Putting a bull in a feild with a public footpath isnt very sportsperson like

[DyslexicScientist]

I spend time planning a circular route so that my walks are interesting. 90% of the way through there is a feild with a bull, there is a sign up saying "caution bull in field", well thanks!

I'm going to try to do it but it is annoying. Its bad enough a field of cows who start to run towards you, that scares me shirtless.

If you don't hear from me again

I got chased by a sheep once. I was small, the sheep was large and I was extremely scared.

Not all beef breed bulls are calm, even out with cows. As mentioned before, Limousins have a very bad rep and it's not entirely undeserved. Salers (another Continental breed) are much the same.
Round here the cattle are mostly Devons and they are as calm as you like but even then I'd be wary of the bulls. And I'd never go into a field with cows & calves if I were walking a dog.

Eek, this reminds me of the time we were on the top of one of the littler alps (is it called the crest if its not pointy?) and there was a young bull with a herd of cows - one was his mum I guess?. That was freaky considering the only way to go was through the herd.

I think it depends on the type of bull and whether there are cows present.

My father was nearly killed by a cow with a calf. She had just had her calf and attacked him. He was seriously injured and retired from farming.

The most dangerous bulls are from dairy breeds. The following are notorious among farmers and will take route one to murder, Jersey, Guernsey, Dairy Shorthorn.

It is illegal to put bulls of these breeds in fields with footpaths as is the case with all dairy breeds. However, bulls of beef breeds are routinely left in fields with cows as a normal practice to inseminate cows as they come into season.

Don't ever walk in a field with a dog when cows are in it. They will chase the dog, especially when with calves. Cows kill.

I live in the country and I do sometimes feel like farmers have it too far their own way. Public access exists across all open countryside (in Scotland) but very often on walks with my dog I see gates locked. I'm not planning on unleashing the dog on livestock, sometimes I just want to cut through a field on a nice walk.

Additionally, fencing is very poorly maintained so that sheep and cows come out onto roads and have te run of forests and woodland.

I let my dog off the I remote deer fenced woodland one evening and I'll never forget the look on her face as she looked back at me and entire herd of cows were following me through the woods. They had gone through a farmer's fence into the woodland.

The farmer couldn't have cared less, and the cows were in there on and off for months so I no longer had access for walking the dog, one of the few safe places for off lead running.

A lot of farmers, not all, think the countryside exists purely for them.

I would also stop farmers from keeping firearms. There's no need.

A horse tried to kill my wife and I once too. Our crime was to walk through the field it was in.

I am amazed so many of you are brave/happy to go in a field with cows or sheep. I grew up in the countryside with horses and i would still be terrified to find myself in a field with either sheep or cattle. Horses i might be ok with but only if i knew them, or owner had said they were ok to be in with. Big animals scare me. i'd be happier in a field of dogs!

Lord - farmers do own yhe countryside in the main.

They look after it, u ou would not be able to walk through it at all.

Farmers have firearms for good reason. Its a tool.

I hear the advice when approached by a heard of cows is to let your dog off the lead so it runs out the way. I think it's because they attract cows.

"Lord - farmers do own yhe countryside in the main."

That they are allowed to purchase and own massive areas of land very cheaply is a pretty good deal for farmers. The least they can do is accept public access rights and maintain their fences.

Being a landowner carries responsibilities as well as rights.

I can't think of a single good reason why a farmer would need a gun.

Wolves? No
Lynx? No
Bears? No

Foxes. No. Just have appropriate fencing and sheepdogs.

lord, surely anyone can buy large areas of fields if they can afford it? I know of some tenancies which are restricted to farming, but I've never heard of purchases of land being restricted to farmers only.

If a member or the public is hurt by a cow or a legally present bull on a public right of way who is responsible for that? Can the person make a claim off the landowner's insurance or sue them?

rudeelf, land owners are liable if the injury is caused by negligence. They (hopefully) have public liability insurance (like other businesses) to cover this. I doubt very much (though I'm not a legal expert) that keeping cows in a field would be classed as negligence. If it is, then loads of farmers round here are taking some pretty big risks!

Lord

There's two sides to that argument though.

Farmers have a right to use the land for the purpose of, well, farming. Farming is not always "a pretty good deal" and if it weren't for farming I wonder where you think much of your food would come from? Although of course famers and landowners have to obey the law and keep rights of way accessible, ensure fencing is suitable etc. I have no time for farmers or landowners blocking access to public footpaths/bridleways.

