With beef prices reaching record highs there has also been a rapid increase in stolen cattle for Oklahoma ranchers. During the first 10 months of the year there were 835 reported cattle thefts in the Sooner State, up 16 percent from 2012. One case saw 19 cows and calves stolen from an Okmulgee ranch in September. Approximately half of the cattle have been recovered after being sold at local sale barns and an arrest has been made related to the case. In all there have been 274 felony charges pressed related to cattle rustling in Oklahoma for 2013.
