Farmers dogs on public footpath

[Cuppateeee]

Just been on a lovely walk in the countryside, only to be spoiled by a shouty farmer. Need a different perspective on it otherwise it will just wind me up. Will include picture.

Walking with my dog on a lead through a field, staying on the public footpath when I see two border collies barking in the distance. I stay where I am to look for a farmer to check if they are aggressive or not, no one in sight, they are staying where they are but still barking and in the way of where I need to walk, so I went back and walked down the other side of the fence.

I get to the bottom and see the dogs have gone, also notice the gate was open so they could have got to me anyway, never mind I’m there now and go over the stile back onto the public footpath.

Only then I notice the dogs have come back, so again I check to see if I can see the farmer because whilst they weren’t growling they were barking which is intimidating enough.

At this point there is a fence between us so not a problem but I check to see where the public footpath leads and you’re supposed to join the farm track but their gate is open. The dogs are following me and my dog down the fence, still barking, so I decided to walk away from them not wanting to risk what would happen when we reach the open gate. I am at this point on the farmers field.

After a few steps a farmer comes running shouting for my attention, I stop and see what he wants. He said ‘the footpath doesn’t go along there, you’re damaging the crops’. So he was clearly watching me, and would have been able to see that I was uncomfortable with his dogs around.

There is snow on the field so I wasn’t sure what I was walking on but either way I said, sorry I appreciate that but your dogs were being aggressive towards me and my dog so I felt I had no choice.

He kept repeating that if I can’t stick to the path then I shouldn’t go on the walk, which in normal circumstances I totally agree with, but in this case I felt it best, to protect me and my dog.

He insists his dogs are not aggressive, they are with him at this point, still barking but I admit not growling or coming closer, just staying with him, but I said again that I was not to know this and didn’t want to risk anything happening to my dogs.

In the end I walked away because he clearly could not see my point of view.

So was IBU waking on his land or was he. And if he was is there anything I can do to stop if happening to someone else. Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading.

This is batshit MN at its best.

Yes some farmers are cunts and deliberately obstruct paths they have no legal right to do so. All the discussion about the colour of the bull is batshit. It may be legally right to put a bull somewhere that stops people walking a certain path, it does not make it morally right.

In terms of the dogs it is very hard to judge without being there and I suspect I am pretty cavalier about working dogs barking as many of the family are farmers. So I am used to going to farmhouses to be met with barking working dogs that know me, that two minutes later are lying on my lap being petted. But it is pretty horrible to leave someone who is doing no harm, in a position where they are going to be scared by the dogs.

And yes some members of the public are shits. A few weekends ago I slightly lost it with a couple who let their dog chase pregnant ewes. I totally agree with the law that a dog can be shot in these circumstances. But that does not mean it is okay to treat everyone as if they are shits.

All the discussion about the colour of the bull is batshit. And that's an example of the distinction between the 2 main cohorts!

Farmers have to use the land they have. That's why the laws are written to allow them to do so whilst making some caveats for public safety. But the countryside isn't a theme park and does have its own inherent dangers, unpredictable livestock being one of them!

I'd walk through a field of cows and a bull, if I could identify the bull - and the colour is the main distinction you have to make! DH wouldn't have a clue and would avoid all cows, he was 'chased' up a tree by a herd when he was a kid.

I would avoid bulls. Bullocks and cows are fine. Bullocks are lovely and very curious. And no it is not about the colour of the bull, it is whether they have been castrated or not that is the issue. Because castrated bulls are much less aggressive, Yes in general beef bulls are castrated, but there are exceptions.

Does the bull know he has to behave if he's brown? Sorry, bit tongue in cheek but even so. I still wouldn't walk esp with a dog, right through a herd of cows, calves and/or bull unless there was something extremely pressing on the other side. I walked through a field once recently, came back an hour or so later and previously empty field has now become full of cattle, I couldn't go back as i was coming back so I had to deviate from the footpath and hug the fence the whole way around ready to fling myself under it should the need arise. No crops were destroyed in the making of this story as it was just livestock grass.

curious Of course farmers should not make changes for people who are scared of cows. But no none of my family would put any bull, including a castrated bull, in a field that has a public path. And some of my family are cunts as well, they still would not do that.

Yes cows are statistically more likely to kill you than a dog! Might start reporting farmers for having aggressively mooing cows in a field

No dogs kill more people than cows. Wasps and bees in the UK kill the most people.

Also as I am sure you know, cows rarely attack, but when they do it tends to be when there is a dog and they are calving. They are in protective mother mode. I have only once felt threatened by cows and I carried the dog with me through the field. But obviously you keep well away from calving/pregnant cows when you are out walking.

it is whether they have been castrated No, it really isn't!

