Age Old Problem No New Solutions
They used to hang-um for doing it, in fact my husband great great great Uncle Isaac Parker, the famous “Hanging Judge” in Texas condemned more than a few of them to the gallows. For what? I’m Susan Allen , with today’s Open Range, stay tuned because the crime is becoming more of a common occurrence given our pooreconomy. Isaac Parker, depicted in True Grit and other movies as the “Hanging Judge”, is a sturdy branch in my husband Texas family tree whom during his career sentenced 160 people to hang, more than a few for horse and cattle rustling. Catching rustlers today is tough, there are no hoof prints when an 18-wheeleer or stock trailer drives away after rounding cattle up with a four wheeler or motorcycle. Rustling has been on the rise especially in the region known as the Beef Belt, from Texas to Oklahoma . Losing even a few cows impacts a rancher’s bottom line as grown animals are resold for between $2000-$2500. Thieves rarely are caught given the fact cattle rustling’s not a top priority for law enforcement lacking the man power or budget also many ranchers have cattle spread across vast stretches of land so it might be a few days before they find them missing. Some states like Alabama don’t require brands thus cattle are quickly assimilated into another herd or sent to the sale. In the end, it’s typically not about an occasional missing cow, rather savvy thieves with cattle experience hitting and again and there is not much to stop them when they don’t have to face someone like Judge Parker.
