PAYETTE COUNTY -- There's a growing problem in Idaho's back country. More and more farmers are seeing their livestock either stolen or killed, and just this week it went to a new level.
Monday night, in the remote area between Payette and Washington Counties, someone executed three cattle and left a fourth knocking on death's door.
"This calf right here was shot in the back of the head after he was hauled about 15 miles," said Deputy Lynn Gibson with Idaho State Police’s Brand Inspection Office.
It was the first of three killings.
"There's just a little bit of blood left there on the grass," Gibson said pointing to a spot by the calf.
He says someone stole the three week old calf then shot and killed it 16 miles away from its ranch just into Washington County.
"They shot it right here behind the ear and it was blood that had run down over the side of its head," said Gibson.
Not far from where they shot the calf, they also shot two dairy cows.
"They were shot right between the eyes at close range with a small caliber weapon," said Gibson.
He says the two were locked up, feeding at the time they were killed.
"It just makes no sense why people do what they do," Gibson said.
Then perhaps the least humane act of all. About 100 yards from where the dead calf now lay there's a cow struggling to survive. Deputy Gibson says it too was most likely shot with a small caliber weapon or hit with a truck, or possibly both.
"That's what people really need to see,” as the cow tried to make it up a steep embankment. “I know it's kind of tough to put on the evening news," said Gibson.
Since Monday night the cow has lost a lot of weight and has had blood coming from her nose.
"She's having a tough time breathing," said Gibson.
Its owner recognizes it won't make it, and will put it down soon. The owner wanted to wait to see if she could pull through, because she is a mother.
The owner will now try to hook up that cow’s calf with the mother of the calf killed and try to salvage at least one pair of cattle.
So who is behind these killings?
"We really don't have a lot to go on,” said Gibson. “They run over some signs and smashed them down with their vehicle, yeah.”
Gibson says in the past few years kids have been behind this kind of damage. In 2010, someone shot and killed seven cattle between Caldwell and Emmett. Then last year there were two more shot and killed, and another five near Council. In most cases he's heard of kids bragging about the killings.
"These kids are out doing stuff like this, then somebody ought to know about it," said Gibson.
But at this point they just need information.
"Maybe somebody's got an ax to grind, but they don't have an ax to grind with this guy or those two Holsteins," Gibson said, standing over the dead calf.
Now Gibson and the State Brand Inspector's Office as well as the Payette County Sheriff's Office will work to try to figure out who is responsible for these killings.
Stealing or killing livestock with a value over $250 is a felony. And in this case, there is a loss around $4,000 between the two owners.
If you have any information on these killings you're asked to call the Payette County Sheriff's Office at 642-6006 or Deputy Gibson at 549-3499. There is a reward for anyone who has information to the arrest and conviction in this case.
