Author Topic: Cattle again...  (Read 6460 times)

Owen

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #15 on: 10:43:42, 16/06/19 »
Do not use an air horn.


Do not make sudden movement or load noises.


Do not approach from behind.


Talk in a calm confident tone to them so they know you're there.


Walk slowly through them but don't go to close to any of them if you can avoid it.


If they do start to get to interested in you make yourself look bigger, wave your arms and raise your voice a bit.




Murphy

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #16 on: 16:44:05, 16/06/19 »
I didn't want to raise this topic again, as I have spoken about my encounters with cattle a few times on this Forum.  Some of the responses then were  slightly.somewhat be-belittling I have to say hence my withdrawal for commenting.  But I guess that's part of the fun for some.   BUT it is such an issue I cannot resist.  Waving arms about, making yourself look bigger 9 times out of 10 may be okay, walking through them with confidence may be okay - but believe me as someone who has had experience of being thrown around like a rag doll, and  seriously injured, then never, and I mean never, take them for granted...dog or no dog. 




Owen

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #17 on: 16:59:12, 16/06/19 »
I didn't want to raise this topic again, as I have spoken about my encounters with cattle a few times on this Forum.  Some of the responses then were  slightly.somewhat be-belittling I have to say hence my withdrawal for commenting.  But I guess that's part of the fun for some.   BUT it is such an issue I cannot resist.  Waving arms about, making yourself look bigger 9 times out of 10 may be okay, walking through them with confidence may be okay - but believe me as someone who has had experience of being thrown around like a rag doll, and  seriously injured, then never, and I mean never, take them for granted...dog or no dog.


Not trying to be-little anyone, just saying what's always worked for me.

Slogger

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #18 on: 17:04:32, 16/06/19 »
I think you ve got to be really unlucky to have problems with cattle, unless for some reason you spook them by your own actions. I know there will always be exceptions. I personaly have never had any problem, sure Ive had them running after me , alongside me and blocking the path, gate, or stile and looking nervous when with their young, but up to now 62 years without issue.In fact the only animals I have had issues with are pigs with young that charged us, but that was our fault for being in the wrong field and two lively horses that ran down the field to us and began nudging us almost into the drainage ditch. We were beginning to panic when they lost interest and walked away. The only other time was whilst walking the Cumbria Way at the Back O Skiddaw, when I was repeatedly divebombed by a Hen Harrier as I was obviously near its nest.

tyreon

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #19 on: 17:10:23, 16/06/19 »

I would echo Murphy. I have been corralled by cattle and had to escape to ditches...then thru hedges: tho still above ground,not beneath it.


I note some farmers still discourage walkers as in a case in Leicestershire wherein someone was killed by cattle. A witness said the farmer had told him he didn't like walkers and put into the field a particular breed of cattle that were hostile to walkers to dissuade them from crossing his fields. It seemed to have worked for one walker was killed by the cattle and the other injured(or ran for safety)
When it came to court the farmer had brought the best defence counsel alongside belonging to one of the best trade unions(the NFU). With the judicial system as it is in GB I think he walked free from court :) :(


Myself and my wife had wanted to walk Glyndwrs Way in Wales but on consulting with various tourist offices about Wales ended up too frightened to attempt it.

Slogger

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #20 on: 17:15:59, 16/06/19 »
There are strict rules re: the type of breed and mixture of cattle that farmers are allowed to put in a field with a right of way through it.

tyreon

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #21 on: 17:40:01, 16/06/19 »

You are correct Slogger. But with much confidence any farmer who doesn't like walkers can easily evade any prosecution courtesy of the NFU,a good defence counsel and the British judicial system.


When my wife had just passed her driving test many moons ago we would drive and she would comment upon how juggernauts were breaking the law by overtaking on brows of hills etc whilst we were heading towards them. We had the right of way. This was so,but unless we braked or gave way to them we would have been in coffins. Right,but dead.


You don't mess with farmers.


Only hare coursers can do so without consequences! :(

BuzyG

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #22 on: 19:57:11, 16/06/19 »
Observation from todays walk on Dartmoor.


Towards the end of our walk we crossed a stream with a herd of cattle blocking the path on the far side. One of our small group was clearly nervous of cattle, infact they asked if there was a easy route around, before we crossed the stream.  Happily our nervous colleague was trusting enough to follow accross the stream and follow with the group, as I led.  Being typical moorland cattle they took very little notice of us, even though we had to split the herd to maintain our route. We walked within 20 ft of several that did not even bother to get up on there feet, dispite the fact we had a small dog with the group, which was very well behaved.


