Advice on cows

Did you have a dog with you? That can cause them to charge.

Or it's young cows, usually bullocks, and they're really curious. Think bovine teen-agers. They're pretty harmless though, you just have to keep shooing them away.

They thought you were an Ermintruder

I had that whilst exploring a new trail ony bike that went across a field. I knew they were curious not agressive but could still easily have caused some damage. I rode straight down the hill towards a fence, tossed my bike over then jumped after it.

I was careful when someone told me there was an aggressive bull in a field ahead, but it turned out that was just a nasty ruminant.

Best to gently make cows aware of your presence - not sure what the bovine equivalent of "mint sauce" is so I usually just go with "hello cows!".

If you don't spot them and then they come up to you, talk to them like a farmer would and don't make any sudden movements, just progress through the field as you originally intended.

If they're full on galloping at you then yeah, just get out the way...!

They were probably hungry but it's unlikely they wanted to eat you!

There's an article on cows in the countryside in yesterday's Sunday Times magazine although haven't yet read it.  Will report back when I have.

Young bulls (you probably might not want to clarify if it's a bullock) are inquisitive, as IHN says.  It can be quite unnerving but rarely a problem.

As kennyp says, having a dog can often make it seem worse, but again in my experience isn't often a problem.

You did the right thing in heading to the hedge, I find the best approach is to try to remain confident and walk at a quick but not fast pace.  Throwing in a "Hyahhh" and clapping your hands loudly can sometimes help.

Just don't wear red....

Talk to them, loudly ,confidently and calmly, I usually ask if they would prefer horseradish or mustard when the time comes...

Likely just being very curious. You did the correct thing in not running, just stay calm and keep walking. They would have stopped as they approached you. Probably 🤣

They're bored and you will have appeared interesting to them.

Thanks all, no dog. They were definitely full on galloping but I couldn't get out of they way as they were coming straight at me. Think they were younger but most were definitely full grown

Be more observant on your hikes. If they were running towards you then they could see you, therefore you should have seen them. It is unlikely the nano second they saw you that they began to run. Had you observed that there were 30 cows looking at you then you could have changed plans. People are killed every year by stampeding cows, best method is to put extra time on your hikes and avoid.

They were definitely full on galloping but I couldn’t get out of they way as they were coming straight at me.

I'd guess they were cantering cos a cow at full gallop can outrun a horse and you'd really know about that!
Head up and they're likely just cantering over for a closer look, they'll stop a few metres from you and sort of stare. Head down and they're charging and they probably won't be stopping!

Face them, be loud, clap, make hands wide. If you have (or can get hold of) a stick / walking pole etc, that'll help and if things really get bad, smack it on the nose.

I was out on the gravel bike the other night, stopped to take a photo across a field and all the cows in it came cantering up. I wasn't bothered cos I was the other side of the gate! They were just being curious - one was actually quite tame but the rest stayed just out of arms reach.

It's a tough call,but the best thing to do in a situation like this is,choose the hardest looking one,sprint up and punch it hard in the nose,the rest will run away*

* don't really do this,it may end badly

Glad you escaped and no coos were harmed 😀

It's hard to tell sometimes - first thing I do is identify the gender - if it's young lads, shouldn't be any bother. If there are any females/calves, I go for the nearest exit. The breed can make a big difference. Dairy cows are the worst.

I doubt you did anything wrong. If it's a busy footpath, it's possible that the previous crosser(s) of the field had spooked them, normally with a dog, or they are generally sensitised and stressed out by too much contact with walkers with dogs over time (eg the path along the top of Curbar in Derbyshire).

One thing to worry about is cows remain head up until the last moment when keen on violence. Bulls will be head down from a longer distance away which is why Spain has bull rings not cow rings.

Run at them shouting?

I’d guess they were cantering cos a cow at full gallop can outrun a horse and you’d really know about that!

Is that a really small horse and a really large cow? Because none of my cows can outrun any of my horses 😀

Did anyone hear the report about the same issue on Radio 4 this afternoon?  Bloody terrifying. It was a woman who had lived on a farm for years who got attacked, so seemed to know how to behave around them.

