That sounds quite serious. Maybe they were spooked by the Thunder storm?Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
Whereabouts were the cows, was it the field at the top of Limb Valley just before Ringinglow?
All the best for a speedy recovery.
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That sounds quite serious. Maybe they were spooked by the Thunder storm?Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
Whereabouts were the cows, was it the field at the top of Limb Valley just before Ringinglow?
All the best for a speedy recovery.
Yes, Will, top field before Houndkirk Road. When we got there the cows were making a right racket, and people were warning runners that there had been a bovine incident. My wife and daughter witnessed the attack and said it was very frightening; she was seriously concerned for Simon's welfare. Very glad to hear he is on the mend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by richardbembridge
Out of curiosity, were there calves with the cows? that can make them more aggressive.
That's serious. He's lucky to escape with his life.
Get well soon, Simon.
Indeed, I meant to mention this. I think the general public don't realise just how dangerous cows are when they have calves with them. Each year a handful of people are killed, and many are seriously injured, by cattle.Quote:
Originally Posted by alwaysinjured
My colleague at work, for example, has a friend whose father was killed protecting his son from cattle - at this time of year, i.e. when they had calves with them.
I think that some form of awareness campaign is needed to warn people of the dangers. You should never place yourself between a cow and its calf.
Ah but we were running faster....;) we tried to go round them rather than through them and I made calming noises but they still got excited.Quote:
Originally Posted by Darth of The Dark Side
like 'there there daisy, Ian's not going to hurt you'?Quote:
Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
And it's not just the ones with calves. I was chased by 30-40 bullocks last week. They were probably more curious than aggressive but 40 x 1/2 ton of curisosity chasing after you is no laughing matter. There's no guarantee they can stop before bowling you over, even if they intend to. Thankfully I got a low fence between them and me and gained some distance before they rounded the hedge. But this was all in fields with public footpaths running through them. It's making running to work (through the same fields) a slightly nervy experience a the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by alwaysinjured
You make calming noises! That I (and I dare say most of DPFR) would love to hear! You haven't a calming noise in your whole body :)Quote:
Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
I popped in to see Simon at about 2pm today, but he was in surgery. Latest news I have is that he's had plates inserted to support several broken ribs. Apparently he was butted / tossed then trampled. Poor lad, I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.
Poor chap - I hope he makes a good recovery. Having been chased by cattle twice whilst out running it is pretty frightening. Do we know what the farmer thinks about what has happened?Quote:
Originally Posted by Darth of The Dark Side
Received this from Farmer, Runner,Cyclist John Carr....
Cows. They are primarily scared of wolves and all other animals that prey on cattle. Dairy cattle are very friendly, how ever the bulls are not. Black and white and jersey bulls are very playful/deadly. Never be inbetween the line of sight of a bull and his cows. Beef cattle can still be as aggressive but the majority of the time they are calm, friendly beasts. However never do you turn your back on a bull within 100m of them. On a whole they are curious of you. If you have a dog then that is the target of their threat. Don't what ever you do if cornered by a cow hold on to your dog they will trample you and the dog , except they dog will run off and you get mauled.
I have been around cows most of my life. My own herd and most other cattle I meet have no issue with me, if anything they pretty much all want to come over and lick me. Thats because they are slightly autistic and very sensitive, they can smell your soul , eye sight is very good and hearing as good as a dog. They can sense your mood. If I'm Pissed off , excited or erratic the ears go up and they are on red alert. if I'm happy and calm they will be very playful and inquisitive. Farming and life in general can be depressing if you let it . Iv had days where I have had a teary moment and couple of cows have shown emotions of sympathy, gone out of their way to walk over and cheer me up.
If your out in the fells, they will primarily be very social, they don't see many folk up there remember. 'Hello who's this on our patch ' . All they see is excited, heart rate pumping, running, arms moving in pendulum motion, shouting at your dog or running buddy.That is going to attract them even more. If you have no dog with you and they are in your direct line just take a wide berth slow down enjoy the beauty and scenery for a bit, have a drink , steadily walk ,no sudden movements, and be calm, speak softly, take some pics , they are very curious of cameras. If there's a bull don't panic.show no fear a calmly walk away from them. You will most likely be in a field if there's a bull so a gate never too far away. Rarely will a farmer Put a bull on open land. They will almost likely be heifers (young females) , if you run all they will do is think your playing. I do this to gather in our heifers at home. You cant drive them from the rear, instead walk to them , let them circle and check you out then walk to the gateway. They follow me where ever I want to take them.