Washed It's more about the type of bull, dairy or meat etc. Colour is a useful indicator of breed - like if white is it a Charolais? in which case tip toe away and find the nearest local to report to its owner, they'll be frantic looking for it! The law is based on the generic differences in behaviours beytween breed and use. May sound mad but is based on generations of observation. Of ocurse it is not inafllaible... hence my comment about the courtyside not being a theme park.

www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/rights-of-way-law-in-england-and-wales/animals-and-rights-of-way.aspx#cattle

I wish I could spell today. In my defence my office space is the coldest part of the house... not sure why I put up with it, or my cold fingers!

No dogs kill more people than cows. I think Budgie was being sarcastic!

It's all getting daft now. Mary I think we agree with each other (except the status of bulls) but we seem to be arguing as though on of us is Streetwise

Yes cows are statistically more likely to kill you than a dog!

Bugger me, this is true!

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cows-officially-the-most-deadly-large-animals-in-britain-a6727266.html

Glad we agree with each other.
I was always taught that beef bulls are far less aggressive. But that is because they have been castrated. They are castrated to reduce aggression. Very occasionally beef bulls are not castrated though.

I was surprised about a month ago when away for a weekend in England to come across sheep with their tails intact. All I could think was that I hope they don't get fly.

Surely it's a bullock though if it's a castrated bull? Yes re the Charolais fear!!

Bloody hell! No sarcasm...

I'll be looking hard at all herds round here then. I have more reason to walk out now I have a puppy. Until now I have just lollopped over a field of cows on my runs that are really walks!

And yes, I have occasioanlly wondered if fly strike is UK thing. All those long tailed foreign sheep!

I know @curiousaboutsamphire! It amazed me too.

When you then consider there is probably many more dog/human interactions than cow/human ones(1), that makes the amount of fatalities per interaction much higher with cows than dogs.

(1) I have no evidence to back that up...

The vast majority of people killed were farm workers. The next highest category were walkers with dogs. 2 people who had no dog were killed.

Surely it's a bullock though if it's a castrated bull? Don't spoil it. Lots of people seem to think a bullock is a young bull, like kitten is to cat

Section 59 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 bans the keeping of bulls in fields crossed by a right of way, unless they are under the age of 10 months or not of a recognised dairy breed, provided they’re accompanied by cows or heifers and they add 'advice, not law, to keep all herds of cows and calves of field with right of way - as I now know having read the Murdering Cow link above

Washed Only if they are castrated young. If they are castrated older then then they grow to normal size. Don't know why anyone would do that.
I know the difference between bullocks and bulls though. Bullocks are lovely. My dad especially loved bullocks although they often used to knock him over in their rush to get the food he was feeding him. He was a short man though.

I knew a cow once that used to routinely chase people. It was sent to market unsurprisingly.

And yes if you have a dog and it is calving season you need to be careful. Otherwise it is extremely unlikely to happen.

I know I've been in contact with cows that 'had a worm on the brain' and were odd. One wasn't sent off as she was abloody good milker. But she had an additional tag so you could see her coming.

I think the worm thing was to make us more vigilant in the calf shed, when helping feed them* so we wouldn't pick up ringworm

*AKA drowing them in a milk bucket I miss that now I am adult and don't live on a farm. I rmember the thrill of a calf suckling two fingers and then milk, as you lowered its head into the bucket.

I also miss hand rearing runty piglets, getting pee'd on, avoiding sows. But not the disgusting PiggyBank!

Aargh! Back to my real work, not wasting time in all my yesterdays!

I now have terriers. Completely different. Stubborn little buggers.

Stubborn, and clever, and willful. Their first thought on encountering something new is "What's in it for me?" and they have a way of twisting everything to their advantage.

I bloody love them, but they must be a culture shock after a BC!

My friend's terrier can climb trees, honest to God she just hurls herself straight up them!

My first lakeland could run up the front of my roll-top desk, which is approx 4' high. He hated the phone ringing, and would run up the desk, grab the phone and then try and chew it to death, while the person on the other end was going "Hello? Hello?"

He killed about 3 or 4 phones before we found places he really couldn't reach.

None of my family had pigs. Would have loved that as they are so clever. Cattle then later sheep.

One of our terriers was really thick. I know terriers are usually very clever and we had some very clever ones. But Vic was very sweet and docile and totally thick. Had to keep an eye on her as she would get lost very very easily.
The worst thing about terriers is their love of chasing rats. I still remember hanging up the washing as a giant rat ran right by me about an inch away, closely followed by a terrier in hot pursuit.

By the way, usually pretty easy to tell the difference between rights of way and public footpaths. Public footpaths usually have signs saying they are public footpaths, and I have known them to go very close to big manor houses. They are usually ancient paths between different villages.