The fallout from a vicious October blizzard is rippling through the ranching industry. Feet of snow and cold temperatures in western South Dakota killed tens of thousands of cattle several months ago. Bob Mack with the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association says he suspects the actual number of livestock dead following the blizzard is considerably higher than the current official estimates.
"A lot of this won’t get sorted out until after the winter is over, because, in some cases, they can’t find carcasses or they’ve disappeared. In other cases, some of these herds were so mixed up that they’ve spent months now sorting these cattle out based on the brands, fortunately," Mack says. "A lot of these cattle are getting sorted out as these cattle go to market and stuff. And the brand inspectors go through, and ‘Okay, we’ve got a few more from here and a few more from here.’ And it’s going to take a little time to go and sort these numbers out."
Mack says more than 600 ranchers have applied for assistance through Ranchers Relief. He estimates less than half of the ranchers impacted are actually seeking assistance.
Agriculture leaders also note that cattle took the brunt of the storm, but ranchers also lost sheep and horses.