Highland cattle always seemed quite relaxed, it's the daft young bullocks that are the most unpredictable.
Highland cattle always seemed quite relaxed, it's the daft young bullocks that are the most unpredictable.
Out when grass is actively growing.
In when weather and under foot conditions dictates.
Its not normally cows that want to get you unless they have a calf.
Its the bulls and beef cattle that like a jog around with you. 😁
I still have PTSD from an experience while camping at Turner's Farm at Seathwaite a couple of Augusts ago!
I arrived on a hot Friday afternoon, pitched the tent and decided to take a quiet leisurely run in the afternoon's sunshine, up to and around the reservoir and enjoy the evening rays and views. Running out from the campsite, along the gravel track, through the two fields leading to Moss House and the Rucksack Club's hostel, I was completely lost in my own thoughts. Suddenly, in the second field, I just became aware of something moving, in the far periphery of my vision. Glancing to my left I caught sight of this F-ing massive black cow, seemingly the size of a Ford transit, gunning towards me at full tilt. Snapping out of my summer slumber, I realised there was a calf, snoozing on the beckside to my right. Now I was brought up in the rural South and spent many years navigating fields stocked full of cattle, just me and the dog, and never had any problems. So, I tried my customary tactic, to see-off pushy bovines, of star-jumping while simultaneously hollering and growling. But, to my absolute horror and amazement, on this occasion she barely broke step and clearly wanted my blood. I think I then managed a PB covering the 100 metres or so to the next gate, executing an effortless gate vault to boot. Close call!!
Got me thinking. What if I'd been a parent with their child, say in a buggy, or someone less adept at moving fast? Maybe it was because I was running that I posed a potential threat to the calf - anyway I've been less complacent around cattle ever since.
Last edited by Mossdog; 16-03-2018 at 12:29 AM.
Am Yisrael Chai
Reminds me of when I lived in Patterdale - We had a Charolais cow on the farm and it was in a field on the other side of the Grisedale Beck as I started cutting wind thrown wood from the footpath. It also had a calf, that was down on the beck edge watching me. I carried on working, but noticed in my peripheral vision movement - the cow was trotting across the field towards the beck. I switched off just to make sure it stopped at the waters edge.....it didn't......it is really hard to run in chainsaw boots, but I discovered that it can be done quite quickly if necessary and fast enough to get me over the stile! The cow bellowed at the stile pacing up and down a short bit of the boundary, my heart rate started to subside, but I was definitely still quaking in my boots. A few days later the same cow kicked our farmer out of the stall - where he though he was safe - three cracked ribs, the cow went for slaughter.
A circular route mostly downhill
I had a close call with a herd of young calves a while back. Jumped over a stile into a field not realising there were about a dozen of them lurking behind a hedge around a corner in the field. Started running across the field, totally unaware of their presence until I heard the sound of thundering hooves behind me. Suffice to say, I think I covered the rest of the ground to the stile on the other side in a time that Usain Bolt would have been pleased with and then attempted to vault the stile. I was left with a few bruises after falling over the stile but could have been a lot worse had the field been any bigger.
Pete Shakespeare - U/A
Going downhill fast
I recently came over a hump in the terrain descending from Low Pike towards Ambleside - it was muddy/slippery so I was concentrating on the ground just ahead - all of a sudden I noticed about 6 Highland cattle just in front of me. The closest reared up in fright and I only just missed it as I went to the side towards an adjacent track. As it was down hill I could have gone quite quickly if needed but once over the initial interaction they all just slowly walked off. Rather scary at the time - but as has been said they are normally very placid.