The Long Rope

For as long as people have owned cattle, other people have been stealing them. In the Old West, the consequence for anyone caught committing the crime was a tall tree and a short rope. States and territories developed various ways to discourage thievery, but as writer and photographer Carol Hutchison discovered, Texas created its own special ranger force to enforce agriculture ownership. Today, the tradition lives on, and every day, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger force tracks down cowboy criminals.

“He won’t be back until morning,” Billy Jack said as they rode up to the old cow boss’s pasture at dusk. “Open the gate and let’s go,” he told Michael. “We’ll find the cattle in the moonlight.” 

Riding in the shadows, they couldn’t afford to be seen. After closing the gate behind them, the two quietly mounted their horses, readied their ropes, and rode out in search of the fattest cattle—free for the taking. They’d worked for the owner of the cattle and knew the pasture well. They cut four head from the herd—a number the boss wouldn’t immediately notice—then set off on their 125-mile drive to a ranch where an unsuspecting buyer would dole out a big payoff. On the way to sell their take, they stopped at a saloon for a few drinks while their horses and cattle stood outside. “You’ll see, Michael,” Billy Jack said, sitting sideways at the bar, “we’ll sell these calves and be on our way. We won’t get caught.” 

This may sound like a scene from a century ago, but Billy Jack and Michael rode in a pickup truck and drove the stolen cattle in a stock trailer. The year was 2010, but cattle theft these days isn’t all that different than what it was in the late-1800's: all a thief needs is a motive and some cow sense. Perpetrators range from day work cowboys, down on their luck and in search of quick cash, to small-time ranchers trying to remedy the loss of money on a cow deal, to large-scale operators trying to deceive an unsuspecting banker. And just like lawmen of the Old West, today’s special rangers utilize frontier skills such as tracking, reading brands, cow sense, and gut instinct—in addition to the latest modern technology—to carry out their duties. Then and now, their goal remains the same, enforcing the eighth commandment: thou shall not steal.