PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. -- A Wauzeka man could face charges in the disappearance of nearly a dozen cows earlier this winter.

More than three months after the cows vanished from a Crawford County farm, the district attorney is considering theft charges against a neighbor, WISC-TV reported.

According to sheriff's officials, the neighbor allegedly cut off the ear tags of 11 cows that wandered to his farm instead of returning the animals to their rightful owner, Larry Stluka.

Ten of the cows are now back at Stluka’s farm, with the exception of a prize cow that Stluka claims was the best of the lot. Sheriff Jerry Moran said the neighbor claims that it died and was buried.

Stluka said on Friday that he's seen no proof the animal is dead.

"There’s something more to this story that hasn't came out," Stluka said.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether the animals actually belonged to Stluka. DNA testing might be the next step in the investigation, officials said.

Moran said the cattle wandered off in late November and ended up about a half-mile away, where they mixed in with about 60 cattle on another property.

Authorities said that the Wauzeka man said that he knew the cattle were Stluka's after speaking with him in November, but he denied knowing what had happened to them.

Moran said even though the neighbor didn't actually remove the cattle off the property, what he did still amounts to theft.

"His intent was to permanently deprive the owner of his animals," he said.

Moran estimated the cattle are worth more than $10,000, WISC-TV reported.

Stluka said the accused thief has been a "good neighbor" otherwise.

"Naturally, you hold it against him, but I still like the guy," he said.