Cows on walking routes!

[SquashedFlyBiscuit]

Can anyone advise me about staying safe when walking through cows?

There is land near me we like to walk on (National Trust but not a "property" and not busy) that often had cows on it, but today they were in the main bit between us and the car. Also there is a council owned area we like to walk in that has zones the cattle graze in - these are usually nowhere near us but occasionally theres a couple of cows on the path.

Some of them have horns which scars me, alhough google has just reassured me its not so much the horns ti be scared of as the trampling to death....

I know cattle attacks are rare, and usually towards people with dogs. Hoeever where we walk often has lots of dog walkers.

I've become far more anxious this year and now want to know what I ought to do if walking through a field with kids and cows are walking over to see us. Or how to walk through a field with cows in it safely....

Walk quietly and calmly through them. And don't listen to Bill Bryson's Road to Little Dribbling.

Ive never really been anxious walking through cows before, they after all are on lots of walking routes - but maybe its post kids or where I am more anxious in general these last few months ...

We do just stick together and walk across the fieĺd but today (well yesterday) one was staring at me (I know I know) and I kind of began to wonder.

And google didnt help as although its rare, I founs accounts of those trampled to death ! So now I can imagine if they wanted to Id be v squished. Are there things to do if they are v close to you? Or not to do?

I was once on a d of e expedition when one of my pupils got hit by a cow! It sort of broadsided her by the description we got given, knocked her flat on her arse but not deathly trampling. I think it's very rare, OP!

Walk quietly and calmly. No sudden moves or loud noises and you are unlikely to spook them! I wouldn't worry about the staring either. Cows have big eyes and not much to look at. They stare at everything.

In general I do all I can to avoid walking in cow fields, the black and white Friesians I might walk through as they seem to be generally placid but the farmers round her now have a type of Jersey cow that doesn't seem to be scared of anything and walk towards you in large groups. I do walk with a stick for safety but I've turned back if there are lots of cows.

Where I live there are lots of fields of cows and after being charged by some a few years ago I try to avoid entering those fields now (was truly terrifying and is actually more common than you think). Advice from the lovely (and very posh) farmer is to carry a sturdy stick and if necessary hit them with it on the nose ("not the arse, you eat the arse" )

Avoid, avoid, avoid! I was chased by a herd of bulls as a child and only just escaped on an AA walk with my family.

Cows will become protective of their calves if a dog is about, so keep an eye out for a cow with her calf. Otherwise, just keep calm and walk past them, what you see as threatening is almost certainly just curiosity.
If you have a dog, keep it on a short lead, if you feel that a cow is protecting it's calf, let the dog go - it is less likely to be hurt than you.

Unpredictable weigh a hell of a lot and can do some serious harm. Not to mention the cow patties. Sounds like you shouldn’t be walking there tbh.

I always avoid!

I've had no trouble walking thru fields of cows. Mostly they are mildly curious but don't like to get close to strangers. They do their thing I do mine.

I would scan for any bulls, though. Again they probably leave you alone but I'd not walk near a group with a bull coz it's his job to see off threats and they only have small brains to figure out what a threat might be.

Take a different route.
Honestly the most terrifying thing that ever happened to me
I will turn back and walk twice as far as I have to to avoid cows.
I will never go in a field with them again, ever.

Watch out for the snot! Being sneezed on by a cow is disgusting.

Fallfall v definitely should be walking there! It's not private land. Lots and lots of public routes have cattle and in these areas cattle have been introduced for conservation reasons. In one area its the National Trust that brought them in and in the other its local council.

I don't have a dog, which I think means we are less at risk. Its just finding comments comments like Gumbo and feline that make me worry!

Lots of genuinely popular normal walking riutes near me have cattle on. They are not always close to the path and yesterday they were bettwen where we were walking and the car park!

If you have a dog, keep it on a short lead, if you feel that a cow is protecting it's calf, let the dog go - it is less likely to be hurt than you

This could make the situation worse. A running dog can get cow calf pairs excited - the calves would be just playing and their mothers chasing after them concerned, as mothers do. They could chase the dog and the dog will run back to you - bringing the herd with him. We have cattle. I've seen them chase a strange dog and one particular dog hid behind me. Luckily the cattle know me.

Walk through the herd calmly. Don't get between a mother and her calf. Never trust a bull.

I do but but stick the field edge, so there is an escape route! I’m nervous going through the middle of them. I have generally been ok.

If I have my dogs/kids with me I usually go another way.

DH isn’t scared at all and I remember a walk we did when the path literally took us through a herd. And we had a dog and three kids that day. DH just gently shoo shood them and we walked by.

If the field is in an area of 5G then avoid. The electro magnetic waves scramble their brains and turn them into carnivores. Unless you drink disinfectant first, that’s OK.

Also ensure no young men with you are wearing tight pants, short jackets, a pill-box type hat with a pink cape thrown over their shoulder. That can make any bulls very aggressive and then you are best advised to carry some short spears with ribbons attached as a form of self-defence.

If your walk turns out badly, remember this. We will have our revenge.

ZendDay. The NT and council wouldn't put bulls out would they? I am aware I'm not v knowledgeable!

We normally just walk through them. Somewhere google has just told me not to get cornered so not sure going round the edge is much better?

On the council land there's no choice as the land either side of the path is scrubby/heath so altbough cows are happy we can't walk in it easily. Those ones do tend to move off the path if you just keep walking towards them. Yesterday's walk was more open space with lots of them.

I always walk around the edge of a field rather than across it if there's cows, you don't want to inadvertently walk between a cow and it's calf. It's important not to run, as it's people running and falling over that causes them to get trampled. Using a walking pole can come in handy, as if they do get too close you can wave it at them to keep them away. I do find the cattle with the big horns are the most gentle to be honest, we have them on our local common and they are not interested in people, it's the freesians that seem to get frisky.

@AvalancheKit your response is beyond weird, not even humourous, plain weird.

Are you hungover ?

Thanks yearin. Both these have big horns and I'm not so used to that. I goggled the NT type and it says they are docile... I mean, they seem it, but they are big!

Avalanche I fancy going walking with you, and your spears. I think it would be fun!

Honestly, you’ll be fine just walking through purposefully while sticking to the path. Cows are inquisitive, but not nasty.

I would think NT property will have 'nice friendly' cows. There's a risk if they have calves so I'm sure the ones you've seen on footpaths won't have calves.
But I always walk between the cows and a fence. I'm pretty sure I could get over a 1.2m fence, barbed wire or no, in an emergency.
I wouldn't go in if I had a dog. They can chase dogs. Curious about them, I think, rather than aggressive.