Dealing with cows!

[Asa Samuel]

So, me and SWMBO were out for a walk yesterday, and living in Cornwall it's pretty much impossible to get anywhere without going through some farmland (in fact, our house is surrounded by it!) and we were on a path which goes through a field full of cows. At first they were a little wary and started walking away from us, but then one of them started stamping (they were all bullocks) and then started coming over to us. We stopped and then the rest started coming over and we started back to the gate at which point they started running at us and we had to run the rest of the way back to the gate.
Even when we were through the gate they went right up to the wall and it seemed they were trying to get over the wall. This is the third time SWMBO has been chased by the same cows.

Luckily we knew the area well and so we made our way round a different path but it does make me wonder what would happen if we HAD to go through that field, if our car was on the other side or we didn't know any other way round.

How do you deal with cows like that? Have you had any experiences like ours?

Asa.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Just walk at them, they're only cows. They'll come right up close and stop just before they get within arms reach.

 

[Nagual]

Luckily I've never had any problems with cows or any animal when out, so not too sure what to say. Animals are generally attracted one way or another by either behaviour or scent, is it just your other half thats getting the attention or both of you? If it's tends to be her, then something must be highlighting her out to them for some reason. My first guess would be some form of pheromone, perhaps related to her monthly cycle, or perfume. Other than scent or behaviour I'm not sure what could be attracting them...


Cheers,

 

[Tricia]

I think it depends on how often the cows are handled. I lived on a small Orkney Isle where the cows in the fields were left for most of the year to their own devices, like ranch cows. As a result if anyone entered their fields they stampeded towards them at full tilt!
To show how chancy they were, the farmers themselves wouldn`t enter the fields without a couple of farmhands with them all bearing the obligatory lengths of alkathene pipe for self defense!
Having been in that situation, my advice is simple. Run. (I once went through a barbed wire fence when I saw one of the `cows` coming at me was a bull.

 

[Shewie]

More people get trampled to death by cows in the UK than get killed by bears in Canada each year.

Kind of makes you think doesn't it ?

Personally I don't trust them and always give them a wide berth, same with horses too.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Luckily I've never had any problems with cows or any animal when out, so not too sure what to say. Animals are generally attracted one way or another by either behaviour or scent, is it just your other half thats getting the attention or both of you? If it's tends to be her, then something must be highlighting her out to them for some reason. My first guess would be some form of pheromone, perhaps related to her monthly cycle, or perfume. Other than scent or behaviour I'm not sure what could be attracting them...


Cheers,

Another one is wearing clothes the same colour as the feed bags.

 

[Asa Samuel]

Going up to them isn't at option and it isn't just her, I've been down there on my own before and a similar thing has happened. They were really running at us and another time it happened to her she only just managed to jump over a gate before they got to her and they were right up to the gate, no sign of stopping.

Another time it happened we were together and we managed to scare them away with lots of shouting and waving of arms but this time the only place they could have run if we scared them was towards the other gate!

 

[silvergirl]

Bullocks are well bullocks, they are nosey teenagers basically and will follow (charge) but usually stop before they get too close. But it may not be worth risking. They usually have learnt to associated humunas with food.

Cows with calves however are a different kettle of fish and are MUCH more dangerous than bulls. More people are killed by cows than bulls. Keep out of any feild with cows and calves.

Generally, I keep to the edge of any field with livestock in and make sure I can jump the fence in an emergency.

 

[Tengu]

I ignore them, they just want to come and have a look at you.

Cows are very curious creatures.

they will step aside if you approach them.

(dont go near calves though)

 

[shaggystu]

the cows belong to someone, if they're causing a genuine problem i.e. blocking a footpath, then that someone has to deal with them.

if you don't mind being laughed at you could always ask said owner how they deal with their cows, they might help you out but if they're a farmer then they'll be busy at work so don't be overly surprised if you just get sent on your way.

i spent most of my childhood playing around the farm where my dad worked so got used to cows when they were much bigger than me, i was lucky, when you're small and your dad's holding your hand nothing much is too big or scarey to deal with. it wasn't until many years later that i was camping in edale with an old girlfriend that i realised how terrifying livestock can be if your not familiar with them. she was from reading and had never seen an animal bigger than dog outside of a zoo, absolutely terrified of half a dozen very friendly highland cattle who just wanted to know why we were walking through their field. i'd seen the cattle coming over to say hello so headed of towards them with a big smile and a good loud "helloooo coooos" and was already having a kiss and a cuddle with the cattle (i'm from derbyshire, we're wierd), before i noticed poor girlfriend frozen to the ground and starting to sob very quietly. of course the cows noticed the quietly sobbing nervous wreck and, being the friendly caring creatures they are, instantly went to see what was wrong with her. i spent the next half an hour standing in the middle of a field trying to do the big manly thing and "protect me from those evil creatures", the cows of course thought that this was a great game and came and leant against us, after a little while everything became a lot more relaxed, girlfriend realized that the cows were not only curious they were obviously quite intelligent as well and that they were quite clearly being much more carefull around the delicate little creatures in the middle of the group than they were with each other. she was feeling much more relaxed about the whole livestock situation and i was thinking that she may get over her fear pretty quickly, all good stuff until a few hours later when we stopped for lunch by kinder downfall. it was a beautifull easter weekend,the sun was shining a couple of days of hillwalking had quickly caught up with us so lunch was followed by the obligitary nap. i was woken by a scream which i soon dicovered had emenated from the aforementioned old girlfriend, i uttered the now legendary phrase "what the ***K!?" only to be informed that "a sheep was looking hungrily at us", all in all a good day in the peak!

so, to re-cap. coooos - kiss and a cuddle
sheeps - just roll over and go to sleep

cheers

stuart

 

[Ogri the trog]

I can only add more of the same advice from Mid Wales too,
Boisterous teenagers or inquisitive children is about as apt a description as you'll get. They can be scared off by waving and shouting (high pitch seems to work best) but the difference between waving to attract attention and waving to scare them off is only known to that herd at that time. Nothing will work universally unless you have dedicated equipment to hand. Tactics for scaring might not work with the same herd on a different day nor a different herd on the same day.