So yes, I agree.  Any creatures that are bigger and faster than you, can cause serious harm.  However the cattle on Dartmoor realy are not bothered by walkers.  Farm cattle though are another matter.

barewirewalker

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #23 on: 21:54:26, 16/06/19 »
But with much confidence any farmer who doesn't like walkers can easily evade any prosecution courtesy of the NFU,a good defence counsel and the British judicial system.

I am not sure 'Farmers' easily evades prosecution, nor am I sure that the finger of accusation points that accurately at the 'Perp'. The simple answer to this problem is 'legal detour'. But who is responsible for this not being the solution, if there was a 'safety issue' then the both the potential victim and the responsible stakeholder of the issue should have the means to defend themselves.
The owner of the property has ultimate responsibility in law, yet it is the 'landowner', who does not own up to blocking 'sensible precaution'.
Walkers and other countryside users fall into a trap, when we confuse the identity of the 'farmer' and the 'landowner'. The root of most of the problem in our understanding of 'Freehold', it does not require the owner of property to be responsible for their occupation of space within our countryside, yet the law is, I believe, filling in a few of the gaps, the judiciary and the public need to be more attentive and point the finger in the right direction.

BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

pasbury

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #24 on: 23:20:39, 16/06/19 »
I had an encounter on Friday with a herd of bullocks in a field traversed by a public footpath near Tintern. It was immediately clear to me that I could not go through that field without risking some bovine aggro. I don’t need that kind of hassle on a walk. My cousin, a seasoned countryman, was nearly killed two years ago by a similar herd.
I tried following the field boundary to where I could pick up another footpath but the bullocks followed me, some making charges the whole way.  Got to the corner where I had to cross a fence to reach a gate into a cattle free field and the other footpath but the whole herd gathered by the fence and in spite of my efforts to bore them by having a cup of tea, they made it pretty clear that I wasn’t going in their field.
This herd of boishy teenage bullocks should not be in a field with a public footpath. I normally walk with my children, makes it doubly wrong.

sussamb

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #25 on: 07:17:03, 17/06/19 »
Young cows are like young children, inquisitive.  They are also like young children easily frightened.  I've had herds of them follow me across fields etc, once I feel they're too close I just turn and face them and they quickly back off.  Grown ups are the ones to watch, and as already been said it's a question of watching their demeanor.  Some will simply carry on doing what they're doing, others can appear more aggressive and in those situations I will divert around them, but that's not something I need to do very often  O0
Where there's a will ...

barewirewalker

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #26 on: 08:53:22, 17/06/19 »
I tried following the field boundary to where I could pick up another footpath
Pasbury attempted to take the sensible alternative to avoid an unsafe situation, that is half the correct procedure but does the law allow the other side an equal response? 

Is the answer to make the legislation on the type of livestock more complicated? That legislation is 30 or 40 years out of date because of the influx of other breeds to this country since entry into the common market.
The ordnance survey maps are littered with precedence of the obvious alternative, and that is 'legal detour'. Or as the Scottish Land Reform Act terms it 'A right of Responsible Access'. The precedence I have noticed are detours where the way, either highway or other are liable to become flooded and so impassable, an alternative route is found along field margins, many of these have been incorporated as rights of way in the definitive map, often described as anomalies by those without knowledge of field drainage to see them for what they really are.

It would then make a duty of care fall on the landowner to ensure that an alternative route being possible, where there may be a perceived risk. A duty of care that all other professions have as a legal obligation.

There is some previous criticism of the part the NFU plays in this, it is the CLA that lobbies property issues. It is quite proper that the NFU should defend farmers, where the landowner continues to hang onto outdated privileges.
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

pasbury

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #27 on: 09:12:14, 17/06/19 »
In the end I had to retrace my steps and cut my walk short. I was ready to justify my deviation from the public right of way if challenged by the landowner.
The demeanor of individuals is interesting. There were at least two of them who were much more inquisitive/aggressive than the rest - who just stood around watching. I'm sure I could have scared them off for a time (as I've done many times before) but didn't feel comfortable risking it.

ninthace

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #28 on: 14:37:33, 17/06/19 »
Walking in Austria this week and there scores of notices up about behaviour round cows. They are up in hotels, on information boards and on gates across footpaths.  I wonder if they have been having a problem and if so, with what? Cows or tourists?
We crossed a very confined field today with cows and calves in it and the obligatory notice on the gate.  A couple of cows looked us over and one broke wind in our general direction but I did not reply in kind.
Solvitur Ambulando

Murphy

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Re: Cattle again...
« Reply #29 on: 14:48:52, 17/06/19 »
Owen


I wasn’t referring to you when I mentioned belittling. It was from previous posts on the topic.  Apologies if you misunderstood. I merely trying to say that it doesn’t matter how many years experience you have you just never know.




 

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