Family Says More Than 100 Head Of Cattle Stolen From Mayes County Ranch

A Mayes County family says someone stole more than 100 head of cattle from their ranch.

The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture are investigating this unusually large case.

The Ringling family estimates the cattle theft will mean a loss of at least $130,000 and says they will never recover.

“Oh, I just can’t believe it. It just hasn’t sunk in. And neither one of us can believe it,” Debby Ringling said.

Debby Ringling says between her cattle and her son’s, 67 cows and about 40 calves are gone. She says they disappeared this week.

“We just keep thinking they have to be hiding somewhere,” Ringling said. “We looked in the drainage ditches, in all of the tree groves.”

The cows are marked with a double “I” brand.

“It was my grandfather Gooldy’s brand and I just keep it,” Ringling said.

The cows also have ear tags which the family hopes will make a difference in tracking them down.

“My son’s cows have two ear tags, an orange one and a yellow one,” Ringling said. “My old ear tag - then he put new ear tags in them.”

Ringling said she doesn’t understand how someone was able to get so many head of cattle off her property, taking most of her livelihood away.

“Oh it’s devastating for me. My husband died 17 years ago, and I have no extra income,” she said.

Department of Agriculture agents checked out some tracks left behind in the mud at the Mayes County Fairgrounds and are investigating all possibilities.

If you have any information about what happened, or if you see any cows with the Ringling’s brand, call the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture at (405) 522-6102.