charging cows – Page 4 – Cattle Safety

Charged at by cattle on a footpath

Report No. 886

Date of Incident. 25/05/24

Location. Near Metton, Norfolk, England – what3words – followers.crunching.galaxies

No dog

Account “Two of us, early 30 yr old males, were passing from Metton towards Felbrigg mid afternoon in light rain. We came to a field which was signed with ‘bull in field’ and saw a group of 30+ cows, at least one bull and several calves (young, but mid size). We are experienced outdoorsy people and walked into the field, we were a long way from the group of cows, and we noticed one of them coming towards us. We still weren’t concerned until they started moving as a group and loudly huffing. As we gently moved quicker they started to charge. We turned, walking backwards moved our arms up and down expressing ‘Hey!’ at them – which has deterred further movement on other occasions. This worked at first but then they all began to charge. We loudly shouted ‘HEY!’ This slowed them at first but they began to run. By this point we had gotten closer to the fence and were able to scramble out of their way. They then all came close as they could to us, on the other side of the fence not moving. It was a VERY close call.”

“I was not aware until today we could report it. Honestly we didn’t know we had rights about this as while it’s a marked footpath and on OS as a walking route, we assumed it’s still private land – so on us if something happens.”

Killer Cows states: The farmer has a duty of care to people that walk across their land.

We threw ourselves over the gate!

Incident number: 874
Date of incident: 18.05.24
Site: SX868968
Type of cow: Group of heifers
No dog

We entered the field carefully closing the gate behind us. As soon as the gate was secured the cows started mooing and moving towards us. We quickened our pace and one cow started bucking excitedly close by. They followed us closely at a distance of about 1 metre. I talked to them calmly throughout, trying to reduce their aggression. We reached the opposing gate, very closely followed by the cattle, we didn’t have time to open it and threw ourselves over, my partner bruising her leg on the hurried descent.

Injury: Not injured but badly frightened

Kay’s tale of charging cows

Incident number: 873

Date of incident: 18.05.24

Site: In fields between Rugeley Trent train station and Colton

We were walking along a public right of way and entered a field close to a farm. The field was empty. We only got half way across the field when a herd of very aggressive cows appeared from the farm yard and charged us, we ran. This happened in a further 2 fields and on one occasion, both myself and my husband had to throw ourselves over a gate. My husband hurt his neck.

We were fortunate in that, although we are in our late 60’s, we are fairly fit, but if there had been a child with us, then it could have been a very different story. We were with a younger couple, who had a dog on a very short lead and we always kept to the field edge where we could.

We have been walkers for years and we have noticed that:-

1. The cows are getting more and more aggressive

2. Farmers are less tolerant towards walkers.

Although it cannot be proven, we suspect that when we entered the first farm, the Farmer saw us and let the cows in on purpose. The field was definitely empty when we entered it.

We are encouraged to exercise more and there is nothing that we would enjoy better than to take our Grandchildren out into the countryside. But there is always the fear that we will come across a field with cows in. Farmers clearly do not want people walking across their fields (on a public right of way) and are succeeding 100% in deterring us.

I know that Farmers are usually insured but I don’t care about compensation. I would like to not be injured or killed somewhere where I have every right to be. If we ever go on a country walk again (looking unlikely), then we will not be going in a field with cows in it but will find an alternative route which might not be on a public right of way. And if we are trespassing, then so be it.

I have reported this to the HSE.

Kay comments:
“I would welcome a law to be passed which says that Farmers should not put cows in a field where there is a public right of way, or they must put a fence up separating us from the animals.”

Attack on Offa’s Dyke National Trail

It seems that cattle are getting more and more aggressive. Often you simply cannot walk safely along a public right of way.

Report number: 845

Date of incident: 30/04/24

Site of incident: Grid Ref SO 236 406 on the Offas Dyke path (a national trail) south of Hay-on-Wye

1 person, 1 dog on lead

“I was walking my dog along the Offa’s Dyke Path south of Hay. I walked from Cusop as far as Upper Danyforest where I turned around and retraced my steps.

At around 8:35pm I crossed the footbridge (SO236 406) and entered the field beyond. I saw a group of cattle near the house called Pant Barn. I hadn’t been aware of cattle in the field on my outward journey, but they may have been out of sight behind Pant Barn. The cattle were moving up the field away from me and didn’t pay me any attention so I proceeded along the footpath towards Forest Rd. I had only gone around 100m when a group of 8 cattle broke away from the main group and started charging directly towards me and my dog. I immediately let my dog off his lead and made some noise to try and stop the cattle and shoo them away. The cattle slowed but then started coming very close, bucking and kicking. I was terrified. I gave my dog a command to ‘go to the gate’ and thankfully he did as instructed and ran towards Forest Rd. The cattle followed him charging and bucking and kicking. Meanwhile I ran in the opposite direction back up the hill to the footbridge. I could see my dog had ducked into the stream to avoid the cattle so I recalled him and he joined me on the safety of the bridge. I know that if my dog is scared he won’t always follow commands, around half of the time he’ll come and hide behind my legs instead. If he’d have done that tonight I think there is a very high chance I would have been trampled by the cattle.

Unharmed, but frightened

I have reported this to the Health and Safety Executive, the local authority and Brecon Beacons National Park.

