I am originally from Texas, so I still have that mindset. It used to be, in Texas, that if your cattle got loose, for any reason, you were responsible for any damage they cause, such as being hit by cars, damage to public land, etc...It was the same with dogs.

They did that because a lot of cattlemen would allow their cattle to 'escape', to graze on public land and use public waters without paying any Grazing Fees.

It got so bad for a while that they made a statute that if you found a cow on your property, or on public land, you could kill it and take it home. That stopped most of that nonsense. For a few years, we had a lot of free beef in our freezer.....

Quote Originally Posted by JohnScott View Post
It is likely that someone failed to properly close the gate. And it is likely that it was someone fishing the reservoir.

I wouldn't blame or fine the owner of the cattle for relying on others to be responsible. But that is a Western thing, and probably an attitude more from people with cattle ranching in the West in their personal history.

John