SmithicAir

09/09/2025

We had a freak bolt of lightning destroy one of our pine trees. Thanks to our great neighbors for putting out the fire and helping me with communication with emergency services. Sad for our tree...
https://youtu.be/nLpDH5xrm1k?si=iQsq4k1kcj_xZuaW

08/22/2025

We had the opportunity to locate our first missing horse today in Wayne. 🐎 Unfortunately this feral horse is still on the run probably in St. Charles as a recovery was not made. Please don't chase and report all sightings! Thank you!
https://youtu.be/Vqw3PlPCD9Y?si=Oh94KO9ksLAQp-9Z

08/14/2025

Very happy to confirm that Smokey was successfully trapped early this morning. Linda from Lost Dogs Illinois and Kat from Dog Gone Pet Recovery were the heros besides Smokey's parents! Smokey got spooked (door shut on a paw) on 8/7 and Kat did a couple of quick searches and gave a ton of advice. SmithicAir did an exhaustive search on 8/8 with no success. Smokey's parents went out every night and listened to the advice from Kat and Linda. We went out again to search on 8/10 and found him, but we were not in a position to recover him and he was still moving around. We tracked him for a while to see his movements. Using that information, Linda placed a trap along side of Kamp K9. On 8/13 the owner placed her socks by the trap and Smokey stole her socks! He triggered the trap somehow and it had to be reset. After midnight the owner was notified that Smokey was in the trap! She rushed over and the owner of Kamp K9 helped bring Smokey into his business where he spent hours removing burs. Smokey is going to be checked out by the vet today but is expected to be just fine! Yay Team Smokey!
https://youtu.be/A68HUVHIcXM?si=C9X-RBSw-PGH9pMK

07/27/2025

Many of you may have seen or heard bits and pieces of this story on social media, WGN, Daily Herald, or The Chronicle. I thought it would be easiest to share it here with you, our most loyal farm supporters. I, Marc, am writing this story that means so much to me, but it really is a “we” as ther...

07/13/2025

The search for the cattle is over! The last two were wrangled this morning!

Check out the drone flight path from Mike Smith of SmithicAir

We have so many people to be thankful for returning all the cattle including Mike, Wes & Chet from 2B Wild Cattle Catching Service, Kane County Sheriff’s, Hazis Azemi, the Maple Park farmers who came to help, and the friends of Rustic Road.

You saved us. And we are forever grateful

Marc & Luis

07/13/2025

We had the opportunity to finish what was started by finding and then by helping 2B Wild Cattle Catching Services to locate and wrangle the last two missing Rustic Road Farm cows. I believe they have been on the run for around 10 days?!? Met some really good people during this process. Going to get some good sleep tonight!

Link to the real looooong video showing the search and recovery from the drone pilot's perspective from the last two days. (There is even some dash cam footage!) Too long but thought it was interesting so I included as much as I could to show just how hard Wes and Chet work. Really incredible...
Link: https://youtu.be/PKzVlnVFaxE?si=HkVRoWlr337C40fN

07/12/2025

Rustic Road Farm Cattle Search final update! (Though we will have some videos later.) Arrived on site at 4:30AM to meet Hazis and to discover that the cows had moved further north by the tracks and Howard. We met 2B Wild Cattle Catching Services and contacted the sheriff's office to set up on 38 in case we needed the road closed in the event that the cows headed that way. Chet and Wes riding Dollar and Allie (sorry Allie, I called you Aggie or something last time!) went to work and captured the white faced, larger red cow. We were then able to relocate the smaller cow and after a battery change all attention turned to the last cow! This cow would run all the way to 38 before turning east and then back north. At one point everyone ran past me in my car. In the end, the last two cows were recovered and returned to their home. Great work everyone!

07/11/2025

Rustic Road Farm lost cattle update! The two remaining lost cows are not "lost" anymore! We will need to refind them tomorrow morning so 2B Wild Cattle Catching Services can do their thing and hopefully have all the cows back home tomorrow. We need the cows to stay put overnight and not try to cross 38 again.

07/07/2025

Please help! Share!

Please help find them. The red one has white markings on its face. The second cow could be red or black.

Last seen by the cemetery on route 38 east of Wiltse’s Farm

07/05/2025

Long video from today. Check out our YouTube channel for days 1 and 2!
Thank you Rustic Road Farm and 2B Wild Cattle Catching Services !

32 heads of cattle escaped from the Rustic Road Farm and about 20 were captured. The remaining 12 would either wander back to the farm or be found using a th...

07/05/2025

Today's Rustic Road Farm Cattle Search report! First the bad news... We miscounted and started the day with 7 missing, not six like we thought. Hazis checked on the farm last night and found one cow strolling down the road around 9 PM. After a brief standoff, the cow ran back into the corn. When Hazis arrived at the farm this morning, he found three waiting to be let in. Great start! Four left to get! SmithicAir went to the air and found two laying down around 4:45 AM. We searched the rest of the area without any luck. Wes and Chet from 2B Wild Cattle Catching Services arrived with two horses (Angie and Willie?) and four tracking dogs. SmithicAir help guide them in and the chase was on. The cows split and each cowboy was on their own with the help of the dogs. Both cowboys captured their cows. After a drone picture of the herd, we have determined that there are two left. They could be anywhere but I'm guessing north west of Kaneland High School. Let us know if you see them! Video being edited. Have a great day everyone!

07/04/2025

Love this view of the search today.