NATCHEZ — In a lot of ways, Sheriff Chuck Mayfield is proud of his cowboy image. But that doesn’t extend to having deputies chase stray cows in the middle of the night.

In the last month, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office has responded to 17 loose livestock calls. Last year, a total of 266 responses were warranted for wandering cows, horses and goats.

The county has three volunteer wranglers who can round up the animals once the ACSO has responded to the call, but deputies are required to stay on the scene until the animal has been collected.

It’s a problem that eats away at ACSO time and resources, Mayfield said.

“If somebody gets a call to sit out there with a cow for two hours waiting for a wrangler, and then having to catch it, you’re taking someone away from patrol,” Mayfield said.

“If you put a minimum of two hours — and that is a minimum — on it, how many man hours has it taken us in a month?”

The sheriff said the ACSO has always responded to loose livestock calls, but in recent years the number has been on the rise. That’s partly because of the economy, he said.

“A lot has to do with economic situation and the cost of feeding these animals. I think some are getting out, tearing down fences, or people are just leaving fences down.”

Likewise, the sheriff said it’s getting harder for the wranglers to recoup their expenses. The wranglers are allowed to charge $100 to an owner if the owner wants to get the animal back, but often owners aren’t willing to claim their livestock.

Wrangler Punchy King said he has been rounding up loose livestock for the past year, but he can’t afford to do it anymore.

“I have five or six horses that I am holding,” King said. “I have had them for two months, and in that process (I) have to feed them or hay them, otherwise they are going to die. Then when you take them to the sale, you have to pay $40 for gas and these days a horse isn’t bringing $50 at auction.”

The price of a bale of hay is also $50, King said.

Mississippi statute allows for counties to hire a ranger to handle all strays. Originally, the ranger position was under the coroner’s office, but was later moved under the sheriff’s jurisdiction.

Mayfield said that because the law allows rangers to administer oaths, he would like to see the county fund the position separately from the sheriff’s office, answerable directly to the supervisors.

The ranger could operate in concert with the ACSO similarly to how the road crew — or any other county crew — does now, Mayfield said.

“When a piece of road sloughs off, a deputy goes out there and waits until the road crew gets there, but then he is able to leave,” Mayfield said.

The sheriff said there’s nothing in his budget to pay for a ranger, but that if the county funded the position it might not have to pay a full-time salary.

“He doesn’t necessarily have to be on the clock full time, but he has to be available 24 hours, on call,” Mayfield said. “They can pay him by the stray, by the call.”

Supervisors President Darryl Grennell said creating such a position is not something the board can entertain during the middle of the fiscal year. He also said formal request to fund the position would have to be made, and the board would have to discuss its merits.