I guess it depends on whether it's marked as open range. If officers are asking him to better maintain his critter containment, I'd imagine he doesn't run these cattle in open range. I don't know about NoDak, but there are several places in SoDak where the highways warn the driver he is entering open range, which basically means drive it at your own risk. I've seen the same signs in Wyoming and Montana.
Open range is only allowed on back country county roads around here and this is Texas. The dead womans family now owns this guys ranch.
That's my understanding too. If it's not marked open range, the rancher is required to keep his cattle contained and the drivers are entitled to assume stock won't be wandering on the road.
Yep. Seen them in west Texas years ago. Arizona and New Mexico too.
I don’t know if I’m correct, but at the time I thought most of the open range land had something to do with Indian reservations… sure seemed to at the time.
And no, if you smack their cow on open range and kill yourself you aren’t getting anything. If they want to be a-holes about it they can take you to court for hitting their cattle.
I remember a case years ago on “The People’s Court” back when old Wapner was the judge. Some dope had hit a cow and was suing him for $3,000. When it came to the defendant’s turn he just said “It’s open range land.”
Old Wapner acted like the guy was nuts. Went to recess and came back saying he’d looked into it and sure enough it was open range land. He claimed he’d never heard of such a thing before. Ended up ruling against the plaintiff and giving the defendant $600 on his countersuit, the way I remember it.
Yup, here in Utah it is marked "open range" if it is. By the sounds of it, in this case it ain't.
In Texas, there are county roads that have cattle guards and you KNOW there may be cattle in the road. This guy needs all they throw at him. We hit an angus cow one night that had gotten out of the pasture she was in. Had just told hubby that the cows were in this area. He said "no they are farther on..." blam! No moon, black highway and black cow.