Is if you have a dog you need to be looking ahead spotting the cows and getting it on a lead early doors. Take a very wide berth and don't show any fear.
The worse thing you can do is be cornered. It shouldn't happen if your aware of not doing it. but worse case scenario you have you stand tall and dominate flick yours hands at face or if you have a stick smack them on the nose and established pecking order. A couple bulls have lowered their head at me and you just have to discipline them, then walk off calmly, never showing your back until they drop eye contact. John Ironfarmer Carr
I've literally had dozens of run ins with cows but they're fine if you just look to take a wide berth if you can (especially with a dog) and try not to excite them. In fact I absolutely love cows, and they're usually more than happy to go about their normal cowey business when you're passing through their field, only perhaps being 'unpredictable' no more than 10% of the time :).
A fell race going through a field with cows in, especially if its a small field, is probably asking for trouble as the cows will get all excited and fell runners, when racing, won't want to deviate from the fastest line or slow to a walk regardless of the cattle. Cows also seem at their most skittish at this time of year, when they've only recently been put out in the fields after maybe over wintering in barns
Splitting cows from their calves isn't the most sensible thing either. If cows run at you, in my experience, running away is not the best solution. Instead turning and facing them, holding up your arms and loudly shouting HEY!!! seems to get them to slow down or deviate their line. Mind you I'll only get that wrong the once :)
As for bulls in fields, they are usually very placid as they can only be placed in fields with public access when they're part of a big family herd. Bulls in fields on their own or bull only fields are another matter but, if you ever find yourself in such a field, then you are probably trespassing anyway and completely merit your fate :)
I get kind of irritated by runners and walkers inferring fault of the farmer when this sort of incident happens. Its farmers themselves by the way who have the highest incidence of death by cow in the UK
Did the farmer know about the race? Did the RO know about the cattle in the field?
" Its farmers themselves by the way who have the highest incidence of death by cow in the UK ..."
They do of course have a higher level of exposure than anyone else, but it does show that even those who are very experienced in cattle behaviour can get it wrong at times.
I'll put this on the race thread too. Anyone running leg 5 of the Calderdale Way Relay should be aware that there is a herd of cattle with a bull in the fields between Hunter Hill and Stod Fold. I'm told that he is fine when with his girlfriends but, I have to confess, I'm wary of running through there myself.
I'm a Totley member but didn't race on the night, nor have I anything to do with the race in any way, shape or from, nor am I acting for TAC. I say this as I don't want any inferences made.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike T
The question from Mike T is definitely relevant however it might be prudent for this forum to not be the ones to analyse or post-mortem the events. The only reason I ask this, in no way representing TAC, is that I've seen it on other forums (climbing & caving), where claims, statements, half-truths are made in good faith on threads, and they suddenly become quotes in the media, taken out of context and with the aim to back up or refute a point.
Incidents like this are news on some level and it wouldn't surprise me that people follow these threads who aren't who they appear - I know of two runner journalists.
Thanks
Stuart
I hope it's not that bad. Speedy recovery Simon. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by caver68
Quote:
Originally Posted by caver68
Quote:
Near-death cattle stampede - the inside story
Simon's back home, feeling "a little bit sore".
Eight metal plates holding everything together. He'll be right as rain before we know it.
Great to hear that, that's for the update Geoff.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
I wasn't scared of cows before, but I am now... :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by sportsunday
Yes thanks for the update Geoff. Glad he has survived to run another day. I was a couple of mins behind him in the race and feel bad for not seeing there was a problem (in race mode!) Thanks also to contributions to this thread, I now have a new policy when it comes to cows- stay as far away as possible!Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
As a kid I spent all of my holidays on my uncle's farm so I am well used to farm animals. For those of you who know New Mills and Mellor/Cobden Cross there is a herd of yearlings (1 yr old cattle) in the field below the cross. They are completely mad. They went bonkers around me on Saturday morning but I just ignored them and let them do their thing. Then I read about Simon and the same thing tonight. This time I was downright worried that one of them would go too far and run into me. I had to stop running and walk gently right through the middle of them!!
I remember seeing cows on the last bit of Sundays run and thinking there's no way I'm running near them!Quote:
Originally Posted by Filthy Rich
I thought it was a cow not a bull. Is this another example of the rule that says "if you have knowledge of something that is then reported in the media, at least one important aspect of the news article is always wrong"Quote:
Originally Posted by Toreador
there is a new electric fence up now, keeping the herd on the other side of the stream, away from the path (guessing its a result of simon's do, although the herd's always been feisty ie; I bet this isn't the only incident)
Did anyone watch countryfile? Apparently cattle attacks are not a rarity.
