MASONVILLE, Colo. — A man in northern Colorado faces multiple charges after allegedly driving around in a UTV and shooting cattle belonging to his neighbors, leaving them to deal with the aftermath of this random act of violence.
Fourth-generation rancher Jordan Yarber experienced an unprecedented loss on April 1 when a herd of his cattle was shot.
Yarber, whose family has owned their ranch in Masonville, just west of Fort Collins, for 75 years, expressed disbelief about what happened.
"I've never lost this many cattle in one day," Yarber lamented. Before this, the most his family had ever lost in one day were two calves, who died of smoke inhalation during a wildfire.
According to Yarber, the incident occurred when his cattle wandered onto the property of his new neighbor, Michael Hester, who moved in last July. Yarber said he had no prior interaction with Hester, until he got a call from the town's brand inspector informing him that Hester was shooting at his cattle.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) arrested Hester after receiving reports from neighbors. Deputies discovered seven dead cows and one critically injured cow that had to be euthanized, all of which Yarber said were his.
In one neighbor's report to the sheriff’s office, she stated, “I was outside doing chores. I heard continuous nonstop gunfire, and I looked across the street witnessing my neighbor, Michael Hester, erratically shooting cows from his ATV like they were fish in a barrel.”
LCSO reports an estimated a total loss of $30,000. But Yarber emphasizes that the estimate doesn't account for the potential income in the future.
He said the cattle that were killed were all fairly young cows, with four of them being pregnant and expected to deliver calves within the next month. Yarber anticipates a lengthy recovery period, estimating it could take up to seven years to fully bounce back from this blow.
Under Colorado's "Open Range Law," livestock owners are allowed to graze animals without containment. Residents seeking to limit livestock access to their property must fence off these areas.
"I don't want to be a bad neighbor, you know... If you call me and say hey, I want them out of here. I'll be right there," said Yarber.
Yarber noted that in their area on Buckhorn Road, cows frequently wander off and neighbors typically appreciate the natural grazing their presence provides. In such instances, they often extend the courtesy of notifying him when his livestock strays onto their property.
"What appalls me is he couldn't make a phone call and try to solve it peacefully," Yarber stated.
Hester faces multiple charges, including nine counts of aggravated animal cruelty. LCSO Undersheriff Joe Shellhammer condemned Hester's actions, emphasizing the significance of livestock to the ranching community.
As Yarber begins to recover from the loss, he reflects on the unexpected nature of the incident.
"I've never thought in my right mind to go kill somebody's livestock animals just because they're a nuisance," Yarber expressed, questioning Hester's motives.
Hester bonded out of jail last week and is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday. Meanwhile, Yarber and his fellow ranchers are left wondering whether their new neighbor poses a future threat.
9NEWS+
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.