Comments on: How to safely cross a field of cows

By: Roy | The Riding Dutchman

Roy | The Riding Dutchman — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:52:07 +0000

All they do is eat anyway so no worries; they won’t even know you’re there!

By: Catherine Baker

Catherine Baker — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:41:26 +0000

Totally agree with Julie, I hike with groups regularly and cow’s (rightly) scare the shit out of me. I treat them with extreme caution!

How is “public access” accessable with a 10 ton beastie that’s going to trample you to death in it?!

Any advise from farmers on how to stay safe – they should know!

By: julie marsden

julie marsden — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:36:02 +0000

I went across a cow field and thought cows were doseile creatures we had two puppys on leads and the whole field of cows came from every direction and charged towards us. I could not let my puppys off as there was a road nearby we managed to get to the other side of the feild by waving and shouting. The public footpath went straight through this field. I think that the public should be protected from the cows and make the public right of ways safe opening the countryside up to all that means farmers keeping herds of cows off public right of way ie a safe passage through there feild. Or is this farmers trying to discourage the public from using the public right of ways. The farmers could fence off the edge of there feild if there is a public right of way going through it. It could be the cost of someones life.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:00:55 +0000

Just today I was walking through a field next to a river, and there were a group of about 7 or 8 cows gathered around a feeder eating hay. I had to walk past them within a few metres to carry on along the path and as I approach I notice a few of them with their heads raised, staring right at me.
Deciding that I was too close to turn back I carried on and tried to hurry past them. The next thing I know the largest cow in the herd was walking really fast towards me. I quickly tried to look for a gap in the fence that I could hop over, but the fenced area was thick with thorn bushes with no gaps. I Turned round and this big cow and the rest of it’s herd were charging straight at me within 3 or 4 metres! I ran as fast as I could and glanced behind only to see the huge cow running even faster and was only a couple of metres behind me! I jumped over a stile just in time but the gate next to it was open and the cattle ran straight through after me. I launched myself through the hedge next to me and clambered down a steep river bank.
I stood there in this gap on the bank surrounded by thorn trees so I couldn’t go anywhere. The cattle stood there at the top of the river bank behind a thread of barbed wire that was supposed to be a fence, a couple of them were stamping there feet. I waited there and after 15 or 20 minutes they lost interest and moved on down the field. So I clambered back up the river bank and took a huge detour around them. I was so close to getting trampled today.

I’m saying this to warn everyone of the potential danger: I didn’t have a dog, and they didn’t have calves. There seemed to be no reason for their attack. They just decided I was a threat for no reason. And it could happen to anyone. always keep the biggest distance you can between cattle and make sure there’s an escape route if they decide to charge. Man, that was some scary stuff today, I’m just glad I didn’t get trampled

By: Morgan

Morgan — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:35:40 +0000

Glad to read all these encounters after my ‘encounter’ yesterday. I was running the Cateran trail up in Scotland, as a ‘little’ 55 mile adventure..had to cross through numerous cow pastures on the trail, especially after the spittal of glenshee. Ipassed through at least 3-4 without incident, and didn’t feel threatened, some moved away, some ran away from me. i generally tried to stay on the outside of all of them…then i came to one field where i had to cross through the herd, and i was jogging a bit faster. one of the cows decided she didn’t want me in her field, and begin a very very fast charge at me! I sprinted as fast as I could to the nearest fence and luckily she decided i wasn’t a thread anymore and veered off, but i’ve never been so scared in my adult life! i hate the fact that so many waymarked trails pass through cow pastures!! surely they could reroute the trail?! around the perimeter!

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:53:31 +0000

Recently me and 3 other friends went to check out an old building, upon leaving we noticed that there was a herd of cows now in the field ( roughly 16-18) we then noticed that a ram (male sheep) was behind us and began to charge, we then sprinted out onto the field, turned around and noticed that the cows had now become a cluster of running steamroller……. we were chased for about 3/4 of a mile before we reached a barb wire….. is there anyway that we could have scared them of as we were unsure if they had become a stampede or if they were just chasing us.

Note to all field wanderers.. COWS ARE VERY FAST FOR THEIR SIZE!

By: Hillplodder

Hillplodder — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:35:12 +0000

…or as said in Carry on Camping – “I wouldn’t try milking that one, it’s only got one tap!”

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:40:24 +0000

Well, Yesterday whilst walking around appletreewick. We walk this many times.

My wife has a fear of fields of cows, as we have a little Cavalier King Charles and cows being inquisitive, they come to see us.

Except this time, whilst walking through the field of Cows and calves. We got half way through the field without problem.

Then out of no where a cow charged from our left to attack our little dog, who was on a short lead with us.

I had to shout to my wife to let go of the lead. I had my 9 month old daughter on my back, and in the split second i had to assess the situation, our dog had already sustained many pin point blows from the Cows hooves.

So something had to be done, we had no real exit as the screaming from this cow brought many more around us.

So i shouted as loud as i could, and put all my years of boxing into the cows backside.

Thankfully it diecided enough was enough and stoppped.

Dog battered and bruised and both my wife and i will NEVER enter a field with cows ever again. One family was nearly wiped out!!!!

I don’t see why Cows with their calves are kept in a field with a public right of way going through it!

By: sam

sam — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:46:54 +0000

I took my dog hiking in Pleasanton, CA this weekend and I wish I read your article first because I let my dog off the leash and as we were passing cows about 45 yards away, I look over and they are running after us. I ran for my life, along a barbed wire fence and just in time found a gate. They wanted to kill us!!!! Horrified, I am buying pepper spray and a horn for next time (and keeping the dog on the leash).

And honestly, I didn’t want to try out the screaming and waving the arms method, in case it didn’t work. There is no way I was going to stop and see.

By: Clare

Clare — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:13:36 +0000

I’ve crossed many fields of cows, including bulls, without incidence. In fact, for many years, I had to ‘protect’ my scared husband. However, today I had a very frightening experience. As I crossed a field, a herd of cows and calves in an adjacent field charged (not joking) towards me at such speed and making such a noise I truly thought ‘this is it’!! They surrounded me, kicking out and bellowing loudly. Have never heard a sound like it before. Some of them kept taking little runs at me. I was stuck rigidly to the spot. I gathered my senses and slowly edged around the field but had to cross the gateway to the other field (from where they had appeared). Some other cows and calves were near the gateway and so I had to go through the herd. Boy, oh boy, they didn’t like that. I made a lot of noise and started waving my arms wildly and the main herd ran away but then these others charged me. I have never before been so relieved to reach a stile and I’m sure it must have made a good video had someone been around to film it. Can anyone explain their behaviour? I was alone, just ambling along quietly.