Source: Provided by Ed Ashurst
Posted on 06/14/2021 5:32:40 AM PDT by Kaslin
Source: Provided by Ed Ashurst
Arizona used to have some of the best livestock laws in the nation. Now, the cattle ranching industry is being torn apart due to a dismantling of the successful laws and regulations that used to prevent cattle theft. Close to 3,000 head of cattle have been stolen from at least 32 people in the last few years. Thieves brazenly stole over 100 cows with calves from well-known attorney and judge Tom Kelly in Yavapai County. Cowboys who once made a good living raising and selling cattle are finding substantial portions of their herds decimated, and when they complain to authorities, no one is ever arrested. Instead, they get attacked and the investigations go nowhere.
Although Arizona is mostly a red state, it has an extensive history of corruption in government. Powerful players including RINOs control many elected officials. Under Governor Doug Ducey, a lot of corruption has been ignored and swept under the rug, making conservatives and honest people furious with him. Cattle ranchers say there are important people in Phoenix behind the cattle rustling.
The problem appears to have started when Bas Aja, a powerful lobbyist for the Cattle Feeders’ Association, along with the help of other lobbyists, started getting the laws and regulations changed. Instead of requiring inspectors to visibly confirm that a rancher was selling cattle marked with his brand, the law was changed to allow loopholes. The number of brand inspectors in Arizona dwindled to 20 or less, some who are merely part time.
Contrast this to Wyoming, where there are 78 brand inspectors, or New Mexico, where there are 58. Instead, in Arizona people in the cattle business are now allowed to get away with self-inspections. Each person is essentially policing his or herself. The legal changes were done gradually so it was subtle. First, self-inspections were allowed for moving cattle. Then, they were expanded to cattle sales. In some situations, brand inspectors no longer bother even looking at the cattle, they merely ask the rancher what he wants written on the hauling papers or accept photos from him.
Another loophole involves characterizing ranches as feedlots. It’s easy to get a permit from the state for a feedlot. They are not subject to the same laws as ranches, which require inspection at time of shipment. So sleazy people are deliberately shipping stolen cattle to as far away as Arkansas, where it will create less of a trail to follow and track. They are never stopped by Arizona law enforcement and asked to produce hauling papers.
Longtime Arizona cowboy Ed Ashurst, a victim of cattle theft, contacted the Arizona Director of Agriculture, Mark Killian, in March and asked him if he was aware of any ongoing investigations into cattle theft in Arizona, Killian said no. When Ashurst pressed him about whether he was going to be launching any, Killian responded, “I’m out of the business of chasing rumors.”
The problem got so bad that Judicial Watch started investigating. The organization turned over boxes of evidence to AZDPS last July. In August, the documents were transferred to a cattle ranch north of Willcox, where a special meeting was held in order to inform all law enforcement agencies and legislators in the state about the rampant cattle theft. At least eight different county sheriffs were present at the meeting, as well as the head of Special Investigations for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, several federal officers, several state legislators and several key members of the livestock industry.
However, one of the sheriffs looked at the boxes of information and declared that they were “no good.” He called the lead investigator a “clown.” So nobody ended up looking at the materials and nothing ever came of them. Some of the non-law enforcement people present took photos of the information, which they posted on the internet, reportedly blaming the leak on other people in order to hurt their credibility.
One insider says that several cattle ranchers who are innocent victims of theft have received threatening letters from officials in the Ducey administration because they publicly complained about the lack of law enforcement concerning cattle rustling. Well-known Arizona cowboy Milo DeWitt is a good example of how and why nothing ever gets fixed. He is missing over 400 grown cattle. He has asked for assistance from the FBI, county sheriff, brand board and brand inspectors, Judicial Watch, the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s top investigator, and has had several meetings with investigators. In spite of all those requests for help, he is being slandered by powerful people who claim he is trying to hide massive insurance fraud. Do you think that a man who has committed insurance fraud would be requesting investigations into all his affairs if he was actually guilty of something?
It gets worse. Private investigators say there is overwhelming evidence that the cattle theft problem in Arizona is closely linked to drug trafficking. The drug cartels bragged to one detective that they and the Mafia own Arizona. He says Arizona is far more corrupt than Chicago.
Ranchers have had little power in the government since the 1930s. It’s difficult to get a conviction of a cow thief because few judges, lawyers and police officers really understand the industry. There are claims that AZDPS is corrupt; the agency ignores complaints about cattle theft and doesn’t bother asking trucks hauling cattle for their paperwork.
Tellingly, the top brand inspector in Arizona and his second in command just resigned. But more needs to happen. One insider says Killian needs to be removed from the agricultural agency since he turns a blind eye to the theft.
Legendary Arizona cattleman Jay Wetton said, “The problems Arizona cattle ranchers face could be easily fixed. This is not rocket science.” Cattle ranchers who have become victims of theft are crying out and wondering where is justice. Why is the state of Arizona making them the bad guys? Ashurst says Arizona has become “a cow thieves’ paradise.”
Horses in Arizona don’t require a brand. I assume cattle do, though. I have no problem believing the state government is corrupt. If there is $$$ involved, the GOP-E is for sale.
And/But, under Arizona (and other state) law, ranchers could probably use some level of force to prevent the left if the thieves are caught in the act of thieving. But, unless the thieves themselves were armed and posed an imminent threat, there's no way you could shoot them...and get away with it. Of course, dead men tell no stories and ranchers are generally MILES from civilization, so....
