Repelling Cows

[waggy]

You've just entered their territory, remember, Maceo, so they've every right to inspect you. When that's done, they soon get bored and move off, usually. The advice about not taking a bucket is sound. Another thing you can do is to take some short bamboos and white cord or tape to set out your own territorial cordon about 10ft around your gear.

[barbelboi]

I tend to be in close proximity to a fair few quite often in a field by a stretch of river I fish. No problem - just be wary when sitting that they don't creep up and give you a pat on the back.
Jerry

[watatoad]

Short of carrying a small portable electric fence I know of no way to keep them away and I fish a lot surrounded by cows who although curious are not as crazy as most of the half insane horses that are around.

[mark brailsford 2]

Originally Posted by maceo

In one of the fields I fish there is often a large herd of cows.

I'm not bothered by them or anything like that. I grew up in areas sufficiently suburban to be used to them......but...

These ones creep up on you. One minute they're right over the other side of the field with their backs to you, then the next time you happen to glance over your shoulder they're in a steadily decreasing semi-circle closing in on you ominously.

Does anyone have good methods for getting them to move along. A method that doesn't involve jumping around and waving your arms or swishing a landing net handle at them and scaring every fish away for miles in the process?

Even when you do scare them away a short distance like that, they're back doing the same thing again as soon as your back is turned. About 30 of 'em slowly closing in on the bait and tackle.

As a responsible angler, I obviously don't want to do anything that will hurt the cows and upset the farmer.

I must admit that I have resorted to firing little chunks of dried mud at them sometimes with the catapult. Although that seems to work, I'm worried about popping one of them in their eye or something and what can you do when it's wet and muddy and there's no dry mud lumps?

There must be a better way that someone's discovered.

Ignore the little buggers, they are usually just being nosy and will soon be on there way again.
Reminds me of a sign on a gate in the peak park, ''ENTRY TO THIS FIELD IS FREE, THE BULL WILL CHARGE LATER!