32 people killed in the UK since 2018 if I caught the statistic right. That's got to make them the most dangerous animal in the UK!

Run at them shouting?

You first 😃

I believe the correct parlance with which to engage and deter over familiar bovines is "HEEEYYYYARRRRGEDDDDONNYEEERRRRBUGGERYEERRRR"

Agree with the above, if they're coming towards you, wave arms, shout etc. Cush cush is my usual words.

If you're just passing cows, having given them a wide berth, don't continually stare or look directly at them, as that is interpreted as predator behaviour. Sideways glances to keep aware of them, walk on past as fast as.

I believe the correct parlance with which to engage and deter over familiar bovines is “HEEEYYYYARRRRGEDDDDONNYEEERRRRBUGGERYEERRRR”

This is the way.

If you have a dog, let it go.

Although that doesn't help if it then hides between your legs.

Wave your arms and shout "gercha!".

I have a PhD in cows and I give them a wide berth at every opportunity.

Every year youngsters have to be rescued from the local river (the tidal Forth). They are swimming on a shingle beach, realize the cows have come to say Hi, and then get stranded by the rising tide. Happy days.

not sure what the bovine equivalent of “mint sauce” is

Coleman, though you’d have thought it would be Colman like Colman’s Mustard.

I recently had the bizarre pleasure of filling in a near miss report at work having been chased around a tree by cows (part of my job involves survey work on farms). Work thought I was winding them up - there's been a bit of a 'report it' drive recently; dropped a copy of the Sunday Times Mag on the HR Managers desk this morning...

People are killed every year by stampeding cows,

Just find some stairs to go down.

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I usually go with loud epic poetry but if they are cantering then I resort to a quick Hi coo.

Be more observant on your hikes. If they were running towards you then they could see you, therefore you should have seen them

Maybe they did see them but were far away so not concerned.

  I couldn’t get out of they way as they were coming straight at me.

Herd of cows?

Of course I have, there's a flock chasing me

Maybe they did see them but were far away so not concerned.

That’s got to make them the most dangerous animal in the UK!

that’s my pop fact, think I heard it on the radio several years ago.

That’s why I’m in the “if there’s cows in that field, I’m oot” camp. Particularly dairies.

In the US more people are killed by cows than sharks. Pendants might point to location.
Broke the bars of an early MTB when throwing it over a gate escaping the cow confederacy that was chasing me.
If they have young they can be very frisky.

I usually go with loud epic poetry but if they are cantering then I resort to a quick Hi coo.

Make sure you keep count of the silly bulls.

Sounds like they were inquisitive and some group excitement took hold. Why are my mates running, I should run too...

Things to watch out for are: cows with calves, bulls, and galloping groups which could unintentionally run you over.

Farmers know their cows so they can trust them. As a member of the public encountering cows, you don't have that - they could be tame dairy cows that are used to being handled twice a day, or a group that's owned by a bad tempered arse that's always shouting at them and hitting them with sticks.

Always keep an eye out to spot cattle, and to spot a developing situation. Give them a wide berth and avoid surprising them - you want them to become aware of you before you come so close as to warrant them standing up or moving immediately, i.e. don't creep up by them quietly.

Don't try outrunning them on your eMTB either, they're faster.

I usually go with loud epic poetry but if they are cantering then I resort to a quick Hi coo.

Good advice above, younger ones are very curious but generally fine. Older ones might just think you have some food.

Be confident, a stick helps if they do get too close but most are very nervous and will leggit once you wave them away.

My cows can outrun me, no way they'd beat a horse.

They were just being curious – one was actually quite tame but the rest stayed just out of arms reach

Careful with that. Cows don't have arms.

That photo of them either side….. what did you do?
We have a good bridleway route we can do from home but one stretch (the only way) has cows on a riverbank….. if they’re in there we’re not continuing.

I did try one time riding towards slowly going HEEEYAAAAAA COW, the front cow just stood and looked at me. I’m sure I heard him mutter under his breath “ha this joker”

Anyway when it made no difference we turned around and made our ride longer!