Open and leased Range.
A lot of the land out here is Open and leased range. GD cattle look like dried beef on the hoof. Then they scream and howl because they cant get good prices for their cattle from the finishing yards.
“Private investigators say there is overwhelming evidence that the cattle theft problem in Arizona is closely linked to drug trafficking. The drug cartels bragged to one detective that they and the Mafia own Arizona. He says Arizona is far more corrupt than Chicago.”
Paging the McCain family...
Just as long there are no witnesses. Plenty of land to bury them.
Well, it was a just projection of potential criminal permissiveness
One cow is worth thousands on the hoof at today’s prices.
The article said that they were shipping them out of state.
I grew up with cattle but in Western Washington where most land parcels are small, herds of beef cattle are small, and the criminal element knows very little about cattle. Of course law enforcement typically knows nothing about cattle even in outlying areas.
We never branded any of our cattle and I knew very few people who did. In recent years I know some people who have had their cows electronically tagged in the same way that people have their dogs and cats tagged. This was more to help the authorities identify them if a couple of them ran off on their own after getting outside the fences and gates that were put there to hold them in.
It is a little different story in Eastern Washington where cattle roam on large parcels of land, they have large herds, and cattle are sold in larger numbers. The problem with disappearing cows is still more likely to involve unsavory individuals stealing a small number to eat themselves and not sell.
The branding laws this state were updated in 2019. The move was to electronic identification. It had more to do with disease control and the expense of maintaining the program than cattle rustling.
As a kid, I participated in feeding, herding, chasing and even turning plenty of young bulls into steers, but never applying a red hot brand to the hide of a cow or horse. It was bad enough crushing the vessels that went to the testicles of little bulls with a special tool. But holding cattle down while you burned their skin with a red hot piece of steel would not have been something that I would have wanted to participate in. I am glad that on our side of the mountains this was not considered necessary.
SPJNK.
SSS.
Where’s Randolph Scott when he’s needed?
A little long range precision shooting will slow that business down.
I have lived in Calif & Nevada with my horses. I have hauled horses in Ariz/ Calif/ Texas/ Utah/ Nevada/ Oregon/ Idaho/ Wyoming/ Montana/ Kansas/ Nebraska/ Colorado/ Iowa/ Wisconsin/ Illinois/ Missouri/ Oklahoma/ New Mexico.
Neither state requires an actual BRAND, but Brand papers, with a laminated card with info & pic of horse ARE required.
When traveling with my horses I MUST carry a NEGATIVE COGGINS report & a health cert from a licensed vet that is no more than 30 days old.
I have traveled quite a bit across state lines, and I keep a 3 ring binder in my truck with all the papers required. That binder LIVES on that front seat.
St George, Utah & Evanston, Wyo have inspection stations I MUST pass thru & go in & show my papers for my animals. After witnessing a guy pull rumpled papers out of his back pocket on my 1st visit thru St George, I put together the binder. Now-—I only get asked : “Where are you going for the next race & HOW MANY MILES IS THE EVENT???”
I absolutely do NOT get hassled when I show them courtesy. Have hauled mares, geldings & stallions. I keep 2 jars of Vick’s in trailer to swab into nostrils of stallions. Keeps them from getting frisky with mares on board. Easy to do.
If only the Earps were still alive.
well hey, if it’s OK to steal an election in AZ by stealing thousands of votes, what’s a few stolen cattle, right?
Arizona requires a negative coggins to ENTER Arizona. You can travel with horses inside Arizona without one.
“All horses in Brand states must have Brand Inspections. States that require Brand inspections South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Utah. (Livestock only equine exempt) California, Nebraska, Washington.”
I have three horses. One has a brand. The others do not. Don’t have a brand card nor know what one looks like.
“If you rustle a herd one at a time, it’s legal”
Nope.
LOL at your GIF - you have to be of a “certain age” and mindset in order to get that bit. Thanks!
I live in Yavapai County (cattle country) and haven’t heard or read any news about cattle rustling.
Climate of course has a lot to do with the beef quality and quantity per animal. In addition though, these are heavily impacted by ranching practices and the business model the ranch operates with.
For us, we ran a lower cattle density of registered black angus that were bred at the ranch, supplemented their forage food year round and heavily so in the winter and separated out the steers for a very fine diet before sale. Very few steers ended up in feed lots, no finishing needed. If you've ever had a very fine, prime steak at a top end restaurant, it likely came from a ranch like this.
When the ranch was sold, the new owner flipped the opposite direction and largely raised mutt steers brought in for 1 season. He ran 3 times the cattle and the grass looked like hell from heavy grazing. This business model yields feed lot cattle.
Our business model had a lower cash flow but greater profit margin. The other had a greater cash flow but lower profit margin. On balance, the higher cattle density model that used only purchased steers gave a larger net profit.
Regarding rustling, I know it wasn't a problem for us and I don't recall it being a problem with any of the neighbors. Basically, the owner or a hired on cowboy was hands-on so to speak with the cattle daily. Access to the ranch was by a single road that ran by the main house. Anyone cutting a fence would be stuck in the sand in short order. Also, every pickup truck had a rifle in a rack on the back window.
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