For as long as there's been cattle, people have been stealing it. But the problem is getting worse

In scenes reminiscent of the Old West, cattle rustlers are making off with entire herds of live animals and in many cases, getting away with it.

John Meston lost 85 cattle last fall, including two 900-kilogram bulls, four cows and 79 calves. All told, that's $175,000 worth of cattle, he said.

"A hit like this is quite devastating," Meston said from his farm near Westlock, Alta.

"To work all our career in this industry, which we love, and to have this happen, it leaves a very bad taste in your mouth."

It's the second time Meston has dealt with rustlers, or cattle thieves. Nine years ago he had 21 cattle taken. In 2014 a neighbour had 100 calves stolen. Neither case was ever solved, according to the RCMP.

"In the middle of the night, they're gone," said brand inspector Butch Harris, who's been working to protect farmers, ranches and auction houses from theft and fraud for 41 years. 

Inspectors like Harris check to ensure the brand mark on cattle matches the farm or ranch that owns them. He says about 45 per cent of Alberta cattle are branded.

Rustling has been around a long time, he said.

"So as long as there's cattle it'll damn sure happen and probably always will to a certain degree," Harris said.

"There's way too much of it. It goes on, no doubt about it."

Harris has seen the number of cattle thefts in Alberta creeping up in recent years, particularly among the smaller thefts where people are taking "one or two head" to put in the deep freeze.

There are also abattoirs and butchers that sell stolen beef on the black market. As beef prices rise it becomes more lucrative, Harris said.

"With the way the economy is going and with the conditions of COVID and all of that I think a few have shown up that way for sure. Our missing reports seem to increase every year," Harris said.

Cpl. Lindsey Anderson is part of a two-person team that makes up the RCMP's livestock investigations unit in Alberta. They're tasked with investigating the approximately 50 cattle thefts reported in the province each year.