Colorado man sentenced for shooting neighbor's cattle
A Fort Collins man received a short jail term as part of his sentence for fatally shooting eight of his neighbors' cattle that were on his property.
Michael Hester, 37, was also ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and reimburse the owners of the cattle more than $27,000 for their losses. Hester was also placed on supervised probation for three years.
Hester was arrested in April 2024 by Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies the same day his Buckhorn Canyon neighbors called 9-1-1. Deputies, along with the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Brand Inspector, located eight dead cattle.
Many of those killed were cows who had recently calved, according to resident Kelly Patrick. All of the cattle were on Hester's property across the road from her home, she said. They were laying down and "fish in a barrel" when Hester rode up on his all-terrain vehicle and began firing at them.
Patrick said she witnessed Hester shoot the cattle and confronted him afterward on his property.
"He said, "I can shoot them; they're on my property just like a wild animal," as Patrick recounted. Hester, still holding his rifle, called the animals a "nuisance."
Some of the cattle which were immediately killed stumbled onto other properties and died there. All of the dead cattle belonged to two other residents in the area.
Hester was released on a personal recognizance bond after the incident. The sheriff's office initially charged him with 18 felony counts.
In November, he agreed to a deal with 8th Judicial District prosecutors and and pleaded guilty to three counts each of aggravated animal cruelty and agriculture animal theft. The cruelty counts are felonies. Hester faced up to six years in prison for each count.
Colorado ranchers, as noted by the district attorney's office, operate under a statute commonly known as the "Open Range Law." This permits allows livestock owners to graze animals without containment. Neighbors who wish to keep livestock off their property are responsible for building fences to restrict livestock's access.
Patrick said there is an "open range cattle" sign along the stretch of road where Hester shot the animals. One of the injured animals was her cow which has crossed the road to join the other herd, she said. Hester shot her cow in the nose, she said. Her cow, which she referred to as a pet (as opposed to the slaughter-bound cattle in the other herd), survived.
"It was heartbreaking," Patrick said. "We (ranchers) take them to sale, they have a purpose. But we don't torture them."
Patrick said her neighbors who owned the dead cattle have already been reimbursed.