Rustlers are outback
You might think that the days of stealing cattle and sheep were over. You know, that was just in the western movies. Sadly, that theft is going on around the world. The rewards are great if you can move the merchandise, but it takes some skill and a lot of equipment. Canadian Jonathan Fortin woke up Friday morning to check on his herd of Black Angus cattle, only to find his field was empty. Fortin, said he initially thought his calves and cows might have got loose, but the presence of tire tracks and a fence that appeared to have been dismantled led him to conclude that something more sinister had occurred. “All my herd — close to 75 animals — were stolen,” he said in an interview Monday. Quebec provincial police confirmed a criminal investigation after arriving at the farm in Cookshire-Eaton, Quebec on Friday and finding the cattle had “disappeared.” Ruel didn’t say how police were planning to retrace the herd, but he noted the thieves would need to have access to equipment and a place to put the animals. Fortin figures the cattle were taken between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, while he was out working his second job. He said neighbors later reported seeing trailer lights and hearing a commotion in his field, but at the time they assumed it was known buyers coming to pick up cattle. He said the loss of about $200,000 worth of livestock represents four hard years of work building up his farm.
Depending on your point of view, Waltzing Matilda should be either the national anthem or declared Australia’s creepiest song. In February this year, 700 sheep worth $140,000 were allegedly stolen from a farm west of Bendigo in Victoria. In March, a farmer west of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales reported 350 sheep were missing, the majority about to have lambs, making them even more valuable in a strong sheep market. The tendency of farmers not to report livestock theft means we do not have accurate figures, but the estimated losses are significant. The national farm crime survey showed only 35% of livestock theft was reported to police. It seems livestock theft is quite commonplace in Australia. About 40% of farmers have been the victims of stock theft and 80% have experienced general farm crime. “If you’re a rustler worth your salt and you can muster quick and you’ve got good dogs, you’re gonna get in and out of there in literally no time.”
Eighty per cent of farmers and ranchers (like the man in the video below) say that they should be responsible for preventing farm crime by their own means. Which is interesting because you have people in the government that say, No, the police will make me safe. Modern solutions suggest there may be hope in technologies similar to facial recognition for sheep and cattle. One University of New England PhD student developed “Stoktake,” an AI-powered platform that identifies animals via their muzzle, which is as individual as a human fingerprint.
Rustler rumors
How do ranchers keep track of all their cows?
They keep a cattle-log.
After a massive storm, ranchers in Texas are now looking for their lost cattle.
Surprisingly, they found six of them on YouTube.
My brother wanted to play cowboys and Indians.
So I put on a ten gallon hat and chaps and he went to MIT and graduated in computer science.
I’m a new age cowboy, my pronouns are
“Ye/Haw.”
October 23rd Birthdays
1987 – Emilia Clarke, 1991 – Elise Bauman, 1986 – Jessica Stroup, 1988 – Amandla Sternberg
1959 – Weird Al Yankovic, 1977 – Ryan Reynolds, 1941 – Pele, 1955 – Ang Lee