Cattle rustling on the rise in Missouri

MARIONVILLE, Mo., Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Farmers and ranchers in Missouri are losing a modern-day fight against cattle rustlers.

While no centralized system exists to track cattle thefts across the state, at least 81 thefts involving an estimated $597,000 worth of cattle have been reported across 29 southern Missouri counties over the past 15 months, state police told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"If you're in the business, you're always going to have to deal with it," said Brent Bryant of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association, who said organizations such as his were formed more than a century ago, in part to combat cattle rustling.

Rising prices have made cattle a tempting target --a single cow might sell for $1,000 to $1,500.

Branding would make it much easier to identify cattle, but many farmers and ranchers are reluctant to do so because of the cost and the concern that it would lead to additional government regulations. DNA tests can also prove ownership, but they are expensive, and cows are often disposed of before such tests can be conducted, the newspaper said.

"Every solution also has drawbacks," Bryant said.