Investigators say cattle rustlers are at it again in Christian County.

Deputies say someone stole five cows and five calves from a field in Nixa. The owner of the cattle doesn’t live on the property he owns near Nelson Mill and Landers. Investigators believe someone stole the cattle late Sunday or early Monday. The owner says the cattle are worth about $5,000.

"We believe they were pinned and then loaded and taken away in the wee hours of the morning," says Christian County Captain Randy Price.

Price says investigators do have some suspects but no arrests yet. He says it is too early to discuss evidence left at the scene.

Those who own cattle and live nearby are worried about their livestock and livelihoods. "We’ll keep the gates locked and do what we have to protect what belongs to us," Rosanna Oleson says. Oleson's family members raise beef cattle just down the road from the most recent cattle theft in Nixa.

She and her husband also raise cattle to eat in Highlandville. "If someone stole all our cattle we'd be bankrupt," Oleson says. "We have to work to pay for our cattle."

Because the stolen cattle weren't branded, investigators say it’s going to be tough to find them. "As the sheriff says, ‘There aren't serialized numbers on hamburger,’ and without branding it’s hard to identify them," Price says.

Price says the sheriff’s office wants farmers and law enforcement to work together to wrangle rustlers. "We want to do proactive patrol which means if a farmer normally pins his cattle up to take them to market they can call us,” Price says. Then the farm will be placed on directive patrol for deputies to keep an eye on.

The department will also patrol for anyone transporting cattle late at night. "We are going to start approaching and stopping any large trailers to make sure their legit," Price says. Oleson wishes rustlers would find legitimate jobs instead of preying on hard workers. "Go make a living, go get a loan by your own cattle for profit," Oleson says.

The sheriff's department says anyone who pins up their cattle to take to market should park a large vehicle or piece of equipment in front of the corral or gate. Price says the more time a criminal spends on the property, the better the chance someone can catch them in the act.

Investigators say this cattle theft is not related to a larger Christian County cattle heist in February.