In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Clay McKinney, who serves as Executive Director of Law Enforcement, Brand and Inspection Services for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, about the vital role Special Rangers play in protecting ranchers and their livestock.
A Specialized Force Protecting Ranchers
McKinney says the association represents a wide membership base, noting, “we have over 19,000 members that we represent… in Texas and Oklahoma.” A key part of that service is the Special Rangers—an elite, highly trained group focused specifically on agricultural crime.
“We have 27 special Rangers that are assigned to Texas and Oklahoma. We are commissioned peace officers with full arrest and search powers,” McKinney explains. “When a member calls us and needs our service, they have in essence, a police force that comes and investigates that activity for them.”
The program has deep roots in ranching history. “We started in 1877 essentially started with cattlemen… losing so many cattle to rustlers,” he says, adding that today’s Rangers remain “an elite group specifically trained for agriculture-related crime.”
Experience, Technology, and Partnerships
Building that kind of force takes experience. McKinney notes, “We’re kind of picky, we get some really seasoned guys that have either been in homeland security or Texas Rangers or sheriff’s office, and they fit in with us extremely well.”
While the mission remains similar, tools have evolved. “This is my 41st year in law enforcement… I started out when we were handwriting reports, and now it’s come a long way,” he says, pointing to how “technology has really improved.”
The Special Rangers also work closely with local law enforcement. “A lot of times, we will have those agencies contact us for our expertise ‘we’ve had 20 head of cattle missing, would you jump on board with us?’” McKinney says. “We’ll assist, and they take the lead or we’ll take the lead… we’re there to help.”
Preventing Theft and Recovering Losses
The scope of cases is broad. “We work with ranchers, anything from missing cattle, missing horses, livestock, trailers, tractors—anything agriculture-related,” McKinney says.
Those efforts pay off. “I think we’re at $12.9 million in property we recovered last year,” he reports.
Still, prevention is key. McKinney emphasizes identification: “Try to brand your horses and cattle it’s an extreme setback for us to try to find those cattle” if they’re unmarked.
He also encourages simple security measures: “Check the barns… make sure they’re locked… lights are working… motion-activated lights are cheap these days.” For equipment, “take an engraver… put your DL number in there somewhere so if we do find the saddle, we can positively ID it.”
And ranchers should stay alert. “The crooks are watching all the time,” he warns, especially when cattle are left in accessible pens overnight. “Always try to put the cattle back… or work in a pen that’s not accessible to the highway.”
A Trusted Resource for the Industry
Even with rising livestock values—“the cattle market… and the horse industry… are extremely expensive right now”—McKinney says the Special Rangers remain a dependable line of defense.
The program continues to earn strong support from producers. “We have a very faithful membership… and we do a survey, and they say, ‘we come back for the special rangers and the service that they provide us.’”
And importantly, help is available when it’s needed. Ranchers can locate their nearest ranger through the association’s website, and as McKinney makes clear, assistance isn’t limited to members—they’re there to help protect the industry as a whole.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR above for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
