Nature's diary - October

[Tinkerbell]

I'm prompted to write this by Nightshade's thread re angling experiences - though mine relates to a walk.

My brother-in-law was visiting my husband and I about 8 years ago, when we decided to go for a walk. After a few miles through a variety of terrain, we had to enter a field containing cows. The herd was at the top edge of a hill and we kept well towards the bottom, following a nearby hawthorn hedge. Cows being cows they became more and more curious about their visitors and decided to saunter down towards us. The gate we were heading towards seemed to get further and further away. None of us actually commented on the progress of the cows, but it became obvious that we were all becoming more and more nervous - each of us eyeing up the possibility of flight through a gap in the hedge. No such opportunity presented itself, and eventually the cows were almost upon us. Panic set in. Our legs began to speed up - my brother-in-law being smaller than us - his little limbs having to do twice as much work. Men being men they were not going to let on that they were as anxious as me, but chivalry deserted them and they broke into a sprint, then flung themselves over the five bar with me struggling behind as the cows, having also gathered speed, caught up with us. Every man for himself!! It might have been October, but we were all boiling hot. Panting and roaring with laughter we were never so pleased to 'escape' and were creased up all the way home. My brother-in-law phoned his wife when we got back, only to be asked 'What have you been up to'? He burst out laughing and replied 'You'd never believe me, if I told you'. I still have a mental image of those two fleeing before me and it still makes me chuckle.

But - what should we have done in these circumstances. Is there a right/wrong way to behave when confronted with a herd of cows? That is, apart from avoid the field.

[John]

That happened to us a couple of years ago just south of the M4. I had been birdwatching with my missus on the Cotswolds water park. We had taken our dogs with us. The pager I carry announced a couple of Ring Ouzels not far away so of we went and once at the site parked up and ventured along a well used path towards a distant escarpment, where they had been reported. Not long after we started our walk the dogs started to get agitated and when we turned around a herd of Cows had entered the field near to the access point of the field. Cows do not make me nervous (no that isn't the man in me, they just don't) but Ros is different, bordering on paranoia. She freaked out so causing the dogs to panic. I tried to calm her down but to no avail and against my better judgement we started to run, and so did the cows. Like you we beat them to the gates but only just.

I have been in fields with many cows before and i just take no notice. I find that they are just curious and as long as you are careful they cause no probems. A bit different if there is a Bull in there though. lol

[henrya]

I remember when I was still at school, showing my mother some Wild Garlic, that I had found in a nearby field. We took some photographs, and when we had finished and turned round we were surrounded by a semicircle of cows. They just moved aside as we walked through them.

As John says, they are just curious, and move out of the way if you walk towards them. Don't, though, ever go near a cow that has a calf, particularly if you have a dog. Mothers, understandably, are very defensive!

henrya

[nightshade]

Ithink it depends what they are,young steers for instance will make short charges getting bolder until you could actually be knocked to the ground or as happened to my wife and I, despite being used to herding them for worming in the crush etc.,we were forced down a riverbank but were rescued by a farmhand who had seen what was going on
If someone has positive advice lets have it,otherwise avoid them, Iseem to recall a farmers wife butted to her knees then trampled to death