The State : 1988 Rustling Tally Is 2,400

More than 2,400 head of cattle worth more than $1 million were taken by rustlers in California during 1988, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture. Stolen or missing cattle were reported by about 250 ranchers, but a department investigator said that many thefts go unreported and that the actual loss might be double the recorded figure. The rising price of beef may trigger an increase in rustling this year, industry officials said. Del Fletcher, head investigator for the department’s livestock enforcement unit, said rural drug addicts are stealing cows and selling the beef to support their habits.