• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- State Veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven said Thursday he now estimates that 15,000 to 30,000 cattle died in the early autumn blizzard that buried western South Dakota in snow nearly two weeks ago.
• Oedekoven earlier estimated the livestock loss at 10,000 to 20,000, but he said reports from ranchers, emergency officials and others caused him to raise his estimate. Some ranchers are not yet sure how many cattle they lost because they are still discovering carcasses or finding live cattle that mixed with neighbors' herds after being pushed by the snow and high winds, he said.
• "It's still a challenge to figure out what they still have and what their true losses were," Oedekoven said.
• The state veterinarian said financial losses will be substantial, with bred cows selling for about $1,600 and cow-calf pairs selling for $2,000 or more.
• Some ranchers have reported heavy losses exceeding half their cattle herds from the storm that started Oct. 4 and dumped more than 4 feet of snow in some parts of the Black Hills. Reports of 20 inches or more were common in the prairie ranching region. The cattle were drenched by rain before being hit by heavy snow and strong winds that pushed them over fences into roadways and other ranchers' pastures.
• Oedekoven said ranchers so far have reported losing 7,157 cattle, 250 sheep and 92 horses, but he said many ranchers are too busy searching for cattle and dealing with other problems to make voluntary reports of losses to his office.
• State Rep. Gary Cammack, who ranches and runs a farm and ranch supply store in Union Center, initially thought he lost about 70 cows and some calves. He said Thursday he now knows he lost about 120 -- or 20 percent of his cow herd -- after

(Continued on page 26)