Range Management Expert Opines on Accident Caused by Escaped Cattle

Case Overview

This case involves cattle that got loose and were struck on a roadway in Oklahoma, causing a fatal accident. During the year of the incident in question, the region suffered from a severe drought. The Defendants were responsible for maintaining the fences of a nearby pasture. When cattle do not have enough to eat in the pasture, they tend to reach through fences to grab nearby grass. Eventually, they will lean on the fence, and will eventually work through the fence to get to fresh grass, allowing them to get loose. It was alleged that the defendants were not maintaining the pasture fencing properly to accommodate for the cattle’s behavior during the drought.

Questions to the Agriculture expert and their responses

Do you have familiarity with the subject matter described above?

I have a personal familiarity with this subject, as I grew up on a cattle farm. I have conducted research in rural areas on cattle farms and ranches.

How should grazing practices be accommodated during a drought?

When forage production declines, as in times of drought, cattle ought to be moved to fresh pasture and be brought supplemental feed.

Have you worked on a range/pasture during a drought?

Additionally, I have worked on ranges during droughts.

What measures could have been in place to avoid the incident?

If the fence was under adequate maintenance for non-drought conditions, there should not be a case against the stockman. But if it can be established the fence was sub-standard, the drought is irrelevant.

About the expert

This expert received his MS and PhD from Iowa State University, completing a fellowship thereafter at the University of the South. His keen interest in range science studies has led him to research the grazing ecology of grasslands. This expert has authored numerous scholarly publications and has been invited to present his research worldwide. He is an assistant professor at a Midwestern university, where he studies and lectures on the interactions of man and nature in agriculture.