Casterton Cows

Steve Clark

Well-known member
I had a bit of a run in with some young cattle on Casterton fell yesterday. Admittedly, I was wearing a bright red t-shirt(!) & walking our collie (on a lead). I?d walked up Easegill and was making my way over the fell from county pot. Herd of about a dozen brown cows near the old trailer at the top of the lane. I tried to skirt around to the west but as soon as they spotted us they came running over quite alarmingly! I let the dog off and ran back up the hill and jumped over the fence. Dog made her way back eventually. There are several gates open on the fell at the moment and they were freely running into the adjacent field & can access the lane as far as the bull pot gate.

Now, I?m probably just a townie wimp but maybe take note if you?re heading up there.
 

paul

Moderator
Greybeard said:
They would not be interested in you, just the dog (which is still a wolf in their DNA)

Exactly. The best thing to do is just let go of the dog (which can easily outrun the cows).
 

AR

Well-known member
Greybeard said:
They would not be interested in you, just the dog (which is still a wolf in their DNA)

Don't count on that - I had a run-in with a herd of cows round the back of Cronkston Low several years ago while walking alone, their behaviour was outright agressive rather than the more usual curiosity even though I didn't have a dog with me, and ended up having to jump a wall to get away from them before I got stomped.
 

Speleofish

Active member
Usually, if you stand up to them and make 'aggressive' movements towards them, they'll back off. So far, I've not had any difficulties with this approach, provided no calves are involved. However, I'm aware this may not always work so I always leave myself a way out, just in case.
 

phizz4

Member
Cows are red/green colour blind, so it wasn't your tee shirt. Some interesting points here.
https://animals.mom.com/cattle-colorblind-1974.html
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Saw a cow having a good wander on Government property tonight. Somehow got through the fence to eat the trees and managed to barge his way back through the fence somewhere else, presumably as his mates were running away. He was the only one mooing, I think he must have been saying ?come on lads help me find a way out? and ?hey lads what you running away for, wait for me scooby doo!?
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Yeah - the Casterton clegs are particularly vicious.

Best bet with cows (once you've let the dog sod off on its own somewhere) is just stand still and suddenly raise your arms menacingly and maybe yell. If they've no calves, I think you'll win.
 

Fatman

Member
Regardless of what is in the country code, let dogs off the lead when in with cows. A friend of ours was almost killed by cows with her dog on a lead. Still they were grumpy Derbyshire cows, maybe north Yorkshire cows are friendlier.
 

mch

Member
alastairgott said:
Saw a cow having a good wander on Government property tonight. Somehow got through the fence to eat the trees and managed to barge his way back through the fence somewhere else, presumably as his mates were running away. He was the only one mooing, I think he must have been saying ?come on lads help me find a way out? and ?hey lads what you running away for, wait for me scooby doo!?
And all this time I thought that cows were female.  :-\
 
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