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Aren't they a bugger! when you encounter them on the trail.
They're always curious and come over for a nosey and they can be quite intimidating in large numbers, especially when they don't have any udders! lol.
I know the advice is approach slowly and generally they'll move out of the way, albeit slowly sometimes. but they don't always.
Last week I was out on a hike, the trail went up a steep hillside and I summited the grassy bank to be confronted by a large group of young black bulls. Every single one of them turned to look at me, menacingly! I'm not normally one to get scared of cows but I shit myself, there must have been about 30 of the **** ers. Then they started walking slowly towards me, 'SHIT' I thought I didn't tell the wife what route I was taking, so I whipped my phone out to Whatsapp her my route (in case I was murdered by a gang of marauding bovines and they'll know where to look for my trampled corpse) before deciding what to do!
I could see the stile in the fence just beyond the group and looking to the field beyond it appeared to contain only sheep!
The cows seemed to be growing restless and started butting each other in the head in play which only served to add to my dismay as I pictured them goring my stomach. Inspiration came to me from Withnail and I ran at them shouting.
It worked and the large group split into two, one group ran off down the hill and the other to the left, leaving the way across to the stile free of beasts.
As I climbed over the stile and carried on my way the group nearest just started running up and down along the fence all together in a herd, looking at me threateningly. They were fast and their noisy hooves clattering on the ground, they were crazed! Convinced they were going to charge or jump the fence I started running for the next stile, checking it wasn't gonna take me back into the same field, it wasn't. Looking back as I reached the next stile they were still running up and down the field crazed with their human bloodlust.
So, If you're ever in Abergynolwyn and walking in the hill above Castell Y Bere just watch out!
Anyway, that's killed 30 mins at work. Anyone else got any amusing near death bovine experiences?
Sounds like Bullocks not cows - they are a particularly odd mix of curious, stupid and bored!
We deserve it
Mate of mine doesn't seem to have any fear of them at all and will just ride past or around them and they don't seem to bother at all. I follow behind crapping myself thinking each one is planning my death. Even on a climb or trail if one is stood in the way he'll approach making some noise and even give it a firm pat or push from the rear if it is stubborn and hasn't moved and so far none have kicked back or protested in any way, just nonchalantly sauntered on out of the way.
I think they smell fear.
"Just say hi".
Cows are bastards. The sooner we realise this the better. They hate me and I don’t even eat them. Friends and family used to think I was being dramatic until I showed them.
Made Mrs F and a couple of friends walk past a field full of them. They didn’t even look up. I tried and it and received cold, dead eyed bovine stares that would turn Medusa in to stone
**** cows.
I don't mind cows at all but don't like the unpredictability of sheep.
Riding the SDW last weekend I passed many cows but sheep are without a doubt some of the daftest creatures you will ever meet.
As I approach them I'll be singing or whistling to give them a "heads up" yet they still only realise I am there at the last second and dart off in a completely random direction.
That said,I don't ride past any creatures at a lick as I have an aversion to hurting animals even if they are destined for the cooking pot.
Much prefer sheep to walkers. Move pretty predictably once you get the knack.
It's the cattle with the udders you have to worry about, especially if they have calves. Turned back on my local loop last week because a herd with calves seemed a bit spooked.
Op found some bullocks. Will run away if you turn around and advance on them.
Cows can be dangerous, but usually only when they have calves with them and dogs are around. A few years ago there was a spate of attacks around here where walkers had been very seriously injured.
Cows don't usually worry me, I have been around them all my life but,.... Afew years ago I was riding fast down a hill towards a herd of cows. I had been enjoying myself and was in a silly mood so put my head down and shouted MOO as I hurtled towards them. Anyway, one of them must have taken offence and put it's head down, shouted MOO and started charging towards me. I shat myself, quickly changed direction and got away fine... The moral of the story is, don't be a dick around cows.
Much prefer sheep to walkers.
Especially the ones with a small dog on a retractable lead.
OP you have proper horror writing skills.
Please write a book about about your countryside scares.
No problems with cows or bulls, just as well as my house is surrounded by farmland and I have to ride through the herd most times I go out. The bulls are kept the cows here and are softies. It's Jacobs sheep you want to look out for. Even Satan takes cover from those bu**ers.
Sheep aren't unpredictable. I know exactly what they'll do: run down the trail in front of me for miles. Especially when pregnant and I don't want to worry them. If I stop, they just stop ahead of me and start eating grass on the spot. If I carry on, they keep running.
I've encountered cows plenty times when out riding - no problem in daylight, but when you're bimbling along in the dark, particularly uphill, lights on low to preserve power and suddenly you're inches away from a reclining ruminant who has no intention of moving. Add copious overnight dew and excrement and you'll get a odorous coating too! I once 'freed' a couple of women walkers on the SDW at Devil's Dyke trapped by cattle around the gate.
