. >> reporter: rancher ted allen thought he had seen it all. >> woo. come on, girls. let's roll. >> reporter: then, his cows started disappearing. >> when you can't find them, and they can't fly, somebody had to help them. >> reporter: he's lo a dozen in the last year. now, he counts them every day. >> 15. 30. >> reporter: last year, more than 6,000 head of cattle were stolen in texas and oklahoma. that's triple the year before. >> primarily the economy because a lot of people are out of work. and it's just easy to steal cattle. >> reporter: at auction, rustlers can get full price for a stolen cow. off $1,000 a head. the buyer has no clue he just bought from a thief. special rangers watch for anything suspicious. >> had a case a couple years ago. a guy showed up in a exact. opened the trunk and pulled out two kids. that's kind of a clue they were stolen >> we're going to force them to cut the fence. we're patrolling the fences two and three times a day and every night. >> reporter: ted allen says he's prepared to do even more. >> i guard my stuff with smith & wesson.

>> ted allen had spent nearly every one of his 78 years on a ranch.ght cattle wrestling existed only in the westerns he loves to watch. then, they ripped off a dozen of his beloved cows in just the last year. >> oh, i couldn't believe anybody would steal a cow. it didn't make sense to me. but when you can't find them, and they can't fly, somebody has them. >>i turns out there's a -- it turn out there a's a lot of somebodies. in texas alone, more than 6,000 head of cattle were stolen last year. that's triple the number from the year before. and in 2009, it's set to break records in ranching states across the west. >> i don't think it's good people out there stealing for their children to eat. i think it's hoodlums taking advantage of easy money. >> that may be true, but the special rangers assigned to catch cattle wrestlers says it has everything to do with the investigation. >> it's here to stay. a lot of people are out of work. i think thieves have figured out it's good money. >> and veteran cowboys say they can do it in a matter of minutes, armed wi

. >> reporter: rancher ted allen thought he'd seen it all. >> come on, girls! don't be bashful!reporter: then his cows started disappearing. >> when you can't find them and they can't fly, somebody had to help them. >> reporter: he's lost a dozen in the last year. now he counts them every day. >> 15, 30. >> reporter: jeff emerson counts, too. cattle rustlers stole nearly $100,000 of his livestock. >> over a 90-day time period 30, give or take two or three. >> reporter: last year more than 6,000 head of cattle were stolen in texas and oklahoma. that's triple the year before. >> primarily the economy. because a lot of people are out of work and it's just easy to steal cattle. >> reporter: at auction rustlers can get full price for a stolen cow, often a thousand dollars a head. the beyer has no clue he just bought from a thief. special rangers watch for anything suspicious. >> had a case a couple years ago a guy showed up in a subcontract, opened the trunk and pulled out two calfs. it's kind of a clue they were stolen. >> reporter: it wasn't so long ago a rancher would never worry

. >> reporter: ted allen says he's prepared to do even more. >> guard myself with a smith and wesson. man would hate to shoot somebody over a lousy cow but i probably would. and i hit what i shoot at. >> reporter: ranchers forced to defend themselves from a crime they thought existed only in old westerns. ryan owens, abc news, bixby, oklahoma. >>> and there will be more of ryan owens reporting on modern day ig tonht ongon tht on "nightline." ahead on "world news" he gave new life to a fellow american. ever worn your clothes in the shower? if you're using other moisturizing body washes, you might as well be. you see, their moisturizer sits on top of skin, almost as ify 're we. only new dove deep moisture has nutriummoisture, a breakthrough formula with natural moisturizers... that can nourish deep down. it's the most effective natural nourishment ever. new dove deep moisture with nutriummoisture. su npeoralriururato nishment for your skin. not playing with the kids? not on these legs. poor leg circulation. doctor says it's p.a.d. peripheral artery disease? hmmm. more than doubles your

the procession wound its way through boston, at sites special to ted kennedy, people told us why he was special to them. for martin allen, it was help with immigrants. >> he doesn't know me. but you know, he's not aware what he's done for me, but it's something i feel, i want to be here to see. >> he wrote my wife a 10-page letter, handwritten. by him. signed. >> reporter: for others, it was the kennedy family. >> they've been through so much. you know? he's the last one to go. >> reporter: or something as simple as the senator remembering a birthday for a 100-year-old grandmother. >> unbelievable. the guy was first class. to this day my grandma still talks about that party. >> reporter: what do you have to say to ted kennedy? >> good-bye. and i'm glad you're with your family. >> senator kennedy, thank you very much for all that you've done and all that you want to . >> he's done a lot for me. this is our little way of saying thank you. >> reporter: saying "thank you." that's why they were cheering. it really was astounding. almost everyone you talked to in the crowd could tell you a story about how ted kennedy directly

