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Tag: cattle

  • Nevada Cattle Released to Cliven Bundy by Feds

    Federal land managers explained that “escalating tensions” forced the release of roughly 400 head of cattle that had been corralled on public land in southern Nevada. The cows belonged to rancher Cliven Bundy, who had refused to relent to federal authority over rights to land he doesn’t legally own. Hundreds of Nevada states’ rights activists, as well as various militia members congregated around corrals outside of Mesquite, demanding the return of Bundy’s animals. Some protesters were armed with rifles and pistols, prompting the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to hand the cattle over, to prevent any bloodshed.

    Bundy’s dispute with the government began in the mid 1990’s after he refused to pay the bill for his herd grazing on federal land near Bunkerville, Nevada. After a United States District Court for the District of Nevada trial in 1998, known as the United States v. Bundy, the rancher was prohibited from allowing his cows to eat government grass. Bundy failed to comply, and after years of multiple violations, the BLM rounded up Bundy’s trespassing cattle.

    With the “Bundy Standoff” looking to be ready erupt in violence, the BLM let Bundy’s stock go free on April 11. Bureau of Land Management Chief Neil Kornze stated, “Based on information about conditions on the ground and in consultation with law enforcement, we have made a decision to conclude the cattle gather because of our serious concerns about the safety of employees and members of the public.” Kornze’s statement came after Bundy promised to “do whatever it takes” to protect his herd.

    No injuries were reported, though U.S. Senator Dean Heller, R-Nev. said in a statement, “The dispute is over, the BLM is leaving, but emotions and tensions are still near the boiling point, and we desperately need a peaceful conclusion to this conflict. I urge all the people involved to please return to your homes and allow the BLM officers to collect their equipment and depart without interference.”

    Various Twitter intrigue concerning the Bundy Standoff:

    Bundy, 67, has claimed that he has ancestral rights to the federal land under contention. Kornze on the other hand commented, “After 20 years and multiple court orders to remove the trespass cattle, Mr. Bundy owes the American taxpayers in excess of $1 million. The BLM will continue to work to resolve the matter administratively and judicially.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Joan Jett to Appear on Macy’s Float Against Critics

    Joan Jett has been making music for decades with the support of a legion of fans and even has a special day celebrated in her honor; however, everyone cannot be a fan and that includes the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. Joan Jett is a vocal vegetarian and animal rights enthusiast (belonging to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) who has been selected to represent the state (while riding on a float) during the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, much to the dismay of the Cattlemen’s Association.

    According to the president of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, Cory Eich, “To me, it seems like a huge blunder. I guess I couldn’t disapprove more. I don’t understand what they were thinking.” Eich’s contention arises from his involvement in the prevalent cattle industry that supports much of South Dakota’s economy.

    Some have vocally supported Joan Jett. The senior vice president of PETA, Dan Mathews, responded to the protestations through an email that read, “We’re surprised that ranchers want to draw attention to themselves by being crybabies over the appearance of a vegetarian icon such as Joan Jett on the state’s float.”

    Still, others think the outrage is much ado about nothing. Organizers behind the decision explained the selection process that led to Joan Jett being chosen. Jim Hagen, who is the secretary for the South Dakota Tourism Department, shared the reason for Macy’s business decision to use Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. “It’s not because of any ill will Macy’s is trying to create or anything. They were just trying to do what they thought would be a great artist for us.” Hagen said before adding, “It’s never been about the artist for us in terms of who’s on that float. It’s about the fact that Mount Rushmore and South Dakota can be seen and heard by tens of millions of people.”

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • South Dakota Blizzard Devastates Livestock

    South Dakota has recently experienced a horrible blizzard, which is affecting the cattle and many farmers in the state. While much of the country is still having summer or early fall-like temperatures, South Dakota has been hit early with the nasty weather that usually does not come for another couple months. Tens of thousands of cattle have been found dead, huddled and frozen, after the shocking storm that hit South Dakota earlier this month.

    Due to the government shutdown, many of the farmers are not able to get help and the 6,000 ranching operations that have been hit do not have any safety net. Mile after mile, half-buried by snow, the dead animals lay huddled in groups. Carcasses by the dozens strung out along field fences and packed into ditches, black hooves poking up through the drifts like macabre stakes, according to the Los Angeles Times.

