( CNN ) -- Like in a scene from an apocalyptic parable , dark carcasses of cows and steers lie motionless in silent clusters across swaths of South Dakota . An early blizzard caught ranchers off guard this week in the state , killing as many as 20,000 head of cattle , a state official says . But ranchers say they are the real victims . The storm left many of them in ruins , and now Washington is leaving them out in the cold . `` With the government shutdown and no farm bill in place , we need South Dakotans to help their neighbors , '' Gov . Dennis Daugaard said . This year 's federal farm legislation got hung up in Congress before the shutdown . There 's no money to help the ranchers , and Daugaard is asking for donations . 5 crazy side effects from the shutdown . Carcass fields . South Dakota 's civil air patrol did flyovers to take pictures of whole herds that keeled over together , dotting the gaping , snow-covered flatlands with big , black blotches . Ranchers who thought they were doing the right thing were blindsided , said state veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven . Now they are dazed by their losses . `` The smart thing to do this time of year is to have cows and calf off to pasture , '' he said . `` Then the storm blew in . We 've never seen anything quite like this . '' Oedekoven says he may never know the total number of livestock killed . South Dakota has asked ranchers to make lists of the animals they lost to help with the tally . `` It will be two weeks to a month before we have a better idea of the impact , '' Oedekoven said . Pentagon strikes deal with charity to pay military death benefits . Trouble ahead . Only 2,000 have been confirmed dead so far , but crews are out removing more dead cattle blocking roads , where they fell over in their tracks . The state has told drivers to watch out . `` Motorists must be aware that livestock carcasses or stray livestock may be present on or along the roadways at any time , '' the emergency management agency said in a statement . Herds of livestock still alive are wandering aimlessly far from home . `` We have misplaced cattle everywhere , '' Oedekoven said . `` The storm blew them 10 miles or more from where they are normally pastured . '' The blizzard did n't necessarily dole out fate justly , rewarding the prudent and punishing the lax , he said . `` Some people were very well prepared and lost 50 % of their herd . Some were not prepared and took no losses . There was no rhyme or reason to it . Some ranchers lost everything . '' The state has issued ranchers a final , grim and expensive chore to take care of on top of their losses . They must dispose of the carcasses quickly , before they rot , and in accordance with regulations . The ranchers can pay a factory to render them . Or they can burn them themselves , or dig large pits at least four feet deep and bury them by the hundreds .
South Dakota 's state veterinarian believes up to 20,000 cattle died in a blizzard . The cold snap caught ranchers by surprise . This year 's farm bill is hung up in Congress . Score: 6