SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The souring economy has led to a surge of cattle thefts in southwest Missouri, and according to one local sheriff's department, "cattle rustling" is beginning to present a problem in Southeast Missouri as well.

What makes these thefts so frustrating is how difficult stolen cattle are for law enforcement to track, said Bollinger County Sheriff Leo McElrath.

Most cattle thefts seem to occur in the middle of the night and are perpetrated by people with the equipment and means to get rid of the cattle quickly, McElrath said.

Between 20 and 25 cattle have vanished from several Bollinger County farms since January 2008, and sheriff's deputies were unable to recover any of them from nearby sale barns or any of the usual outlets for reselling livestock, McElrath said.

Most cattle that are stolen are animals that haven't been branded, he said.

"They just disappear and you don't have any sign of where they went and who got 'em," McElrath said.

Greene County problem

The Greene County Sheriff's Department in southwest Missouri has received almost a dozen cattle theft reports since October, and 30 head of cattle have disappeared from nearby Barry County in the past six months.

Among the victims is Chip Porterfield, who said it will take years to recover financially after 10 of his Black Angus cattle were stolen from a farm outside Springfield during the Thanksgiving weekend. The cattle were worth about $10,000 total.

"That's a big chunk to try to overcome ... that's my livelihood," said Porterfield, of Sparta, Mo., who has been a cattleman for more than 20 years. "You're looking at four years to recover from losing 10 cows."

Significant loss

Jeff Windett, executive vice president of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association, said it's more prevalent in the southwestern part of the state partly because it's easier for cattle thieves to take their stolen property to nearby Kansas and Arkansas. Also, the area is full of beef cattle.

"With the economic situation that's going on, there looks to be more desperation to come up with cash," he said, noting that cows can fetch up to $1,500 based on the breed, weight and quality. Calves range from $400 to $800.

"For a lot of these people who have had these cattle stolen, that represents a significant chunk of their yearly income," Windett said.

For farmers, the thefts also take away their peace of mind.

"The biggest hardship is that you can't trust leaving your cattle out anymore," said Ted Rummel of Willard, Mo., who had nine cows and one calf -- worth about $8,500 -- stolen in October.

Arrests difficult

Authorities with the Greene County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri Cattle Theft Task Force say arresting the thieves is difficult because cattle sales often involve little paperwork and it's hard to catch thieves in the act.

"The cattle business has been operating on honesty and a handshake for hundreds of years, and a lot of farmers still operate that way," said Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan Nash, who serves on the Missouri Cattle Theft Task Force. "A lot of people are involved in cattle theft because it's a lucrative theft. There's a lot of money in cattle and it's relatively easy to get rid of them. No paperwork is required."

Southeast Missourian reporter Bridget DiCosmo contributed to this story.