Thieves Rustle 80 Pregnant Cows In Colorado

Colorado rancher Steve McEndree says 80 pregnant cows were stolen from his ranch earlier this month in Baca County. The 18,000-acre ranch is 30 miles northwest of Springfield in the southeastern corner of the state. The cattle are valued at $100,000.

The rancher, Steve McEndree, told KRDO in Colorado Springs that the cattle have a value of at least $100,000.

"A nice two semi-loads of our mama cows are gone," McEndree posted on his Facebook page after discovering the theft. "After much looking, it's pretty apparent that someone took advantage of their location near the corrals and went for an easy payday. We are not looking for sympathy but want everyone to be aware that this is happening in our community. Watch out for unknown semi-trucks and cattle trailers! Watch out for unknown pickups on our back roads!"

McEndree told KRDO that he noticed the cows missing while feeding them during the first week of December but didn't report it until last week -- after making sure his livestock hadn't wandered onto a neighbor's property and conducting an aerial search.

"They'd have followed a pickup with cake on it, which is a protein food that's like candy to them," he said. "This took a little bit of planning. They had to know the corrals there. They had to see the cows right next to the corrals. It took two semis to haul them off. It was probably a three-man operation."

McEndree believes the thieves were looking for quick cash and are unlikely to add the cows to an existing herd. All of the cows were branded.

"The corrals are visible from my house -- sort of," he told KRDO in Colorado Springs. "If I looked up there at the right time and someone had lights on, I'd see it. Of course, we had a full moon several weeks ago, and you don't need lights if you have that. They also came during a strong wind event that blew away any tracks. I wouldn't be surprised if they planned for both of those."

McEndree, 65, is a fourth-generation rancher who works with his wife and other family.

"I'm going to have to put some security cameras up," he said. "We're going to have to tighten our belts a little, cut some stuff out, put retirement off two to three years -- or maybe four to five years."

The Baca County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Cattleman's Association are investigating and the  cows are described as black and have "S JM" (connected) or "Lazy TC" (connected by a quarter-circle) brands on their left hips, along with blue "Y-Tex" ear tags.

The Colorado Operation Livestock Thief program is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the conviction of a suspect or suspects; authorities in surrounding states have been notified, too.

Anyone with information about the stolen cattle should contact the Baca County Sheriff’s office at 719-523-6677.