Tag: cows with calves

Susan is lucky there was a way round the cows with calves

Report number: 891

Date of incident: 30/04/24

Site of incident: what 3 words – Unwound.minds.blessing (Near Purton, Wiltshire)

I was walking on my own, with no dog and came upon a field of cattle with young calves on my route. I was on a public right of way.

I knew it was important to avoid walking through the middle of the herd and tried hard to do this. But the herd was spread out and eventually all the cows came together facing me, fronted by the young ones. The cattle began to show aggressive behaviour and would not back off. I fled over a gate and found another way round.

Susan comments that footpaths should at least have warning signs and electric fences to separate them from cattle perhaps.

A lone runner in Princetown Dartmoor was blue lighted to hospital with multiple injuries

Incident number: 898

Response ID: 304,416,045

Date: 22.06.24

Location: Princetown in Dartmoor The location on what three words was regularly.dressing.gamer

“I was running along a well used public footpath at approximately 9.00am I came across a group of cows all with calves. I slowed my pace as to not startle the cattle. One cow then lifted it’s head and charged straight at me. I was hit fully in the chest and sent backwards the cow then trampled me and landed on top of me crushing me and head. I managed to free myself and jumped over a wall, however the cow then jumped the wall and circled back round to attack me again. I managed to get up and hobble away from the cow screaming at it to try and scare it. It was still chasing me and I ran a mile back to the pub in Princetown where I met a couple who then helped me to floor I was losing consciousness. An ambulance was called along with the critical care paramedic who blue lighted me to Derriford hospital. I was treated and found to have multiple rib fractures and lacerations.”

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.

Steve’s group meet an aggressive cow

Report number: 883

Date of Incident: 5th June 2024

Location: High Tilberthwaite, Cumbria, England. Grid Ref SD 330824 501300. On right of way.

Dogs: None

Cattle: Group of cows and calves. Brown.

Account “Our group of four adults entered a field of cows near to a farm through a gate; we were intending to walk calmly across it following a public footpath. Cows with calves were lying down on and near the path so we made a detour to give them a wide berth. All the cows except one appeared to ignore us. This one cow, which was approximately 80 to 100 yds away, looked at us with great interest and started to walk briskly towards us. It then began to run, and charged aggressively towards one of our group, a man. It stopped about half a metre away from him and made aggressive roaring noises, darting at him repeatedly in a threatening way and pawing the ground. It was very close indeed. The man stood his ground, unsure what to do, and two others of us shouted and clapped loudly. The cow fortunately hesitated and withdrew. We quickly retraced our steps and left the field through the gate. Many of the cows had calves next to them, but this cow did not appear to have a calf.”

There were no warning signs.

Steve comments – “It should be illegal to put potentially dangerous animals in a field that contains a public footpath.”

Weobley Walkers have blood pressure spikes.

Incident number: 880
Date: 31.05.24
Site: On the Wyche way east of Naunton, Worcestershire.
Two bulls and cows and calves in two fields between which the Trail runs, I’ve since been informed the bull is most likely to be a Limousin.

Description: Two of us were walking along the Wyche Way, we didn’t have a dog. We came to a field where we met the first bull, this one was behind a single band of ?electric fencing with cows behind him. The bull was bellowing to another bull behind a hedge to our right. We crossed the field, effectively walking between the two bulls, to a stile in the corner. The next field we entered contained the other bull plus around 20 cows and their calves – all standing around the stile, they were not segregated from the footpath.

Fortunately the cows were frightened of us and backed off a bit, so we walked close to the hedge past them. And fortunately this bull was too preoccupied with the first bull that he ignored us.

No signs were around to warn us of the dangers. We are two ladies in our mid 70s and we were pretty scared but had no choice but to walk on, there was nothing we could do to avoid the danger, there were no warning signs, no suggested detours to avoid the bulls and cows and calves. Our fitbits showed a huge spike in our blood pressure!

Comment: No dangerous horses or cattle etc should be allowed on any official trail or footpath.

Cows and calves!


Incident number: 870
Date of incident: 27.05.24
Site: Between Boscubben and Trendrine Farm on the footpath between Zennor and St. Ives in Cornwall


We were a group of 3 adults and 4 dogs, we noticed cows with calves in the field ahead of us, so as we approached the field, we started to put the dogs on leads.
One cow charged to the front very aggressively. We tried to circumnavigate the field, with the herd following us round being very frisky. The cattle were too aggressive so we had to give up and double back.

I am not risk averse, but to proceed would have been foolhardy. A dogless couple aborted an attempt just after we had tried, but succeeded after we had left the scene suggesting the dogs were the spark for the cow’s aggression.

We were not injured but badly frightened.

Killer Cows comment: The Health and Safety Executive strongly suggests that farmers do not put cows with calves in fields where footpaths pass through. HSE recognise the risk and English law states that farmers have a duty of care towards those who walk across their land.

This occurred in an area where there are many walkers, surely there should be clear signage to an alternative cattle-free route if the farmer cannot manage to fence off the footpath.

Spoiled walk in Kielder Forest

Report number 819

Date of incident 15/11/23

Site of incident

  • 55°10.536’N, 2°24.589’W What3words ///scrambles.wiring.urgent

Kielder Forest, Northumberland

No dogs, 2 people

The cows were feeding close to the entrance of the field as we approached the gate. The young cows were spooked by us as we approached and the mother cow was then standing her ground close to the entrance. We did not feel confident to enter the field with her blocking our way.

We were too scared to enter the field and had to reroute our walk.

Killer Cows comment:

“Some farmers elect to place cattle to deter walkers from crossing their land, others are ignorant of HSE advice. We don’t know whether this farmer was deliberately or unknowingly contravening HSE guidance.”

“HSE state in their guidance that cows with calves should not be sited in fields with public footpaths. Also cattle should not be fed close to the footpaths.”

Trampled

Response ID 294,721,170

Report number 820

When: 24/11/23

Where: Meadow Lane, Yoxall, Burton on Trent (52.7570756, -1.7784786)

My mum and I were walking on a public footpath with dogs on leads. There was a group of cows with calves on the other side of a large field, they were a way off and we weren’t concerned as our dogs are very well trained, they are used to cattle and ignore them. The cows charged towards us, we instructed our dogs to sit back from us – which they did. One cow got to my mum, pushed her over to the ground with its head and began trampling her. I then did my best to fight it off but it kept throwing me off with its horns so it could continue trampling.

Continue reading “Trampled”

Near-miss story – Maddi’s Tale

Maddi escaped by hiding under a tree. A terrifying experience.

In April this year, three of us were walking on a public footpath through Tring Park, in Herefordshire. There was a sign on a gate that warned us to be careful of cows, especially with dogs. We didn’t have a dog with us, so we weren’t particularly worried.

Suddenly, a herd of cows came over a hill and began running straight towards us. They had calves with them.

We ran away, but they chased us. To try to escape, we turned off the path and hid under a tree. The cows stopped on the path and began walking slowly towards us. They started to surround the tree. We were terrified.

Slowly, we started to walk away (instead of running). Thankfully they didn’t follow us.

When we got near the gate out of the field, and thinking we were safe, we stopped to talk. Suddenly, the cows suddenly started running at us again. We raced to the gate and managed to get away.

We didn’t have a dog with us, so there was no reason for the attack. I have no doubt that if we hadn’t got out of their way by hiding under the tree, they would have trampled us.

Luckily nobody was hurt, but we were badly frightened. Afterwards we reported it to the Woodland Trust (who own the park), but as far as we know there has been no further investigation.

More people should be aware of how dangerous cows can be. Possibly we need to fence off paths when they pass through a field of cattle.