I’d like to add that I’ve lived in the area all my life, I’m a qualified Mountain Leader, I do a lot of walking in the countryside. I like to think I know how to behave around livestock, but recently particularly on the Offa’s Dyke path around Hay it seems that cattle are getting more and more aggressive. Often you simply cannot walk safely along a public right of way. I feel like I had a very near miss with this incident and that it’s only a matter of time before someone is injured or killed. Yet the authorities are powerless to do anything.”

Wayne’s run to escape

Response ID 293,950,292

Report Number 817

When: 12/11/23

Where: Middleton in Teesdale

https://explore.osmaps.com/pin?lat=54.62293999898196&lon=-2.0963386011188163&zoom=16

There was a group of cows with calves in the field, at the far end.

I had my dog on a lead as we walked through the field.

I was on a public footpath, walking through the field and a group of possibly 20 cows charged across the field towards us. They attacked my dog initially, throwing him into the air and then turned on me throwing me to the ground. They then tried to trample on both of us while we were on the ground.

I was able to get up and I ran, they chased us for 1/4 of a mile.

My dog is sore and possibly bruised.

I have reported this to the Health and Safety Executive, they are investigating.

Charged at by a herd in Derbyshire

Report number: No. 749

Date of Incident 12 08 23

Location: Cliff Farm, Elton, Derbyshire. On public footpath.

Single person, no dog

When I entered the field the cattle and bull were lying down mostly at the bottom of the field a good distance away from me and the footpath. I didn’t see any young with them. As I started walking across the field they stood up and one started making an awful, aggressive sound. I continued calmly, didn’t change direction or pace and kept walking away from them.

There were a couple of cows very close to the footpath, they let me pass without any problem. I heard more noise, looked back and they were starting to walk quickly towards me, so I sped up as the field is quite big. When I looked back again they had start running towards me along with the two I had recently passed by. So I had to run!

I just made it to gap in the wall before the closest one reached me. I dived through and my ankle caught in the gap and fell. I hurt my ankle, shin and knee as I fell. It was a terrifying experience, the gate very close by was wide open and they could have come through there so I was still terrified as I crossed the next field. Thankfully, they stayed at the wall and continued to make aggressive noises.

Additional note – I had walked through another field previously with cattle (grid ref – SK21972 61197) I don’t know if it belongs to the same farm. This was a much smaller field and they had young with them. The cows didn’t mind me walking through, even though I had to walk straight through the herd and I had no issues, however I did notice as I was a good way over the field that there was a massive bull in there too with no signage anywhere. If it’s the same farm, it makes me think it’s a farmer with a bad attitude to walkers and rights of way.

Multiple spoiled walks and near misses – badly scared walkers

Killer Cows receives many varied reports of aggressive and scary behaviour by cattle, and several of our recently reported incidents are posted below. There does not seem to be one type of breed that is safer and we cannot assume that because cattle did not react the last time we walked through their field, they will be equally calm the next. Farmers can fail to spot when cattle are a risk – so how can we notice?

Our reports are split with 50% having a dog present, 50% not. These incidents have happened in quiet rural spots and in areas where there is a lot of public footfall. Each incident results in badly scared walkers; they are no longer able to enjoy the wonderful freedom of walking along a footpath without worrying whether there are cattle in the next field.

The guidance issued by NFU or The Ramblers can work in some occasions, but not in others. Signage doesn’t seem to be updated to reflect whether cattle are present at the time you are walking – so no help at all. Signs warning of cattle in fields don’t absolve the farmer of their duty of care to walkers, but they may deter some walkers – and some farmers may be happy with this result. There are farmers who are actively looking at ways to keep walkers safe and are proactively working with the legislative bodies – we applaud them. Our footpaths give us access to our countryside, we need to feel safe to enjoy them.

Read the varied accounts below –

Simons story – hunted by cattle

Response ID 291,908,092, Report number 792

Date of incident: 12/09/23

no dog lone walker

I was walking on my own on a footpath on the north side of the stream which flows east to Fordingbridge from beyond Rockbourne. I entered the large field by a stile at the east end with the exit stile at the west end. The path was parallel to a fence with stream lower down & brambles & shrubs filling the gap between the barbed wire fence & stream. The field rises on the right but stays level by the fence all the way to the exit stile. It seemed a long way on level ground to the exit in the west.

After a few steps I saw cattle grazing on the sky line near the top of the field. When I next looked one was staring at me. I avoided looking at them & walked a little faster. I looked up after a few seconds and the herd of about 10 cattle were walking down hill exactly towards me. I knew if they started to go faster I would not make it to the end. I quickened without running. I felt the ground vibrating, looked sideways & saw they were running towards me. The barbed wire fence on my left had brambles & thick vegetation behind it.

Ben was charged at by cattle

report number 783

Response ID 290,785,332

20/09/023

Lattrig, Lake District

Two of us were setting up tent on top of Lattrig at approximately 7pm. Some cows appeared and seemed interested and started coming over to investigate. The cattle started chewing on tent, which prompted us to leave, we managed to shoo the cattle out of the way and began to walk along the track downhill.

As we were walking down the hill the cattle all charged towards us, we shouted loudly and they stopped a metre before us. If we hadn’t shouted and made them stop I think they may have trampled us.