the president spoke today about ted kennedy's life and legacy. let's bring in nbc's ron allenmartha's vineyard where the president has been vacationing. tell us about what the president had to say, ron. >> good morning to you, ed. yes, the president spoke with mrs. kennedy early in the morning around 2:30 after word at 2:00 am of the senator's passing. before he arrived, there was speculation the president might stop off in hyannisport to visit his ailing friend but that was not meant to be. today the president is at a private beach spending time with the first lady and two daughters. he came out earlier today and delivered a heartfelt speech and remarks about senator kennedy. here is a passage where he talked about the senator that was ted kennedy. he passionately could battle others and do so purelessly on the senate floor for the causes that he held dear and, yet, still maintain warm friendships across party lines. and that is one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished americans ever to serve our democracy. >> th

allen simpson. senator simpson, thank you for joining us from your wonderful reman tick trip to europe with annie, your wife. what do you want to say about ted kennedy, your old pal? >> well, chris, it's nice of you to call because ann and i feel very sorrowful we can't get back. we're on a cruise. it's our 55th wedding anniversary. we planned it for about a year. let me tell you, ted kennedy was a dear friend of mine. you don't have to agree with him, didn't have to judge him. we had a lot of fun together and we did a lot of work together because he was a master legislator. he believed in the 80/20 rule. if you can't get everything, get 80%. let the other 20% go over the hill and let them fight over that, but we had some wonderful times, and i grieve, i really do because -- and i think you know me well enough to know how much i cared about him. i kept sending him marvelous notes and messages filled with earthy commentary and he loved it. i know he did because vicki would wrote and say he just threw his head back and laughed. anyway, i shall miss him. >> you were lucky, not lucky, i was lucky to be your guest out there a couple weeks ago. i

allen wronowski. from the legends of indiana golf club, the secretary of the pga of america, ted bishop.st tracks golf course in bend, oregon, brian whitcomb. and finally from pga of america adquarters in palm beach gardens, florida, the chief executive officer of the pga of america joe strenkna. and to my left, once again the winner of the 2009 pga championship, y.e. yang. and to his left the low pga club professional this week. jim, i know you have a presentation to make. >> i know there are thousands and thousands of pga professionals who arvery proud of you today. congratulations on an outstanding performance this week and the low professional of 91st pga championship. congratulations. >> jim tis time to ridiculous nies our champion. >> y.e., 90 times this trophy has been hoisted. this is the 9 st edition. you had an outstanding performance this week. on behalf of 28,000 pga members from all across this country, i want to concongratulate you on winning the 91st pga championship. congratulations. >> a victory that will resonate around the world. and that by the way is the heaviest tro

allen lichtman joins the conversation, a presidential histori historian. we were discussing tedkennedy's role not only in his own career but what he represents in the torch that he was carrying on behalf of the brothers that fell before him and in the torch that he wasn't carrying on behalf of those who aspired to the value system they believe he represented. put his death in the context of his brothers and the political values that ted kennedy fought for. >> this is very important, because there is real substance behind the so-called kennedy mystique. what the kennedys truly represented was, of course, children of great privilege who could have lived a life of ease, who, instead, dedicated themselves to uplifting the less privileged, to providing opportunities for those who are struggling in this country, and for inspiring people to no blur ideals beyond the day-to-day toil of their lives. we tend to forget that there is such noble idealism in this era of politics, of big money, special interests, lobbying, politics of lives and destruction. there are higher values that we can

ted kennedy. these live pictures of boston as people have said their final farewells and they pass through the jfk library and museum. and joining us now jonathan allenor coming in. your memories go pretty deep, to when you were a child. >> right. i first met senator kennedy in 11, at hyannis port. and my mother covered his presidential campaign and so he was somebody i was introduced to early. he remember that meeting a lot better i'm sure than he had. though i did get to show him a picture of it, this picture you're looking at it later on. >> and what was it about that, that made you remember. >> as kids we meet a lot of people and a lot of times things don't stick in our mind. what was it about this that did? >> it's early momories with people there like my parents talking about it. but the kennedy were a big part of american life now and then and only a dozen years after bobby kennedywas shot. and so this was a huge larger than life person. not just physically, but he was a figure so well-known and somebody part of the national consciousness it was hard not to meet him and have a strong memory that that happened. >> and this photo, more recently,