So I can only advise you to take great care and be prepared to run for it!

Incidentally a local farm hand once inadvertently managed to seperate a heffer from her calf - the heffer jumped clean over a shoulder high stone wall and in her frantic searching, crushed the workers hand against a gate nearly severing his thumb. It was the one and only time I've seen the guy scared, as he is otherwise a huge and very strong bloke! Tales of killer cows are not taken lightly hereabouts!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[British Red]

Dogs can be a real problem with cows - particularly if they have calves. They trigger the herd protection instinct. I wouldn't be overly nervous of the bullocks, normally they "mock charge" as stated above. Stand your ground, wave your arms and they'll probably naff off. Or trample you. One or the other

 

[locum76]

I ignore them, they just want to come and have a look at you.

Cows are very curious creatures.

they will step aside if you approach them.

(dont go near calves though)

Thats pretty much it, the faster you run from them the faster they will run, its like a game to them. If you turn around and assert yourself they will stop.

Don't forget that cows are mindbogglingly stupid.

 

[Tricia]

sheeps - just roll over and go to sleep

I used to have a caddy lamb that I let grow past butchering age for the yearly shearing of wool.
He got to be the size of (imo) a small heavy kitchen table! I also had a full grown billygoat. The pair hated each other. One day sheep (I only ever called him that, don`t usually name beasts aside from dogs) got off the tether/tractor tyre and in beside the billy. Billy charged and hit sheep. Sheep stood his ground, then it was his turn. He charged and billy ended up on the deck, winded, unable to get up for a good ten minutes. I thought he was a goner!
In the end, billy was alright but terrified of sheep (all sheep!) after that, a steep learning curve.
Sheep also once took off like a bat outta hell once whilst my hand was tangled in his tether, dislocated my thumb and knocked me flat on me ar..um, backside.
Sheep can be vicious too....
On a serious note, I think it pays to remember all domestic livestock can`t always be trusted and they usually all come with a minor arsenal of natural `weaponry` in the shape of horns, hooves, teeth or hard bony heads.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I used to have a caddy lamb that I let grow past butchering age for the yearly shearing of wool.
He got to be the size of (imo) a small heavy kitchen table! I also had a full grown billygoat. The pair hated each other. One day sheep (I only ever called him that, don`t usually name beasts aside from dogs) got off the tether/tractor tyre and in beside the billy. Billy charged and hit sheep. Sheep stood his ground, then it was his turn. He charged and billy ended up on the deck, winded, unable to get up for a good ten minutes. I thought he was a goner!
In the end, billy was alright but terrified of sheep (all sheep!) after that, a steep learning curve.
Sheep also once took off like a bat outta hell once whilst my hand was tangled in his tether, dislocated my thumb and knocked me flat on me ar..um, backside.
Sheep can be vicious too....
On a serious note, I think it pays to remember all domestic livestock can`t always be trusted and they usually all come with a minor arsenal of natural `weaponry` in the shape of horns, hooves, teeth or hard bony heads.

Ha ha, great story.
The only problem I have with big animals is a horse on one of my ferreting permissions. It sneaks up and keeps trying to bite me.
One time I was leaning into the hedge setting some nets and it bit me on the rear, ouch!

 

[tobes01]

This is what happens when you take a ton of meat and give it a brain that's as effective as the average duck's.

 

[ArkAngel]

Most of the cows on our farm are fairly ok, but they do have a tendency to charge occasionaly. Mostly they run up and either stop just behind you or if i bottle it and turn round with a good loud "Go Away!" (or words to that effect) and they stop dead in their tracks.

Sometimes they are just curious and they will do it all the way accross the field which is annoying,nothing more.

However if you feel threatened then get out of there as fast as possible.

The odd bop on the nose with a rifle butt can also have the desired effect when it happens in the dark!

 

[superc0ntra]

Unless it's one of these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMbXvn2RNI

 

[dean4442]

I once went shooting with a big strapping six foot plus friend , now my friend had stood up to bullies for me as I was just about five foot and seven stone if soaking wet and carrying some bricks! We happened to pass through a field containing a bunch of cattle, as we moved into the field the cattle thought that we looked like walking feed bags and ran over to take a look. My big strong mate was nearly climbing onto my shoulders to escape whilst I just waited until the coos stopped and shouted BOO to get them to move!
As people have said they're mostly just coming to have a look and see if you're going to feed them.
Colin

 

[Ogri the trog]

This is what happens when you take a ton of meat and give it a brain that's as effective as the average duck's.

This sentence needs to be filed away in the "Smart things to say when the opportunity arises!" cortex!

ATB

Ogri the trog