With a Moo Moo here and a Moo Moo there......

[maverick 7]

Cows.......what a pain in the ar$e those animals are when you are fishing a river...

....Imagine the scene.....you are sat there as I was yesterday, when a herd of around 30 cows come down and start drinking from the peg next to yours. .....30 BIG cows I might add.

After they had drunk enough water from the river......they decided to meander down to my peg at which point I started to get a little concerned.....and what made things worse, I did my Rawhide impression by standing up and "running" towards them waving a large bankstick and shouting things something on the lines of "Hit 'em up...and move 'em out" ...and they never flinched......just stood there looking at me.

Now I was definitely getting a bit concerned.......

Luckily, in the end....they turned around and headed for the big open field behind me ...but it was a hairy half hour or so....

I understand that around 5 people a year get killed by cows....don't know if that's right but they scare the $hite out of me .......

........how do you lot cope with them?

Maverick

 

[terry m]

I have read the statistic that cows kill x number of people per year also, but to be honest they have never worried me. As you found, they are rather inquisitive creatures.

I am however very concerned where bulls are involved regardless of the conditions I take no chances.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Personally I just try to avoid them whenever possible.

I experienced one who decided to go for a paddle in my swin on the Hampshire Avon at Bisterne once while a few of its mates were standing dangerously close to my spare rods . . . . . . . and at around a thousand pounds in weight they can do some damage . . . . .

 

[barbelboi]

Had many a meeting with cows and bulls on various rivers, they seem to be attracted to the smell of hemp?? - Funnily enough they also frequent farm ponds.......................

 

[dorsetandchub]

Especially to a thousand pounds of Normarks!!

 

[lambert1]

Not cows for me but Sheep, which keep their distance, but boy are they noisy! I recently had my hearing aids updated and ten minutes into my session I took them out as I literally could not hear myself think. Catching your legs on the electrified wire does at least get the old circulation going

 

[peter crabtree]

Once on the Thames a group of cattle appeared behind me. I was using my pole long and every time I shipped it back they were licking it. Shipped out and got cow gob all over my hands. Luckily none of them shat on it....

 

[big bad barry]

I had to give up my membership of a fishing club because of them! Last year I was fishing the river dove and down the bank about eight foot, then a herd of about 60 beasts descended on me peering over the edge, that must be about sixty tons of beef, if the bank would have given way then my only way out would have been the river and I wouldn't have got out of there . It ruined by day completely so I packed it in there, fishing is about relaxing to me and not peering over my shoulder every five minutes, shame really as it was a beautiful place.

 

[maverick 7]

Personally I just try to avoid them whenever possible.

I experienced one who decided to go for a paddle in my swin on the Hampshire Avon at Bisterne once while a few of its mates were standing dangerously close to my spare rods . . . . . . . and at around a thousand pounds in weight they can do some damage . . . . .

The problem is Peter.....how do you avoid 'em if you're in a club. Often when I get tackled up there is no sign of any cows then ...bang....they seem to appear from nowhere....probably just the farmer who has released them for grazing after you got there....it happens on the Dove at Scropton.

Maverick

 

[peterjg]

I've been fishing the Kennet this season where there is a herd of cows in the field. Last year it was OK it was sheep. Me being a keen naturalist and very observant only realised this week that the cows were in fact young bullocks! Actually they have been ok (so far) but it has put me off a bit. The cows that I really hate are those big white cows (they are French I think?) - I have been chased twice by them.

 

[maverick 7]

I had to give up my membership of a fishing club because of them! Last year I was fishing the river dove and down the bank about eight foot, then a herd of about 60 beasts descended on me peering over the edge, that must be about sixty tons of beef, if the bank would have given way then my only way out would have been the river and I wouldn't have got out of there . It ruined by day completely so I packed it in there, fishing is about relaxing to me and not peering over my shoulder every five minutes, shame really as it was a beautiful place.

Did the same thing with my Derby Railway club membership......I fished the Dove at Scropton and it is a very nice productive stretch of river....but the cows are a real nuisance. When it has been raining you have to paddle through ankle deep cow$hite down to the river..... and recently, the farmer in his wisdom has erected a cowfeed bin or whatever they call them.... and all the cows gather round this bin. There are tons of 'em and all only about 20 foot from the bank where we fished.....despite the fact that the field is humongous and he could have easily have erected it further down the field well away from the river....Surely he has some responsibility to the anglers seeing as he is being paid to accomodate them....

I thought it was really inconsiderate of the farmer to place that bin so close to where the anglers need access to the water...after all, he gets well paid to let that stretch to the club surely he should ensure that the anglers can at least get there to use it....so I gave up my membership 'cos I got sick of the sludge and $hite...not to mention the deanger of the cows.... every time you went there.

