ST. GEORGE — Seven cows were shot and killed as the animals grazed in a massive pastureland in Washington County over the weekend – deaths authorities believe were the intentional act of an unknown suspect who shot each animal one right after the other.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, which involves seven cattle – five cows and two nursing calves – that were shot dead within a 65,000-acre section of grazeland approximately 10 miles northwest of Central in Pine Valley on Sunday.

According to emails received by St. George News, residents living in Pine Valley reported hearing the sound of gunshots coming from the grazing area shortly after nightfall on Saturday and called the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident.

Deputies then notified the ranchers who own the livestock, and the following morning, the animals were found lying dead in the grazelands. The carcasses were scattered across the property just yards from one another and over 100 yards from the side of the roadway.

Mary Houston told St. George News that three nursing cows and a calf were shot and killed during the incident. Houston owns 170 cows and is one of several ranchers that have livestock in the area. In all, there are roughly 1,600 cattle, including 800 calves, grazing on the property.

Houston said the losses extend beyond what was reported to authorities, adding that one of her cows was nursing a calf and was “already bred back again, so we actually lost three cows right there.”

Moreover, the cows were young and had several years of breeding left, so there are future losses that multiply exponentially as well, she said.

The remaining cows that were killed were owned by another rancher, Arlin Hughes, who lost two cows and a calf.

The animals appeared to have been shot with a high-powered rifle, and the ranchers believe the suspect was shooting from the side of the road.

The monetary losses suffered in the wake of such an incident are significant, Houston added, considering the value of each cow can be as high as $2,000. She also said the herd represents their livelihood.

“This is how we make a living,” she added.

Washington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joel Hafoka said the incident was reported and the case has been assigned to a detective for follow-up. He added that with few leads in the case, investigators are requesting help from the public. Anyone with information is asked to call the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 435-656-6500.

He also said the department will release information as it becomes available during the ongoing investigation.

Alarming uptick in number of livestock reported as missing, harmed or killed across Utah  

The incident in Pine Valley is part of a larger problem, as the number of livestock reported as missing, harmed or killed continues to rise, according to a statement released by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food last month. The surge sows as “an alarming trend” that has increased statewide over the past few years.

“Our department has been investigating a substantial amount of cases of missing livestock and suspicious livestock deaths this year,” said Leann Hunting, the agency’s UDAF animal industry director.

As of July, the agency has received seven reports of suspicious livestock deaths still under investigation. And while the exact cause of the increase has yet to be determined, investigators are concerned nonetheless, Hunting said in the statement.

So much so, in fact, that the agricultural department is offering a $20,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft, mutilation or malicious killing of livestock.

In addition to the suspicious livestock deaths, the agency has also received 83 reports of missing livestock –  77 of which involved missing cattle, five involved missing horses and one report involved lost sheep.

The department also recommends that ranchers keep a vigilant watch and monitor their herds. In the event an animal goes missing or the herd is harmed, they should notify the local brand inspector should any of the animals go missing or are harmed. Individuals with information relating to the killing or harming of livestock are also asked to call the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food investigator at 435-419-0021.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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