Elko County sheriff's deputies are investigating the killing of five cows and shooting of more than a dozen others in the mountains northwest of Elko.
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Undersheriff Clair Morris told the Elko Daily Free Press (http://tinyurl.com/mjmshvf ) that ranch hands discovered 22 cows with gunshot wounds late Monday afternoon near Swales Mountain.
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Morris says the cows belonged to at least two different ranchers. He says there were no signs that the animals were butchered and they have no motive for the killings at this time.
Morris says sheriff's detectives and brand inspectors are investigating the crime scene and trying to positively identify the owners of the animals. He says he has no idea why someone would just go out and shoot someone else's cows.
An $16,500 reward is being offered for information by the Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Nevada Farm Bureau, Nevada Department of Agriculture.
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Information from: Elko Daily Free Press,
http://www.elkodaily.com (AP)