...however, doesn't look like it's any better with my new club.....mg:

Maverick

 

[dangermouse]

You boys should try a nice commercial fishery, ain`t no cows there. :wh

 

[sam vimes]

I'd rather cows to horses and I'd rather a dirty great bull to a cow with a calf.
I'm usually quite unconcerned by cattle, unless it's suckling mothers. They are worth being careful with. It's relatively rare to encounter a nasty bull these days. Farmer Palmer doesn't usually want to work with a truculent bull. They've been steadily breeding the nasty out of them and the price of bull calfs means that they no longer have to endure a difficult bull.

My biggest concern with cattle when fishing is that the dozy sods will step on my gear. Had one last year on a soft, high banked stetch of the Swale. The dippy animal fell in from a fair height, it made one hell of a splash. Fortrunately, it was a fair depth. Unfortunately, it decided that it may as well explore and have a bit of a swim while it was there. It did an excellent job of ruining my swim.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

The problem is Peter.....how do you avoid 'em if you're in a club. Often when I get tackled up there is no sign of any cows then ...bang....they seem to appear from nowhere....probably just the farmer who has released them for grazing after you got there....it happens on the Dove at Scropton.

Maverick

There is no real answer to that I guess.

On my old syndicate stretch there were 2 fields that regularly had cows grazing, so I'd pick a swim in the unoccupied field but even then if it was the upstream fireld then they would come waddling along on their way to the milking sheds in the afternoon.

I think those cows that are used to seeing anglers are not really a problem but those where an angler is a rare occurance can be bothersome.

 

[no-one in particular]

I believe frequently the people killed have a dog, they let it loose and it freaks the cows out and they start stampeding. Also they are probably more nervous when they have young around them like most animals. But the dog thing is just stupid. Often its just an old lady with a small dog but, if they start yapping and running at the cows, they panic.

I remember an incident some years ago, I was trudging back with my bike, this was clanking over the rough ground and a herd started running towards me at speed. I s myself and got as far down the bank as possible. After a while they backed off but, as soon as I started walking again with the bike they started to charge towards me again, it can be very frightening a herd of cows charging at you.. Eventually I sussed it was the bike freaking them out and picked it up and carried it and they were alright.

Why I do not know but, I have always been a bit nervous about them ever since..

 

[ilkestonfishing]

Cows.......what a pain in the ar$e those animals are when you are fishing a river...

....Imagine the scene.....you are sat there as I was yesterday, when a herd of around 30 cows come down and start drinking from the peg next to yours. .....30 BIG cows I might add.

After they had drunk enough water from the river......they decided to meander down to my peg at which point I started to get a little concerned.....and what made things worse, I did my Rawhide impression by standing up and "running" towards them waving a large bankstick and shouting things something on the lines of "Hit 'em up...and move 'em out" ...and they never flinched......just stood there looking at me.

Now I was definitely getting a bit concerned.......

Luckily, in the end....they turned around and headed for the big open field behind me ...but it was a hairy half hour or so....

I understand that around 5 people a year get killed by cows....don't know if that's right but they scare the $hite out of me .......

........how do you lot cope with them?

Maverick

I fish the derwent at Borrowash (Earl Of Harringtons Ticket) part of it is in a field, where the farmer lets his cows roam.. never been soo scared in my life.. especially when the bull took a fancy to me. I still have nightmares LOL!

 

[benny samways]

I like to pretend that I am just concerned that cows will damage my tackle that's left on the bank but really I am petrified of the b''stard things.

Their inquisitive nature is a pain in the arse. I hate them.

One time in my panic at getting away from a nosey group of cows that had congregated around the back of my swim I inadvertently snapped the connection from the battery to the electrical fence that kept them away from the river and was to nancy-boy to go back and connect it.

They ate almost every bit of bankside vegetation going. All the willows were coppiced! All the nettles gone, pipe reeds eaten, and muddied banks turned into a quagmire!

 

[pf0x]

I believe frequently the people killed have a dog, they let it loose and it freaks the cows out and they start stampeding. Also they are probably more nervous when they have young around them like most animals. But the dog thing is just stupid. Often its just an old lady with a small dog but, if they start yapping and running at the cows, they panic.

Yes I've read this too. But it's actually recommended you should let your dog go if they start stampeding at you and you're walking a dog on a lead.

I saw a report on TV about cow 'attacks'. Actually very shocking. I'd always assumed cows stampeded and injured people by 'accident' but on this incident after the cows had knocked this man over they actually stood above him and continuously jumped up and down on him with their front legs. He was saved by a passer-by who distracted them.

I have been scared of them at times. I've noticed that all herds are different. Some are fine. Others, not so much.

 

[no-one in particular]

Yes I've read this too. But it's actually recommended you should let your dog go if they start stampeding at you and you're walking a dog on a lead.

Depends on the dog I suppose, if it was one of those little old ladies yapping shitzu things, could always throttle it.
oopsie daisy.

 

[seth49]

They have started putting signs on the footpath markers round here.
Advising you to let go of your dogs lead if threatened by cows.
Trouble with that is,if the dog is frightened it will try and hide behind you.
Then the cow goes straight through you to get at the dog.
Not a good idea to take a dog through cattle.
They don't bother me I was brought up on a farm, and I'm used to them.
They are just nosy most of the time.