Bull Encounters

[dougiemac]

Had a few run in's with some coo's bet never with a bull (thank god !)

Was fishing the tay at logierait on the pdaa water a few years back walking along the edge of a field minding my own business when out of the corner of my eye i spotted a huge coo walking my way there were no calfs about & i had walked the field many times so never thought i had anything to worry about

Kept on walking for a bit then looked up to see the beast a few metres away from me & it looked pretty pissed off !

Next the big smelly thing proceeded to to a spinning back kick that missed my face by about a metre (bruce lee would have been proud) i absolutely kaked my pants took evasive action and slid down a high bank & into the river and stayed in the water till it went away

Never been so scared in all my life i was shakin like a leaf & chain smoked about 100 fags afterwards.. i now stay well clear of them

 

[Finnjoki]

It has been a while since anyone posted in this thread. Some of the posts on here are hilarious and its by far my favourite thread on the forum. I wonder if anyone else has any bull encounter stories since the last post in 2013.

 

[Occasional salmon fisher]

I've encountered lots of bull on this forum since 2013 ! :lol:

 

[Salmom Laker]

Bulls

That's a great thread alright most of it concurs with my experience. The story about the bullock crossing the river reminds me of a time years ago when I was about 15 fishing the Quoile river in county Down a good few miles above Inch abbey where its still a decent sized river. I was fishing way when thundering hooves from across the river caught my attention a big lump of a Friesian bull came charging down to the river where he stopped and started pawing a bellowing. Now this boy looked like a bad un he had ring in his nose and chain attached which I already new to be an indicator of bad character. Well I thought he'll below for a while and get fed up. I legged it when he was a third of the way across and up to his chest!

 

[Rrrr]

I didnt realise cows would cross a river untill last year. I was fishing the pauperhaugh section of the coquet and the cows had shown an intrest (not big scary bulls but could have been cows or bullocks) as i fished down i noticed them following me on the far bank, then they started to get into the river as i reached a shallow section with an island. I got back over the fence at that point and went to fish elsewhere as im not keen on cows or horses, terrifying creatures and not to be trusted

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[barisaxman]

I take it a few of you will have experienced the terror of hearing a cow cough in the dark for the first time.It sounds like an old man who's been smoking too much.When your in the middle of nowhere and a cow starts to cough....well let's just say it a little out of the ordinary.First time I heard it I nearly sh*t myself...

Yes that and farting sheep...…

 

[barisaxman]

I remember a story a farmer, on a farm were I used to shoot telling me about his rather larger Hereford bull getting upset by "rep boy" one morning. I had met "bully" on several occasions and he was like a big cuddly dog but even so, I always kept a fence or a wall between us.
Every morning the farmer used to have to bring his milkers across the lane to the parlour, the locals either avoided the lane at that time or waited patiently whilst they the ladies crossed. One morning, as usual the farmer opened the gate and as there was no traffic about let the girls out. However, just as the girls started crossing "rep boy" in his Sierra came round the bend and wasn't happy finding a load of cows in his way. The story goes that he demanded they be moved and was told he had to wait. He did however keep edging forward nearer and nearer the girls who were getting a little bit agitated. Anyway they had all crossed so he thought and he began to move forward when "bully" started to come out of the gate. Now "bully" was a big lad and wasn't in the mood to wait and was coming across that lane whatever. The story goes that "rep boy" pipped his horn at "bully" to help him on his way and bully took offence..... Well, he very nearly turned the car over and there was a stand off and he made a right mess. It took the farmer and a couple of his lads about 15 minutes to get "bully" in! Rep boy wasn't too happy and threatened to sue and the like. The farmer said carry on if you want and " bully" will see you in court. I bet he had fun explaining that to his boss and the insurance!

 

[noeyedeer]

I was fishing the pauperhaugh section of the coquet

Peter the Angus Bull (in pic above) lives not far from there!

 

[Rrrr]

Peter the Angus Bull (in pic above) lives not far from there!

