[Closed] What to do when approaching cows

I always greet them with a cheery "hello ladies". I don't know why, force of habit I guess. Go slowly, don't get between a cow and her calf.

They're OK honest.

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Pretend to be a farmer. Say "hello" loudly and cheerily and continue on your way, assuming they'll get out of the way. Don't get yourself between a cow and its calf. And the ones with tits & horns tend to be the mellowest. Tits and no horns, or horns and no tits, requires a little more care

They usually move out of the way if you approach them. Maybe talk/make a noise as you pass.Not too loud though..... 🙂

Make sure you have hope pro 2 hubs.. My local cows are scared of the freewheel noise...
As soon as they here it they run..

I think cows are cool. Always have.

Like SOM says, just be calm, cheery and even chatty. I always look them in the eye, especially if any start getting a bit cocky - at which point I'll politely bur firmly ask her/them to back off.

Be more wary if walking with a dog. Don't let of the lead and where possible, steer out of their way.

I usually shout "Bonjour la vache" and then a cheery "Au revoir" as I pass them.

I usually shout "Bonjour la vache" and then a cheery "Au revoir" as I pass them.

Well I have to speak French to them, they'd never understand me here if I spoke to them in English

You can shout "Horseraddish" just as you do "mint sauce" to sheep

Cows are big animals and their primary defense is to stay put ! Best to find a way around.

@altaz I still don't understand the use of "la vache", I've used it a few times and it always seems to be in an inappropriate circumstance

Haha good answers. Atlaz, I've just come back from France was living there for 3 years in Antibes. Never spoken to a cow in French though.

I blow kisses unless there's a Bull in there, then I find another route 😉

Yep - they scare me. Most of them move but you always get one who thinks she's Charles Bronson. I just shout and they move. And I keep on going and don't stop 'til I'm over the stile.

Now bulls on the other hand...

...I wouldn't ride through a field of bulls.

Talk to them, they are used to that. if you need to be, be firm but not aggressive.
try not to look like a predator, head down moving quietly etc.
Horse, likewise, always talk to the horse 1st then the rider.
Horse riders will know what you are doing. Lines like "you're a beauty" have led to some healthy banter.

And I keep on going and don't stop 'til I'm over the stile.

as said above, talk to them

slow down, stop, stand your ground and hold your hand out for them to have a sniff while chatting away at them, then ride on slowly - if they start getting frisky, stop and repeat.

And the ones with tits & horns tend to be the mellowest. Tits and no horns, or horns and no tits, requires a little more care

What?

Shout at them to Moove?

The town moor in Newcastle is home to a very confident herd through most of summer. They do leave it to the last minute but if yu approach steadily and make some noise they eventually shift. Don't do anything to scare them unless you fancy being flattened.

You need to learn cumbrian farmer speak. WHich is basically a series of vaguely word like noises uttered as though you are gipping, about to sick. I've given you the basics below.

Giyip
Gayan
Yupyup
Geeeeearrrrr
Yowp
Nowan

....nearly forgot
Ush ush ush ush

Good it's not just me then who talks to the animals 🙂

I do it to dogs and squirrels as well as cats and a few weeks ago a few shire horses that I really didn't want to sneak up behind...

But if your riding a recumbent under no circumstances approach a horse it really phazes them out ... I sht you not..

Keep the green buoys on the right and pour yourself another snifter. Jenkins will tie up alongside when you get there.

I always moo. When meeting sheep Baaa. When meeting cats Meow. When meeting dogs woof...etc.

Well I've always just shouted "ha" or "h'up" as I approach them. Works fine for me....rare occasion they don't get out the way and I can't pass I've found clapping works.

Whatever you do, if it's horses, don't rustle a crisp packet....

They're generally pretty placid. They don't pay a lot of attention to you just strolling along past. I'm still pretty nervous around the things sometimes though. Just the sheer size of them, and when they panic, they move! Quite a few occasions I've stood and waited an inconvenient amount of time, wondering whether I should just stroll on through, knowing there's no escape routes if I do.

I always moo. When meeting sheep Baaa. When meeting cats Meow. When meeting dogs woof...etc.

Be more wary if walking with a dog. Don't let of the lead and where possible, steer out of their way.

Sorry, this is catastrophically dangerous advice.

If a herd of cows is running at you, let the dog off the lead straightaway. The cows are heeding their anti-predator instincts, and to them the dog is a wolf. If they have calves with them they will do all they can to trample and kill it.

You, on the other hand are a human, the same sort of thing that feeds and milks them, so not a threat. The dog can make its own way to safety faster than you can, and if you hang onto it they'll trample you as collateral damage.

rogermoore - Member
Rabbits?
RM.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Not this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J8NIZ5NkeXU

I seem to recall reading about at leat two walkers killed by cows recently (in Derbyshire).

I know one was killed recently walking a dog. Cows definitely don't like them and the normal advice is if one has a go, let the dog off the lead to fend for itself.

