Maybe it’s just me but I really don’t like cows. I know they could trample me to death if it took their fancy, and it’s probably part of their master plan to create a bovine paradise.
But riding in the Yorkshire Dales mean I can’t avoid them, often grazing on the path or blocking gates. What’s the best way to deal with them? Make lots of noise or keep quiet? Stay on the trail and state them straight in the eye or divert round them? Speed past or get off the bike and walk? Or should I just MTFU? I’m just worried some stupid cow might mistake the bike for a type of dog and get all aggro!

If they’re with calf I tend to give them a very wide berth. Backed off a load of highland cattle on a local BW the other day. Highlands are normally very docile, but this lot were giving me the evil eye so I legged it.

I always talk to any live stock I come across (on a solo ride).

Lets them know that you’re there and that you’re a person not some wierd machine out to kill them.

I *never* ride between calves and cows, though – always take detour around a group rather than ride through the middle of it.

Only once have I turned round when a narrow gully I ride down was chock-a-block with cattle.

Moo-ntain Kings?

Well these ones were all with calves so I was very cautious. Obviously I never go between a cow and calf but when the field narrowed to a walled lane blocked by cows I climbed the wall and walked round

Generally cows are totally harmless. As with all animals, don’t startle them, don’t stare them out & if they do have a calf nearby keep well away (like on the other side of the field). If they do start to run, man up & stand your ground. In theory they can’t see you if you’re motionless and will no longer see you as a threat.

If you have to get them to move out the way to get along a path, dismount, whistle gently to attract their attention & ask them to move (seriously): they deal with the farmer twice a day at milking and are usually well used to being shuffled along. Avoid their hind quarters as they can kick if frightened, but will rarely charge.

Obviously an “I say, you there in the black and white outfit, would you mind moving along?” isn’t going to do much, but a gentle “CUUSHH CUSHHH” normally works.

Was out the other night and foolishly went through a bridleway field with the sign Warning: Cattle with calves

Everything looked fine until the guy behind me shouted “we’re being chased by cows”. I turn to look and see about 5 or 6 (though at the time I swear there were hundreds) powering down this trail, gaining on us.

Needless to say I have never gone down a trail quicker in my life and discover one of my friends is very good at climbing trees.

Moo-nions?

You don’t have to outpedal cattle just be faster than your mate. Therefore the drill on being charged is to trip/shove your mate to the ground before you leg it.

S-moo-gasbords?

Conti Dairy Queens?

LOL Dairy Queens, quality mate 🙂

Fairly sure that the general large animal population has it in for me this year. Almost got knocked over by a deer last Wednesday, and had another deer run alongside me in the HTR400, I was waiting for it to jump in front of me. Also, sheep seem very unpredictable this year and will run across my path :-/

There’s moooo-sive risk when cows half calves around.

Tioga Farmer John’s?

Conti Dairy Queens?

😆

Seriously: Moo at them 😀

I do. I have fookin’ conversations with cows while mooing back and forth across a field. They moo back, I moo some more and before you know it, we’re friends. IME cows a amazingly inquisitive, but easily scared.

This paradoxical combination tends to make them a bit skittish. They want to get to know you, but are quite scared of you at the same time. But if you learn to read their body language and match yours to theirs (head nodding works well), you can get along just fine. I’ve had whole herds of cows running across fields to say hello. Like, totally running at me. Thirty cows.

They simply aren’t being aggressive, just excitable, as only a group of half-tonne quadrupeds can be. Never once have I been in danger, as they tend to stop rather rapidly once they get within 2 metres or so.

Loud noises, such as hand claps, work well to make them stop if you need to.

Source: 20 years of cow-whispering

Yeah.. I thought that sort of behaviour was probably a bit weird! 😐

But if you learn to read their body language and match yours to theirs

I find my shit dribbles dissapointingly out my shorts whereas their’s arcs about 3′.

Muddy Dairys (or should that be dairies??)

Gatorskins……everyone knows cattle are scared of alligators

😆

They are **** cows not sharks MTFU. No wonder this place goes into melt down over dogs if cows are seen as such a threat. Seriously they might run towards you looking for food but other than that they will not hurt you. Even cows with calves are not much of a threat as long as you don’t start trying to herd the calf away. They tend to not like dogs but unless your dog is old and arthritic it should be able to out run a cow.

Bulls on the other hand can be dangerous, beef bulls are usually more laid back whilst dairy bulls are more of a handful.

I actually got charged and stamped on by a small herd 10/12 young bullocks, two dogs in the far side of the field has wound them up and they charged me end up black and blue, worst bit was when kicked into the fence the barbed wire went down my finger, luckily got over the fence.

When I was in A&E two farmers came in asking what happened to one and all, I mentioned cows they laughed at me then one said do you remember the time when

you tried to shout at the cow and got tupped
do you remember when on kicked you

and so on for 10 mins till they agreed cows were on the whole quite nasty

living and riding in a rural area but a born and bred city lad I hate cows, wasn’t so long ago walkers have been trampled resulting in death.

My SO country born and bred was laughing at me in the lakes as I tokk the longest path around cows…my view in safe and kept the larger animal away from me!