Ill be having a good look for him before i enter any fields around there now

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[Andrew B]

Anyone who fished a certain stretch of the Teifi above Newcastle Emlyn will know how many fishermen have been forced to jump in the river over bulls. One of the bigger threats right now is cows with calf’s.
Only last month whilst fishing next to a cow that had escaped and was frustrated at being apart from the herd, saw a young man with a small dog and was on him in a shot. Despite me shouting at him to let the dog off the lead he wouldn’t do it. Somehow I managed to get the cows attention but it’s amazing how fast they can run.

 

[Mattytree]

I came home tonight to find two my bullock and free Martin heffer in the veg garden , they had put a hole in the poly tunnel and eaten my carrots , parsnips , leeks , swedes and destroyed the Brussels ....Can’t believe they have worked out how to open a gate ! Then spent 10 minutes chasing them around trampling anything else they had left and trying to beat them with a plastic Water pipe to get them out ! Was not happy!

 

[billy fish]

I was at a meeting of fishing club members a few years ago when the subject of what to do when confronted by livestock.
A lady member asked what was the best thing to do when confronted by a bull ?
A very good fishing friend and fellow member , sadly now deceased , leant over and quietly said “ bend over and eat some grass”. It was difficult to contain my laughter .

 

[Mickfish]

Some fascinating, frighting and amusing stories above. To repeat some points already made, a farmer at Kirkby Lonsdale on the Lune told me he himself always paid careful respect to cows with young calfs which he viewed as potentially a lot more dangerous than bulls. Sadly, some of the deaths caused by cows have been when someone has been walking their dog - a wolf in the deep bovine instinct, which it feels bound to attack to protect it's young calf.

Dairy bulls are not often seen nowadays as so many dairy cows are artificially inseminated but they are viewed by river keepers and farmers as being far more dangerous than beef bulls, which tend to be lazy and docile, though I always pay them careful respect.

A good few years ago I was walking up a salmon pool just below the M6 near Preston and as someone stated above, a giddy herd of bullocks charged towards me, and when a decent number of such beasts get up a head of steam it's a frightening site. I had to make a split second decision as there was no way I could beat them back to the field's fence, so I raised my Sharpes wading staff in the air and, like some mad banshee, screaming at the top of his voice, I charged towards them. I was utterly terrified but the tactic worked and the bullocks slowed down and eventually high tailed it in the opposite direction. Meanwhile I turned tail and ran for my life to the field gate and almost did a "Fosbury Flop" to the other side.

I think the advice to stand you ground at certain times makes sense as too frisky horses once galloped towards me and I stood still and talked to them in the sort of daft, patronising way you do to your pets. They stopped very close to me and eventually got bored and started to graze whilst I quietly and slowly made my exit. But once more your heart is pounding.

That reference to doing a "Dr Dolittle" and talking to farm animals is a good tactic when you are approaching them (especially from behind). Often it's cows but on the Welsh Dee on one beat it is Llamas and they all seem to become more quiescent when you do so because firstly, they are aware of you approaching, so no sudden shock. Secondly, just as dogs wag their tails and cats do their curly tail and rubbing up to you bit after repeating the patronising "whose a lovely boy" exaggerated condescending talking to the animals patois, so do the above farm animals, it really calms them and many will even stay sat down - keep up the act until you're well past them though.

Finally, everyone must know the the old Ted Ray (giving my age away) joke of a little girl leading a huge bull by a rope into a field. A passing walker says "little girl what are you doing leading that huge bull." "I'm the farmer's daughter and I'm taking it to cover its girl friend the cow," the little girl replies. "Goodness me" says the walker, "can't your father do that?"

"No" said the little girl, "only the bull!"

Mick

 

[kimbo]

Any farmer will tell you, in a situation like the one you faced, you run TOWARDS the beasts. They will scatter....honest...I have tried it several times. If you run away from them it's a game & they will chase you.

Plenty of documented reports of farmers getting trampled and in some cases killed.

 

[jimthefish]

Plenty of documented reports of farmers getting trampled and in some cases killed.

