An unnamed cattle rustler has been caught in Angleton with 83 head of stolen cattle.  The rustler had stolen over 290 head of cattle in eight counties, starting with some cattle stolen from Nolan Ryan from a ranch in Rosharon.  The rustler was caught after a branded calf he stole in Navasota ended up in a Wharton sale barn and then was sold again in Groesbeck.  The rancher from Groesbeck who purchase the calf recognized the brand and contacted authorities.

A piece of advice from one of the investigators who handled this case:

Johnson advised cattle owners to brand their animals.

“A tattoo or an ear tag will not suffice,” he said, noting a tattoo can’t be seen from the road and an ear tag can be cut. The brands, which are registered with the county, help track the sale of cattle.

Help track the sale of cattle....meaning, that brand might just save your herd....