However, as a landowner (horses, not a farmer although from farming family) I cannot tell you how infuriating it is when people trample all over the land without any thought or respect. I have lost count of the number of times gates are not shut, litter is left lying and the number of people who don't keep their dogs under control around livestock never ceases to surprise me. I am also surprised at the number of people who will leave the (well maintained and accessible) public right of way that goes through a section of my land in order to walk through fields, including ones with mares and their foals (or cows with calves at foot) "just for a change", then are surprised when the livestock aren't exactly friendly. I have locked gates to field which do not have rights of way running through them- you can climb the gate to walk through the field, but at least they gates can't be left open. I have even put signs up with warnings, but people seem happy to ignore them, yet moan when there are consequences to doing so. I know it's not everyone, but it happens often enough that I am fed up.

A good friend who is a farmer lost livestock not so long ago due to inconsiderate behaviour from walkers. This is his way of life and his business. How do you think the average business owner would take it if I walked into his office and trashed it, then said "well you got a good deal on the building and some other business people behave badly, so what are you complaining about?".

If you walk through a field with livestock, I am afraid you are taking a degree of risk (although in my experience sheep are more likely to be frightened of you than the other way round)- especially if they have calves/foals/lambs etc. Obviously, if it is a right of way then there should not be prohibited livestock there.

Rude

In that scenario the landowner would only be liable if negligence was proved-e.g. putting a dairy bull in a field with a right of way going through it. Keeping a herd of cattle in the field would not be classed as negligence, I wouldn't have thought.

Best thread ever

Thanks for responses. I do feel sorry for land owners having to tolerate the bad behaviour of some members of the public on their own land. It'd be a real sickener to have to pay out a fortune to someone who got hurt on your land.

palomb, Lurked and others who pointed out why farmers might be pissed off at inconsiderate walkers - yes I get that there are some stupid twits who cause a problem. I don't try to defend them. But I honestly think that when the farmer tries to discourage walkers by obscuring the path or making it unattractive in some way (bull in field, pile of manure beside stiles) then this is actually counterproductive.

What does the farmer think will happy? That the walkers will turn around and retrace their steps five miles back to their car? Or, more likely, try to find their way around the obstruction and consequently end up trespassing where they shouldn't be when really they would much rather have stayed on the path

In general, l think everyone's best interest is served by clearly marking the way and making it easy to follow then making it difficult.

"That they are allowed to purchase and own massive areas of land very cheaply is a pretty good deal for farmers."

Really? Cheaply?

Have you any idea at all what it costs to buy and run an economically viable farm? Not hobby farming but a real farm that operates as a business. Lets just say its not like buying a 3 bed semi but anyone is allowed to do if they have £4 - 5 million and work their arses off for incredibly low profit margins.

Not many people who demand rights of access, which in fact the vast majority of farmers accept, actually would agree to allow random people to walk across the front lawn of their urban residence.

A lot of people abuse footpaths and bridleways. My father had to go to court t have one moved to the edge of his field to stop people walking in a wide swathe across his wheat field. A bridleway on his land was regularly used by a pony trecking business so often it churned it up to the point of being impassable so he again went to court to stop them.

People who don't live in the countryside too often seem to think it is a theme park they can use without cost or thought.

Just looked up the average cost of land per acre - £10,000 - glad someone thinks that's cheap!

I owned a field with a public footpath at the bottom, just cutting across a small piece which in itself wasn't an issue. What was the issue was more than one group of walkers deciding they didn't want to go that way and walking up my field to the road, which was a good 1/4 mile, not a little detour. In doing so they walked passed my horses and then got stuck at the mains electric fence.....I happened across one bunch who complained loudly that it was dangerous (and it was marked as being live as required) and I should turn it off so they could get through. When I declined and said they should use the footpath they turned nasty and said they'd call the police who of course would be really interested! They wouldn't accept they were trespassing and were horribly rude and entitled.

Sorry for graphic content but this is why farmers may get slightly pissy with people who don't respect the rules of the country code- an 'inconvenienced' walk can result in dead livestock and loss of income- am not saying everyone does this- but it happens too bloody often. Dogs should always be kept on a lead and I'd never take one into a field with livestock in it.

Delete if at all is unacceptable mnhq!

I don't have a dog. But if I did I'd be unable to do much walking on public footpaths if I did and didn't walk anywhere with livestock!

I only ever stray off the footpaths when they aren't very clear, I think that's understandable.