Moved from this thread: Flint and Steel | Page 4 | Survival Monkey Forums to keep Bears thread on track. - melbo BTW, should any on the list make it to where Bear lives you will se the largest Cattle Brands in the world. They take up the whole left shoulder of Horses. Not something you can cover or change with the Old Rustlers' Running Iron. Must have been a lot of Hoss Stealing around then parts in the old days.
Very hard to hide that under another brand, but might not that be a bit cruel? To the horse, I mean, not the thief. Personally, I wouldn't mine the brand being used on the thief.
Hoss thiefs don't care about cruel. Been more stealing of late so more are getting caught and the price they pay has gone way up in some places.
Not so much now, unless he is caught in the act by the Rancher. Courts are a mite easy on those varmints. But I do know a Range Ranger that did a full CSI on some drunk hunters who shot and killed some cattle. Proof from slugs removed ended up costing them full payment for the cattle and the loss of all hunting gear and their vehicles. A tidy sum.
BTW The shooters paid for the cattle and the off spring they would have had over their lifetime. A cow lost is also seen in the future production of that cow.
Instances such as you cited, are why many farms are now closed to hunters. Add in corporations, able to offer higher fees for corporate perks, and exclusive use, and being bonded and insured. The family hunter is being squeezed out of prime hunting areas. By all means, throw the book at them. There is no excuse for behavior like that.
Easy to sort out who's Cows, are who's, by sight, at distance, on Open Range Federal Land..... same reason Branding was started in the first place....