    In what is being called the state’s worst economic disaster in decades, officials are saying that the storm has ravaged South Dakota’s $7 billion livestock industry. NPR reports that the cattle, who were grazing in their summer pastures when the blizzard hit, and had not been able to build up a thick winter coat of fur yet, causing them to have disastrous results as soon as the storm hit.

    Many, disoriented in the blizzard, wandered to exhaustion and fell victim to hypothermia before suffocating under the snow drifts. The number of casualties to the livestock is hard to determine still, partly due to the fact that the federal agency in charge of tallying the loss of livestock after a disaster is closed during the government shutdown.

    For those that say that the government shutdown is not having an effect on regular American people, these cattle ranchers would certainly have something to say about that.

    The cattle that has been lost could be a heavy blow to South Dakota’s economy, as they rely on the cows for their beef. It is predicted by the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association that the state lost at least 5 percent of its cattle. The South Dakota blizzard is proving to be very disastrous for the livestock and the farmers all over the state who depend on them to make a living.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfdxsL9S6UU

    Image via Youtube

  • South Dakota Cattle: Thousands Killed in Snow Storm

    We all know how temperamental Mother Nature can be, especially during the transition period from one season to another. What we didn’t know, though, was that Mother Nature was colluding with the Republicans and Tea Partiers during the government shutdown.

    Earlier this month, a devastating snow storm hit parts of South Dakota. Up to 4 feet of snow fell in some areas, smashing previous records for snow-fall in October.Generally, this wouldn’t be too big of an issue. South Dakota does not experience the same chaos that occurs when places with large cities and tons of urbanites have heavy snow-storms. However, there was one huge problem this time – The snow came much sooner than winter.

    South Dakota is the nation’s 6th leading producer of cattle, averaging 4 million head of cattle per year. During the fall months, many ranchers from places suffering drought conditions, such as Texas, bring their cattle north to South Dakota, increasing their holdings even more.

    Typically, fall in South Dakota is perfect for cattle, and ranchers leave their cattle in summer pastures until winter really hits, somewhere in mid-to-late November. Unfortunately, winter decided to visit South Dakota early this year, leading to much devastation.

    The storm started with driving rains, soaking the cattle to the bone and muddying pastures. The wind then picked up to resemble an inland hurricane, and with the wind came the snow. Because the snow hit during the fall, neither the cattle nor the ranchers were prepared. The cattle had yet to develop their winter coats to protect themselves from the cold, and the ranchers had not transferred the cattle to winter pastures, where the cows could be protected from the wind and snow by trees and other wind-blocks.

    All of these conditions combined led to devastating results. Current estimates place the loss of cattle near 100,000. Most farmers have reported losing anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their total livestock, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in income per ranch.

    This year, the economic loss is even greater. Under the Livestock Indemnity Program, farmers would be able to recover a portion of the market-value of their cattle in a disaster such as this. Due to the government shutdown, however, the farm bill which funds the program has not been renewed, meaning farmers cannot file claims to recoup their financial losses.

    The economic toll becomes even greater when one factors in the losses of calves and pregnant cattle. The immense deaths of these two groups means that the cattle industry in South Dakota will be negatively impacted for many more years to come.

    The ranchers in South Dakota face more than economic loss, however. These farmers spend the majority of their time every day tending to and caring for these cattle: “They know how dependent these livestock are on them and they’re absolutely emotionally devastated at the losses they’re seeing. It’s been extremely difficult,” stated Silvia Christen, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

    Ranchers don’t have time to mourn over their losses. South Dakota’s state veterinarian, Dustin Oedekoven, urged expediency toward properly disposing of the dead cattle: “That can be a significant source of disease spread, so we want to make sure those carcasses are burned, buried or rendered as quickly as possible.”

    In order to get this done, many ranchers are going ranch-to-ranch to accomplish the task. Some South Dakotans believe that Washington could learn from the sense of community in South Dakota: “Some of these guys that we were helping today, I don’t even know ’em. And they were helping me move my cows and I was helping them move theirs. You can get along. You don’t have to sit there like [those] guys in Washington and squabble,” stated rancher Todd Collins.

    If the government shutdown does not end soon, the price of beef could drastically increase due to the losses in South Dakota. Silvia Christen, however, has some advice as to how to avoid this increase in prices: “Beef prices will depend on how fast we can get cattle to market again. If people want to help, go out and buy a steak tonight.”

    Advice heeded, Ms. Christen.

    Image via YouTube