We have loads of free-reign cattle on our local heathland areas - usually young heifers and bullocks, pretty docile and mainly curious. They sometimes congregate by gates / exit points and need to gently 'shove' them out the way. However, when walking with the dogs we'll avoid any fields with cows having had to 'sprint' too many times to avoid marauding bovines - I try to convince my wife they're chasing the dogs when she's the one at the back!
Chilled cows during Trans Provence
Teacher: Johnny, what are these animals called?
Johnny: F*#kers miss.
Teacher: No Johnny, why do you say that?
Johnny: Me dad calls 'em effers, but I know what he means.
You need to watch out for cows with guns
That link Jekkyl posted just confirms my fears. I’ll happily ride near sheep, goats, horses, deer, anything but cows. Massive, powerful, stupid and really don’t like me.
Perhaps I resemble a particularly cruel (yet dashing) cattle farmer who’s image has been passed down through some kind of mass bovine genetic memory. That or they resent me for not eating their brethren.
Either way, bunch of ****s.
I was out walking recently with my wife and 3 little Lardons. We encountered a few cows in a field with a bridalway crossing it. The cows very quickly started to walk, then canter towards us. My wife was very wary and the little people took shelter behind her.
I told them to go behind me and start walking the other way, then the lead cow came right up to me and tried to charge me. After jumping out the way, I shouted very loudly and ‘did a Withnail’ by waving and not backing down. It charged again and I jumped out the way.
By this time the family had crossed back over the style and were safe. I walked backwards facing the cow as it repeatedly came at me... only put off with loud shouting and waving of arms.
Not an experience I’d like to repeat.
For any Brighton locals, this was in the field directly to the west of the Devils Dyke car park- right before the disused fort thing. Avoid this when walking if there are still cows in there.
I’ve been taken out by a cow, I woke some up riding home from the pub and one ran into me. It was like being hit by a ton of beef with a thick skull and small horns at 15mph, luckily it didn’t stand on me as well.
I saw a bloke jump his bike over a cow once, he was riding dow the Chavanne red in Les Gets when the cow decided to walk across the trail. I was above on the lift. It was a very impressive piece of riding indeed.
I came flying down the campsite descent in Hayfield, in the dark, just entered the wooded section to meet a big docile Highland cow with huge horns, I sh*t myself, it wouldn't move and I thought I ain't pushing back up that hill! In the end it moved enough to let me past!
Another time we were out walking, wife, 2 kids and idiot dog Weimaraner we have, anyway, the cows thought it was a good time to follow us, I was at the back and said "RUN" nobody believed me until the cows were chasing us to the gate, all five cows ran into each other as we made it to the gate before them, we laugh now but it was pretty scary at the time.
This video was made by someone I went to uni with, cows are just curious, I grew up around them on farms, I am always a little wary bulls though, just don't trust them.
Had similar issue last month at the start of a walk from Patterdale. Field full of cows right on the path. Dog on lead, but herd of about dozen surrounded us and one charged for the dog. Had to kick it hard in the flank and scream before beating a hasty retreat and forced to make a diversion around the ****ers.
Hate cows.
“I told them to go behind me and start walking the other way, then the lead cow came right up to me and tried to charge me.”
Was that a cow or a bullock? Did it broadside before charging?
@chiefguru
Not sure if it was a cow or bullock: my concentration was not on its ‘bits’
It came straight at me, head down, then stopped just about 1m away when I stepped to the side and shouted.
This video was made by someone I went to uni with, cows are just curious,
Except they aren't cows, are they? That video is a good tutorial on how to deal with bullocks. I'd be perfectly happy with that load of softies, pissed off cows with calves can be a totally different proposition, particularly on busy trails where they may have been frequently encountering people with dogs on or off the lead. And while most will be fine, they should be treated with caution, particularly if you have a dog.
Even normally pretty docile breeds can become dangerous, as the recent episode at Baslow Edge shows. If anything, I'd be more wary of herds on busy paths where they come into contact with dog owners more regularly.
I told them to go behind me and start walking the other way, then the lead cow came right up to me and tried to charge me. After jumping out the way, I shouted very loudly and ‘did a Withnail’ by waving and not backing down. It charged again and I jumped out the way.
You told them to walk behind you, and then when the cow charged you you leapt out of the way? And presumably the person walking behind you then got cow-ed to death! 😉
I’m not following you across bovine occupied territory!
Hollow tongues, suck your brains out through your ears. Government know all about it.
Meh
I grew up on a dairy farm. When we were 10 or 12 me and my brother would play a game where we would go into a field with cows and get them to chase us. We found once they were running behind us if we stopped suddenly and turned round with a big shout they would stop dead and/or run away.
My dad had a few injuries though often from being kicked in the head while milking them.
Cows must’ve hardened up over the years. Or humans have got softer...
Seriously though as someone up there ^^^^ said they smell fear. If you are confident and make a lot of noise they will usually bugger off.