Dave,
I'm not getting into a pizzing contest with you, so if your answer to this problem is "kiss your cattle goodby" have at it!
Re;
If you don't brand your cattle with a registered brand there is no way to positively prove they are yours.
That's BS! Have you never heard of the preponderance of the evidence?
Re:
They could be tattooed but someone has to look pretty darn close to see a tattoo.
SO? If you recover the cattle, you look close!!
Re:
Just who is going to be looking for the cows in your pictures? How long does it take to get those pictures to every sale within an 8 hour drive that is occurring the next day?
A. It would take me less then 30 min, to email my pics and info to every sale barn and about 30 other cattleman in my area who attend those sales that would be looking for my cattle. And I would do the same if their cattle were stolen. Not to mention ever county sheriff's office in a 500 mile radius.
Re:
I realize people east of the Mississippi don't normally brand and there isn't mandatory brand inspection. But a brand is a permanent mark that is easy to see that identifies the cow as belonging to you. All of the west you need a brand inspection to take cattle across a state line. Some state require a brand inspection to haul your own cattle to another pasture. Certainly every sale yard has a couple of brand inspectors who examine every single animal for a brand. And if it does have a brand it better be your brand or you better have a state issued brand release.
The fact is I am surprised that there hasn't been much more cattle rustling going on in that part of the world. Thousands of unbranded cattle with no brand inspection going on. A person with a criminal mentality, half a brain, and a trailer could make a darn good living.
RIGHT? Branding is the answer as it is working real well west of the Mississippi!
See: Cattle Rustling on the Rise in Texas
http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local ... -12311096/
The fact is, if you could catch a perp in your pasture with your cattle in his trailer and if you can't positively identify those cattle as yours, it becomes his word against yours, both in the pasture and in a court of law if it ever gets that far.
All the perp has to say is, they are my cattle, they got out and I came and loaded them up to take them home and he could walk out of pasture or court with your cattle.
And the same can be said for no matter where the cattle were finally located.
Fact: With the photos and notes,I have of my bull I can identity him beyond a reasonable doubt no matter if it is today, 2 days or 10 years later or 2 miles or 1,000 miles away.
And as he is out of a registered herd I could even use DNA to positively identify him.
Fact: If you can't positively identify your own animals how in the H can you expect law enforcement to find them for you and prosecute the perp??
TTT second best means, in addition to photos, for a quick noticeable visual identification,
was ear notching .
And their third was electronic tracking devise.
Using electronic tracking gives law enforcement a way to locate your cattle.
Ear notching, along with your description, gives law enforcement probable case to seize those cattle and obtain a search warrant to search for additional evidence.
Your photos makes the positive identification for a conviction.
John
