A rash of cattle killings in northeastern Oklahoma has producers concerned and law enforcement officers on the hunt.

“As far as we know at least 23 head of cattle and one llama have been shot in recent weeks,” Nowata County Game Ranger Jeff Brown, said. “We don’t know how many may actually (have) been killed because there isn’t any blood or holes when you walk up and look at them. We also think there are probably a lot more that haven’t been reported.”

John Cummins, special ranger for the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s District 4, which includes most of eastern Oklahoma, agreed.

“If you have a dead cow, especially a mature animal, call us,” Cummins said. “You don’t have to be a member of the TSWCR for us to respond. We’d like for you to join, we operate on association money only, but we’ll respond. I know a lot of people see a dead cow and just say to themselves, ‘well I had a cow die’ but we need to be aware of all of these and have someone examine them.”

Brown pointed out it is extremely hard to determine if a cow has been shot because the skin will stretch when the bullet goes in and then retract, making the entry hole nearly disappear.

“This last one, we knew it had to have been shot. We went over it hair by hair parting it down to the skin and looking before we found where the bullet had gone in,” Brown said.

Most of the reported kills have been along the east side of Oologah Lake, ranging from 10 miles south of the Nowata-Rogers County line to five miles north with one in Craig County a mile east of the Nowata County line.

Extreme bad weather, deer hunting season and the large number of cattle in some pastures has added to the failure to report suspicious deaths. Some producers have assumed they were caused by a fast-acting virus.

Many of the animals have just been left where they dropped, but some were butchered.

“They would skin one side back and cut a quarter or two off. Never turn it over to get the other side. We found two where all the meat was cut off the shoulder bones and the bones left attached to the skeleton, but most just had a quarter cut off,” Brown said.

The TSWCRA is certified by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. At a meeting last week in the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, an agreement was reached between the Rogers and Nowata counties sheriff’s offices, OSBI, TSWCRA and the state Department of Agriculture to share information of any incidents and work together in investigating and patrolling in an effort to stop the killing and capture those responsible.

TSWCRA is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest or Grand Jury indictment of those involved even if the victim isn’t a member of that organization; the Oklahoma Cattleman’s Association is offering the same if the victim is a member of that Association and the Rogers County Cattleman’s Association is offering $500. Alan Baker, who lost four head of cattle and the llama, also offered $1,000 and other cattle-related organizations are expected to join in offering an incentive.

“Somebody knows who is doing this,” Brown said.

Anyone wishing to give information anonymously may call the TSWCRA hot line at 1-888-830-2333. If anyone has information they would like to share or is looking at the act being committed may call the sheriff’s office; Nowata County, 918-273-2446; Rogers County, 918-341-3535; Game Rangers Jeff Brown at 918-331-5078; Jim Gillman, 918-440-0029; Brek Henry, 918-857-8536; or John Cummins at 918-342-0888. Any of these may be reached by calling the nearest sheriff’s office and asking them to pass on your message. You also may call Kevin Martin, investigator for the Department of Agriculture at 918-465-6401.

“We would like to have all cow deaths reported unless you know for sure why it died and it didn’t have anything to do with being shot,” said Cummins. “We need information to see how widespread the problem is.”