RBC — Two cows belonging to Oldland Brothers Ranch were shot this month while being herded on County Road 5 and another one was hit by a vehicle.
“The one was hit by a car, actually, probably a truck, and broke its neck, but there was no confirmation of any bullet from the metal detector,” said Sheriff Si Woodruff. “We pulled pistol bullets out of the bodies of the two other cows.”
Undersheriff Mike Joos said there were no suspects in the shootings.
“Unless you find the person and the gun, you have nothing,” Woodruff said.
There were no witnesses to the shootings.
“One lady (who was helping to herd the cows) was in a ditch and heard a gun go off, but she thought it was probably somebody shooting at coyotes or something,” Woodruff said.
Chris Uphoff (formerly Oldland) said, “We were driving cows down on Piceance and somebody had driven right by there and shot the cow on the road,” Uphoff said of one of the cows that was found shot.
A $3,000 reward — $1,000 each from Oldland Brothers Ranch, Piceance Creek Ranch and the Cattleman’s Association — is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Uphoff said.
— Jeff Burkhead