Fair enough but I believe that a fair number, if not the majority of such deaths, have occurred in enclosed pens when the farmer has been dealing with the offending mother’s calf or a bull has gone rogue.
I think that the NFU recommend that you don’t run away from a charging herd. Either stand your ground and make yourself as big and loud as you can or move towards them. Being a carnaptious b*stard, I prefer to run towards them
It seems to have worked for Mickfish too (see above).

 

[kimbo]

I have tried running towards them and it had worked but on the odd occasion if they have calf's with them they'll just keep comingif you Google it there are pages of farmers and the public being trampled mainly in open fields.

 

[ryan houston]

i have been a cattle vet from 2003 until last year

bulls will generally tell you when they dont like you they will posture etc but not too many will actually try and kill you but most of them that do try will be dairy bulls thankfully rare enough as most will use AI and maybe sweep with a beef bull, fresian bulls should NEVER be trusted and the even rarer to find Jersey bull is a smaller but faster little sh*te who will try and climb gates to kill you, my grandmothers uncle was killed by a bull

most herds of cattle that run after you are actually playing with you so you running is part of the game to them they will snort and prance etc but will turn away

cows with calves will generally run off and try and stand between you and the calf at distance you will see them heads up alert and looking off to see where they can escape to

however in any herd of cows there will generally be one or two cows who take a whole lot more proactive approach to protecting the calf they will be the ones pawing the ground looking very agitated or running headlong at you to gore you limousin (red ones) are notorious for it but i would say that a crappy grey brown charolais cross yoke would be my choice for most likely to try and kill you

dogs raise the risk level to you

surprising a fresh calved cow in a hollow is another one

several of my farmers have been gored some to death
ive been thrown in the air twice landed on my head once and my ass the second time
bent my leg round a post another time
got a ride round a pen a couple of times holding onto a mad cow trying to kill me by her head so she couldnt get a swing at me until i could try and flip her over and run away
kicked several times where i was surprised i didnt break my leg
been out a few times to mental cows calving where we brought a gun with the intention of shooting the cow and then performing a c section to get the calf out

an animal that is dying of pneumonia is deoxygenated and not thinking straight they too may try and kill you so dont think because something looks like its skin and bones that it doesnt have the strength to try they will be bigger and stronger than most of us by the time they are a month old and cows will bein the 5-600kg region and bulls can go beyond the ton

i remember going to a cow that had toxic mastitis she was dying but also due to calve the farmer was a complete idiot and everything you went to for him was a complete disaster she was lying in the field and he had parked a tractor beside her she got up and tried to kill us we made it out of the field and i phoned for a gun and a rope to be delivered out to me we got onto the tractor i lasooed the cow and the young lad ran round the tractor i tied one end to the axle and shechased him round the tractor so the rope shortened i then stood where i knew she would get stopped and shot her as she ran up to me i delivered a live calf out of her

another time we were asked to come out and shoot a cow to calve her but as we opened the door to go in there was a weight behind it she had calved herself and so got a reprieve

i had a mental one in a yard with a dead calf in her with one leg down i jumped in and ran she chased me up the crush and as i ran out the farmer closed the gate we then tied a long rope to the calf and the other end to the crush and opened the gate and let her run when the slack got taken up the calf shot out the back the cow jumped the wall and buggered off up the mountain but she would have killed anyone she cornered

i guess i should have written them all down as they happened id have a book full to start my own all creatures great and small post watershed edition

 

[kingfisher]

Great reading Ryan and brought back my own memories.

When at school in my last few years there, I used to work on a dairy farm at nights and weekends for pocket money. It was a great healthy way of life and I loved it, evening taking up a job after I left school on another farm nearby.
It was a different ball game working full time of course but I knuckled down and got on with it.
Until “Jane” the farmers wife tried to blame me for breaking 4 Doz eggs in two plastic buckets after gathering them for the shed.
Took 10 Bob of my wages so I told her stick the rest up her ****.
Then I went down the engineering apprenticeship route.

