An eagle-eyed brand inspector played a big role last year in helping a Saskatchewan producer recover half of his stolen cattle.
Leon Hougham of Frenchman’s Butte recovered only two of his four missing bred heifers, but he said it’s been a clear lesson that it pays to brand cattle and report missing livestock.
“If you’re hesitant on branding, or not branding, this is living proof it pays to brand your animals,” said Hougham, who noticed four missing heifers when he rounded up the cattle near Glaslyn, Sask., last fall.
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Hougham phoned the neighÂbours and then notified the brand inspectors when he couldn’t find the cattle.
“When time went on, I started losing hope. No one had seen any tracks,” said Hougham, whose pasture is 100 km from his home.
Months later, Hougham received a call from brand inspector Ken Clark at Heartland Livestock in Lloydminster, who had found a heifer with his L over H brand at the auction mart.
When brand inspectors apÂproached Glaslyn farmer Ken Michnik, who had brought in the heifer, he couldn’t explain how he acquired the animal.
“He denied knowing anything,” said Hougham.
However, Glaslyn RCMP and brand inspector Ron Sabin from North Battleford, Sask., found another of Hougham’s heifers mixed in with a few old cows and a two-year-old steer when they visited Michnik’s farm.
“The heifer stood out like a sore thumb among the old cows and steer,” said Hougham, who found ear tags that had been cut out of his heifers lying under the loading chute.
Michnik pleaded guilty and was convicted of two counts of cattle theft. He was ordered to pay $1,500 restitution and serve six months probation.
As well, he was given six months conditional discharge and ordered to meet probation conditions and keep the peace.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt of North Battleford said owners never think the punishment is harsh enough for cattle theft, but every conviction helps raise awareness that it is serious.
“It frustrates producers because they think it’s a hanging offence,” said Schmidt, who was raised on a ranch near Cut Knife, Sask.
Schmidt said she has the “dubious reputation” within legal circles of taking cattle thefts seriously and ensuring they go to court.
Schmidt believes cattle theft is under-reported because producers don’t believe they have a chance of recovering their animals.
Hougham’s other two heifers were never found, but he hopes his story will be a warning to would-be thieves that they can be caught.
