Tens of thousands of dollars worth of cattle have been wrangled from their rightful owners in the Ozarks. The Missouri cattle theft task force says cattle rustlers are back and they're pulling off big heists in five different Ozarks counties within the past month.

Family farmer Diana Kershner and her family have been raising and protecting cattle from rustlers since the 1900's. Kershner says, "I hate to think what I'd do or what my neighbors would do if we caught them." Kershner is once again worried about thieves because they're back in a big way. Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Dan Bracker says, "Big thefts. About 25-30 heads of cattle at time which is a lot of money." Kershner says, "It can devastate a farmer."

Anywhere from 80 to 100 head of cattle were stolen from farmers in five different counties, including Kershner's neighbor. She says, "One of my neighbors lost 17 cattle. That takes away his profit for years, not just one year."

These thieves are reportedly only taking all black cattle or black cattle with white faces.
Investigators say that could be because they get the highest dollar and are the hardest to identify. Bracker says, "These people unfortunately know what they're doing.” The Missouri Cattle Theft Task Force says clues are keeping them right on the thieves’ tails.

Deputies say most of the victims are Mennonite farmers. One Mennonite farmer who was hit lives just a few miles from Kershner. She says that’s just another reason she and her neighbors are making their own rounds, looking for anything suspicious. Kershner says, "We're all watching, because it’s very costly to us."

The task force says farmers should change-up their routines, keep their cattle far from the road and brand or tag their cattle so they can be easily identified.

They are asking anyone with information to call the Barry and Lawrence County Crime Stoppers hotline at 417-354-TIPS or 1-888-635-8477. Investigators think they are using a 20-foot trailer and a dual pickup to pull off the heists. They could be using horses to herd the cattle away.