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Original poster

I just got chased by 25 cows. What do they do if they catch you?

75 replies

hatwoman · 28/04/2009 11:58

first let me establish my rural credentials. I lived in the country til I was 19. I recently moved back. I have never, ever, for one moment been perturbed by cows. I've even been known to mock townies who say stuff about cows looking at them funny.

well today, I was walking the dog and suddenly realised that the cows at the far side of the field were charging at me. all of them. I eyed up the wall to my left but the barbed wire on top meant there was no chance of escape. I suspected running would be a bad move. I thought about standing still and trying to stare them into submission but didn't fancy my chances. So I kept my cool and walked, briskly, to the stile. all the time watching 25 tonnes of solid animal thundering towards me. As soon as I put my foot on the stile they stopped. They were about 5 metres away. Shaking like a leaf and heart pounding I stood on top of the stile and told them off for scaring the crap out of me, counted them - for the purposes of story-telling - and went on my way.

What would have happened had I not made it to the stile???

OP posts:
nickytwotimes · 28/04/2009 12:01

I was chased by cows as a girl once. Terrifying.

I know they hate dogs, so it may not have been you they were after? Or maybe they get fed around that time? Or ,aybe they were just cross?

Seriously, very scary.

They will trample people if they get momentum up, so I think you handled it well.

phdlife · 28/04/2009 12:01

sounds like them cows'd tasted 'uman flesh, loike.* [portentious]

  • no, I don't have a clue what film/tvshow/comedy album this is from. it's just something dh says...
FelineFine · 28/04/2009 12:02

Oh I don't know. One chased me once and I was terrified. Trample you I think.

Evenstar · 28/04/2009 12:02

I grew up in the country too, and like you was not a bit afraid of cows, I used to help the local farmer with milking and feeding the calves. But this story stuck in my mind from last year news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/7372562.stm, glad that you are OK.

EyeballsintheSky · 28/04/2009 12:03

They trample on you and eat your liver

Or they might just shite on you

FiveGoMadInDorset · 28/04/2009 12:04

Definitly stay clear of cows when you have a dog with you.

stealthsquiggle · 28/04/2009 12:04

I think they occasionally trample people - largely inadvertently - but there is a distinct possibility that they would have stopped a couple of metres away, worked out that you were not in fact a source of food, and just been confused for a while in a cow-like way.

stripeypineapple · 28/04/2009 12:05

They milk you!!

PuppyMonkey · 28/04/2009 12:05

I'm sure I've heard tales of dog walkers getting attacked by cows. Or am I dreaming again.

DP likes to go into a field full of cows and lie down on the ground. They always come up and surround him and have a little sniff to see what's going on. I get terribly worried for him. I think they are just very curious, inquisitive animals!

Dumbledoresgirl · 28/04/2009 12:05

They would try take their revenge from years of being exploited and try to milk your udders.

No, seriously, I don't know, though I did hear once about someone being trampled by cows. I am a townie who is scared of them. I would have run for the hills, bugger my cool.

Dumbledoresgirl · 28/04/2009 12:06

Oh bugger stripeypineapple said it quicker than me.

harleyd · 28/04/2009 12:06

at least it was only cows
its really them old sheep you gotta watch!

KingCanuteIAm · 28/04/2009 12:06

Thye will attack and they will trample you. One of the basic rules of country living, do not walk through a feild of cows with young if you have a dog. THey defend their young fiercly and work as a group to do it. Even those who have calved and had the calves removed have been known to charge as the instinct is still there haveing just calved recently.

THey can be very dangerous - as can sheep in similar situations.

Original poster
hatwoman · 28/04/2009 12:09

well my superiority over people who are scared of cows has just vanished. they were right all along.

seriously, having read that article I feel quite sick now.

I did once come across a flock of black sheep that played grandma's footsteps with me. I quite liked that.

OP posts:
Nappyzoneisabeetrootrunner · 28/04/2009 12:09

I dont know but i would have shit my pants before getting to it! Walking through a field of sheep scares thecrap out of me so never mind moo cows!

Nappyzoneisabeetrootrunner · 28/04/2009 12:10

sorry i ment cows (clearly spending to much time with a toddler!)

Original poster
hatwoman · 28/04/2009 12:10

point taken kingcanute - I've walked dogs near cows for years. but won't be doing it again.

OP posts:
DuffyFluckling · 28/04/2009 12:12

PuppyMonkey - your DH goes in to fields of cows and lies down?

But... why??

OrmIrian · 28/04/2009 12:14

Tis the dog. Dogs taunt them and then panic when they give chase and try to hide behind the nearest human.

But although they were scary I don't think they were after your blood. They would have stopped stile or no stile.

Probably.

KingCanuteIAm · 28/04/2009 12:17

For some reason it is one of those hidden rules of the countryside, not many people even realise cows are a threat, they think of them as big, slow and a bit dim. In reality - as I am sure you now know - they are fast and determined. I am not quite sure why people have lost this knowledge, I suppose it is to do with urbanisation, even rural locations have a much more suburban feel these days.

On Real Rescues recently there was a Vicar who did the same as you (also with a country life), he was trampled badly and the recsuers had to use the helicopter to keep the cows away - they were determined to get back at him and tried many times, even with the helicopter there. At one point the rescuers wee trying to work out if it was to dangerous for them to contine

You did the right thing though, don't run and keep the dog under close control. Cows are not easily intimidated when they are onto something!

Original poster
hatwoman · 28/04/2009 12:29

I think my ignorance helped me keep calm Although I was scared I also felt a bit incredulous. And sure that they would stop. Rather than thinking "shit the bed I'm about to get trampled" it was more a case of "blimey they really are running at me. I'm sure they'll stop but I suppose I'd better get out of the field just in case". Although my heart was set to shit-the-bed mode.

OP posts:
WilfSell · 28/04/2009 12:30

lick you to death?

I dunno. Never go near the blighters meself.

That Cravendale ad scares the living bejeebers our of me

KingCanuteIAm · 28/04/2009 12:32

@ Shit-the-bed mode - I have been there when a couple of cows got loose at a show once, I couldn't quite decide whether to abandon my cow and leg it or turn her and hide behind her!

fishie · 28/04/2009 12:40

phew hatwoman lucky escape. i am really scared of cows too, although i grew up in london there was grazing on common ground and i've had a couple of similar experiences.

won't have done your post-marathon aches any favours either!

jumpingbeans · 28/04/2009 12:40

If you had a red cape you could have swished it around abit.... sorry thats bulls