Ranchers, law team up to foil livestock rustlers

RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP) — An apparent increase in livestock rustling brought together landowners in eastern Carbon County, Albany County and Natrona County with federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.

"The thievery has dramatically escalated over the last three years," said Matt Spennath, whose ranch runs along County Road 2 in Albany and Carbon counties. "Sometime between mid-August and Oct. 1, 22 head of yearling steers were just gone. We are pretty confident with our head counts, and I'm sure they were stolen."

Spennath said he lost 35 ewes to rustlers between mid-May and October, and another rancher near him loses 35-40 head of cattle annually.

"They feel just as confident that their livestock is being stolen," Spennath said.

The Rawlins Daily Times reported (http://bit.ly/rN0IA0) that Todd Heward, Medicine Bow Conservation District manager, organized a meeting last week because of the increased reports of thefts from area ranchers.

"The spring before, I bought these bulls in Colorado," said Jim Atkinson, who ranches north of the Carbon County line in Natrona County. "When we take the bulls off the cows, we send them down the road and don't think about them. They usually come back to clean up the hay in the fall, and two of the bulls were missing. If they had died, you would think we would find their bones in the pasture."

Atkinson said he saw two livestock trailers leaving his ranch one night, and he took chase but couldn't get close enough to get a license plate.

"I looked at a cloud of dust and saw two trailers rumbling down the road," Atkinson said. "You had to be pretty familiar with how my ranch works to get to that spot. That's why I think the bulls were stolen."

Jim Siler, law enforcement administrator for the Wyoming Livestock Board, encouraged ranchers to fill out stock-loss reports whenever animals go missing. Reports can be voided if the animals show up on their own.

"If we get those stock-loss reports, then we will know where livestock is being stolen," he said. "We can then set up checkpoints."

A group of cattle rustlers operating near Devil's Tower were busted because of checkpoints a couple of years ago, he said.

The biggest deterrent for rustlers, Siler said, is for ranchers to fill out their brand paperwork, have copies with them in their trucks when they transport their livestock and get to know the area brand inspector.

"Use and abuse your brand inspector so he gets to know your brands and gets to know you," Siler said. "All brand inspectors should know which brand belongs to which rancher in their area. They should know how many heads of cattle or sheep each of you run."

Carbon County Sheriff Jerry Colson said his deputies have the authority to stop livestock trailers without cause and ask for the brand papers. Colson was advised to make sure deputies always look in trailers to make sure the animals match the paperwork.

Roger Newkirk — a brand inspector whose area includes Carbon County — advised law enforcement officers that ranchers and their employees must have permits to transport livestock across county lines and state lines. He said officers can call the brand inspector 24 hours a day to verify a brand to the name of the rancher.

Livestock thefts mostly happen during the day in July and August, Siler said, because most rustlers don't want to navigate dirt roads in the dark or get out in Wyoming's wintry weather.

Ranchers said deputies should be on alert from mid-May to October because livestock is usually out of their sight for long periods of time during these months.

Colson asked Siler to set up a training seminar for deputies concerning livestock thefts before this spring.

"I have had a lot of deputies with 20 year's experience recently retire, and we have replaced them with younger people," Colson said. "Although we advise our deputies to stop livestock trailers and take a look, I'm not sure the younger deputies know what to look for."

Louis Braun, of the Carbon County Sheriff's Office, told ranchers to do a thorough background checks on everybody they hire.

"We are too laid back and trusting here in Wyoming, and a criminal can have a heyday," Braun said. "We have found that most of the cattle stealing is by desperados who came here from other states. They get a job up here at one of the ranches and really learn about your operation."

Ranchers shouldn't try to stop the thieves on their own, Braun said, but get a description of the truck and trailer, and a license plate if possible.

"I tell my own deputies not to stop someone on a desolate road at night if they don't have to," Braun said. "If you can get a description to us of a vehicle that you are not familiar with, that has been driving on or near your property, then we can stop it down the road, and check it out. Don't wait until you discover some of your livestock is missing. If it turns out to be nothing, we will thank the driver for cooperating and send him on his way."

Many of the ranchers said they would appreciate law enforcement stopping them when they are hauling livestock, because they think it would be a deterrent for thieves if they knew that could happen in Carbon, Albany, Natrona and Converse counties.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.