Ranchers explain relationship with brand inspectors
Sixteen head of cattle were stolen in Blackfoot earlier this week. Anselmo and Valentin Lopez were arrested for stealing $19,000 worth of cattle. The cattle were recovered thanks to the assistance of the Idaho brand inspectors.
There are three types of identification for livestock: hot brands, freeze brands, and tattoos. Brand inspections are needed any time cattle are taken across state lines or whenever livestock are sold.
“A brand inspection is your title to these livestock,” said Deputy Brand Inspector Luke Davis. “You wouldn’t pay somebody for a vehicle without them giving you a title to it.”
In the Midwest, herds are usually only 60 to 70 head of cattle and they don’t normally leave the homestead. In Idaho, cattle are put out for range.
“Here we are going to go to public range, state lands, or BLM; big acreages that require some kind of identification,” said Mark Pratt. “At the end of the day when you start gathering those cattle up in the fall you are able to identify whose is whose and where they belong.”
“It’s a necessary evil in the size of landscape we deal with rather than the landscape the Midwest deals with,” said Pratt.
Branding is necessary not only to determine which ranch a calf belongs to, it’s a protection for ranchers.
“Our role is to identify the livestock and make sure the people who are selling them can prove they own them,” said Davis.
“Not necessarily that the brand inspector knows where our cattle are on a day-to-day basis, but he knows our brands relate to our cattle and if they show up at the livestock yards with someone else,” said Pratt. “Then he’ll do the research to say whether or not those cattle were actually purchased from us.”
“We go out and visually inspect each animal for brands, and the person that is in possession of the livestock must provide proof that they own it,” said Davis. “A brand is the prima facie proof of ownership in Idaho.”
Brand inspectors say if you notice suspicious activity, notify them immediately.