Do the cow dance............

Rabbits - a nibbling noise, with nose twitch.

I think it's safest to assume they're dangerous and to avoid routes with cows in if possible. On rare occasions they do kill or seriously injure people and it's a sh1te way to go - if you want to impress your pals by being killed by an animal then make it a crocodile or a mountain lion and not bloody Ermintrude.
Definitely be extra wary of cows with calves. Newcastle town moor is one of the few places I 'll regularly bike accross with cows in as I assume they're people tolerant and the farmers will be wary of litigation so pick the right breed/whatever.
Another issue is fields with cows in usually are rubbish to bike on as the trails are really chewed up by hoof prints.

That's OTT. I've walked and biked through many fields containing cows. If you act calmly and don't do anything sudden to spook them you'll be fine. Well, that's my experience so far!

Often hard to totally avoid cows. I just try not to startle them and no cow boobs = new route time!

This could be really bad advice but I have so far not been slaughtered by vengeful cows despite my love of almost raw steak.

I do try to avoid the M or H words near them

depends on the cows too - I'm more than happy to walk around my shooting permission on fields with a couple of British White bulls in, more wary with other breeds.

British Whites are OK eh?

Just to be clear, I was referring to the [url= http://www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk/ ]breed of cattle[/url], who are lovely and placid, rather than the EDL, who are not 😀

Be more wary if walking with a dog. Don't let of the lead and where possible, steer out of their way.
[b]Sorry, this is catastrophically dangerous advice.[/b]

I was referring to not letting the dog off the lead when walking through a cow field, not "do not let go of the lead if said bovine creatures start chasing you." Therefore, not catastrophic advice.

They are docile but scatty.
Last week one ran through the Land Rover door because a twig fell out a tree or something.
The day before the herd wouldn't budge after surrounding me as I tried to shift 2 tonne lumps of wood with the timber crane, not bothered by the grab flying over their heads or lumps of wood the same size as them nudging past.

Blue alkythene pipe to make them move.

Get back in the car and get ready to disembark?

Ah, sorry, I thought you meant [i]Cowes[/i]

as a former dairyman, can I offer this advice.

A bull is very sensitive in it's nose/septum. Hence why they have nose rings, and the phrase "to lead a bull by its nose". SO next time a bull is being aggressive, with its head down, drawing the ground, snorting etc, just amble up to him, bold as yerlike, and shove your fingers in his nostrils, pinch his septum and he'll be like putty in your hands.

How you let go of him safely however, I have no idea 😀

More sensibly....cows are luvverly. If theyre being a bit rowdy though, stand tall, take a step or two towards them and a few gibberish noises like thestabiliser says, will have you looking like a pro. And cows know not to mess about with pros.

Blue alkythene pipe to make them move

Worked on a dairy in taffland once where the herdsman took that approach. He was an arse. Herd was grumpy too. Tore my hands in the dairy with their kicking because he had them so badly tempered. Cows dont need their arse whipping.

Worse than sharks they arrrrr!

"mooove!" is one of my favourites.... or "BaaaaaAAAAA-BaaaaaAAAA!", but tends to confuse them. besides they are mostly German cows so i don't know if they understand "moooove" as well as English cows do.

Sorry, this is catastrophically dangerous advice.

If a herd of cows is running at you, let the dog off the lead straightaway. The cows are heeding their anti-predator instincts, and to them the dog is a wolf. If they have calves with them they will do all they can to trample and kill it.

You, on the other hand are a human, the same sort of thing that feeds and milks them, so not a threat. The dog can make its own way to safety faster than you can, and if you hang onto it they'll trample you as collateral damage.

Any advice when your dog has a cowardice gene for anything bigger than her, and on encountering such a beast (horse, bigger dog, sheep, you name it....) her instinct is run behind me and hide behind my legs.

Picking up the dog also works (no longer recognisable as a dog).

If I'm on my bike I'll chat to them in a soothing voice so they know I'm a human not a weird machine. Running through a field of bullocks at dusk is usually quite exciting for all concerned - sometimes I feel I have to stop and chat to calm things down a bit.

I always talk to livestock, including the two rather large bulls I came across in the Southern Sierra. I think it helps them realise you are a human and not some 2 wheeled monster.
The Lynx I saw however did make me jump. Didn't have a clue what to say to it either.

Let of fireworks and Chinese lanterns, they love it.

One of my local trails (Cumberland Brook near Macclesfield Forest) often has had a herd of black cows that seem to hang around on the trail, just before the interesting rocky bit. The first time I encountered them, I stopped for a minute wondering what to do, then 4 blokes on MTBs appeared and one was a farmer, so I rode through the cows with them. Since then I've encountered the same herd twice while riding alone, and I just say hello and ride very slowly through them. They don't back off though!

If I'm on a ride with friends I'm less brave and ask them not to leave me behind when there's cows about!