In recent years, the world has had to come to terms with the fact that pirates are not just a romantic phenomenon of another era, but still exist today. Now Americans are seeing the return of another lost category of criminals: cattle rustlers. Cattle rustling is alive and well in the 21st century, but the modern version has replaced horseback riding and six-shooters with such things as helicopters and tranquilizer guns. Thousands of head of cattle were stolen in 2008 in the Midwest and the Southwest, according to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, with more than 6,400 cattle snatched in Texas and Oklahoma alone, representing a two-and-a-half increase over 2007. Authorities have reported thefts of multiple cattle in places ranging from Ocala, FL, to Tehama County in California. Why the surge in a seemingly long forgotten crime of the Old West? Economics. While unemployment has gone up, so has the price of beef, prompting many to resort to stealing cattle and selling them on the black market.