37 farmworkers have been killed in the last 10 years by cattle or so they said, with injuries many times more frequent than that. The problem is the lack of properly collected statistics, so that "causes" are only anecdotal.
One breed has got media attention because of their attempt to grade and breed in "docile behaviour" - which is being taken by implication as that breed is more dangerous.
Seems to me to similar to the non sequitur false argument about cycling. Because athletics/ cycling has caught more cheats, it is ergo assumed a dirtier sport, which at least in part is because they are actually trying to catch them, unlike sports like american football, baseball etc as the "a rod" affair proves.! ie the breed they are trying to make more docile is probably no more dangerous, just because they are breeding to make it less so!
Also - apparently cow attacks are three times more likely than bull. although of course , bulls can still be far more dangerous, but very few bulls are put on land with public access - which inevitably distorts statistics in favour of cows
Yep I saw it.
My youth spent on a farm probably led to none of it being a suprise. Known a couple of people who had been gored (by Cows not Bulls), one of whom lost an arm in the process. I'm often suprised at the lack of respect some people show cattle, charging straight throught waving and shouting their arms. I've seen that done with heavily pregnant cattle too.
I did ask myself, "WTF where you doing with the tennis ball/dog/cows combo"
I would doubt that fact as there are herds of cows but only one bull.Quote:
Originally Posted by alwaysinjured
Half the population couldn't tell the difference.
Just try keep out of their fields and if you have to cross always have an exit plan, just like fell running.
Chap killed and his wife injured by cows while walking on the Limestone Way near Ashbourne week before last
http://www.ashbournenewstelegraph.co...ail/story.html
As AI said the 37 in 10 years was just farmworkers - the other figure they gave was 24 people killed in the last 4 years, so take care out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by alwaysinjured
I've read a lot of reports recently and even heard someone say that it's 'cow trampling season' when lots of walkers/runners get trampled/kicked etc. Must be because they have calves. I think the best thing is to stay away or move away quietly and slowly. Lots of dog walkers have been atacked and the worst thing they can do is try to save the dog, although that must be instinctive but your dog can run faster than you and the cows anyway. I'm wure I've read something about this in a James Herbert book?
I think you mean James Herriot. Although James Herbert the horror writer might be more appropriate for some of these shocking reports!Quote:
Originally Posted by BishRuns
BMC have written a note on it, referring our own fell running incident.
Here https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Taking-care-around-cows
It says nothing new. Interesting they then disappear into a tangent discussion about dogs.
Rock climbers by and large do not take dogs up serious climbs, and the fell runner was without a dog - so why mention them?
( But whilst on that subject, it is also interesting they relate the fact that farmers can destroy dogs that are worrying cattle. But Is this reciprocal? Can walkers destroy cattle that are worrying them or their dogs, when on lead- an interesting piece of legal trivia - not a serious suggestion!).
The most troublesome piece of advice is this:
"If you walk through a field of cows and there happen to be calves, think twice; if you can, go another way and avoid crossing fields."
Surely if cows with calves are now considered sufficient a risk for BMC to give that advice, it is time for farmers to be prevented from putting cows with calves in fields crossed by footpaths! The footpaths are a legal right!
I was spectating at the Bamford Sheepdog Trials yesterday. On running up Townhead Lane up towards Winhill I came across 3 youngish looking cows. Its a narrow section of track and I've come across cows here before. They looked calm enough but i was on my own going slowly uphill (the race comes down this way). On reaching a marshall and pointing out that there were cows on the route the response was a chuckle and 'they've all signed disclaimers haven't they?'
Obviously that wasn't the response I was expecting, but in hindsight he was probably just a local person (unconnected with fell running) who had been sent to stand at a gate, so not his problem.
On returning to the event field after my run I was greeted by stories of charging/stampeding cows. Apparently the RO said at the start that there were cows on the course.
Is this really acceptable? If cows are an avoidable hazard (which recent weeks have shown they are!) then shouldn't the RO be making arrangements with farmers to remove them prior to the race?
Breaking news, the FRA has revised it's compulsory kit to include the following,
http://www.amazon.com/Magrath-Livest.../dp/B005R3V770
Yep. Most common one i hear is that all sheep with horns are male.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stagger
All cats are female and all dogs are male.