But the bit I was coming too - remember that lol I feel like Billy Connolly deviating - was the bull and how dangerous they can be.
My Farmer boss had a big Ayrshire bugger in the style during winter and he didn’t like it in there and was always snorting and stamping at the ground in frustration.
Andrew the farmer was shovelling out the from behind him when the bull kicked out and caught the shovel on the shaft with the handle being kicked right into Andrews wedding tackle!!
Well he was screaming like hell and for a few weeks could hardly walk.
Just as simple as cleaning one out can screw up yer love life.
K

 

[Rennie]

I simply carry a photo of a plate with Yorkshire's, Roast Potatoes, Carrots and Peas and a big space at the side of them, next to a jug of temptingly steaming gravy, flash them that and they're off quick as you like!.
Yours, off for his coat again,Pedro,.

 

[Occasional salmon fisher]

I've worked with cattle a bit years ago but thankfully never been attacked. The biggest risk is when you are gathering/moving in an enclosed space and they get nervous/excited, very easy to get crushed in those circumstances.

I have had to move huge bulls a few times where they turn to you and snort and paw the ground but nothing more than that.

Bedding up the yard with bulls dancing around you is quite interesting too.

Once had a cow charge at me but I played it cool and carried on walking and it came to an emergency stop right in front of me.

What I do know is the power these animals have. If they really wanted you dead, you would have no chance.

 

[noeyedeer]

i have been a cattle vet from 2003 until last year

..............

i guess i should have written them all down as they happened id have a book full to start my own all creatures great and small post watershed edition

Fantastic memories Ryan!
I'm glad you told some of these recollections - I have a few from working on family farms in my younger days and half the time people never believe you!

One where a Hereford chased me down the yard at full pelt. I pulled to shut the metal 5 bar gate at the end as I ran through, but she was too quick and ended up running headfirst into the very end of the closing gate with a hell of a thump. Unbelievable power in these animals as you say, she staggered about dazed for 5 mins then sauntered off back up the yard with a snort...!

One day the vet came, we were dosing the cattle with a dosing gun in the old portable crush. It came finally to the massive Charolais bull. Got him in the crush but he was bucking the whole thing off the ground and the vet couldn't get near. My cousin got one arm around its neck so he was also going up & down attached to the bull, with the gun in the other hand. Managed to eventually get it to swallow the dose but the whole scene was hilarious.

We had a calving cow refusing to be cornered on it's own in a field. My Cuz decided I had to drive the tractor with flatbed attached round the field after it while he jumped off John Wayne style (nutter!). He got it round the neck, pushed down on its ear pulled up its nose and it went over. I stopped, ran round and he's going"sit on its legs". Of course I got one hell of a kicking but we got the job done!

As younger teenagers, we used to ride the bullocks round the pen - stand on the wall one at a time, pick a ride then jump on. Don't know what we were thinking of but could have been death for either of us or the bullock!

Plenty more stories.....

These days it's a serious business, every penny counts. Cousin is farming Aberdeen Angus fairly large scale (M&S, Morrisons, Sainburys etc). Everything is mechanised and automated. I remember when he imported one of the first automated crushed from France specially built to spec for efficient dosing/injecting etc. every animal tagged and the computer screen comes up with what needs doing, next animal waiting in line....

 

[billy fish]

I was at a meeting of fishing club members a few years ago when the subject of what to do when confronted by livestock.
A lady member asked what was the best thing to do when confronted by a bull ?
A very good fishing friend and fellow member , sadly now deceased , leant over and quietly said “ bend over and eat some grass”. It was difficult to contain my laughter .

This same good friend was on a Lochy trip with us and one day accompanied me ,on beat 3 I think . Anyway I thought I would take a short cut across a field rather than take the long route down to the best pool . As I proceeded down the field I was conscious of some company in the shape of a highland cow with calf . It was obvious she did’nt want my company . My good friend ,who had taken the route down the track , was roaring with laughter as I backed my way to the wall with the cow matching my every move .After what seemed an eternity I managed to get to a spot where I could get myself and gear over the wall to safety.
Some time after my friend presented me with this , made by himself , to remind me of this incident .
It hangs in my den as a reminder not only to look before you leap , but also memories of a good friend