally selling meat on the hoof even easier.
Dempsey adds, "For a guy that knows about cows, its pretty easy. If a thief steals cattle, its all profit for him, except for the time and inconvenience he had stealing them"
