Catching a wild bull

[briandavis1652]

I have bought a 6 month old Angus/Limousine bull but can not catch it. He has went through the catch pen wire 2 times and will not go back in now. We can only get about 20 feet from him before he bolts. We have tried feeding him in the pen, but he just will not go in. We have tried using a laso, but could not get close to him, plus neither of us know how to throw one. This has went on for about 2 weeks now and are getting ready to take him to the slaughter house if we can not catch him. Does anyone know anything about tranqulizers? I raise horses as well as the fellow that I am buying this bull from, but we only ride for fun, and neither of us or our horses are roping trained. If we could calm him down, we could get a rope on him and get him in the trailer. He weights between 550 and 600 lbs. What can we use to calm him down? Our horse vet is on a 4 week cruise and is still 2 weeks from being here. Please help. thanks, Brian

 

[angus9259]

No experience with tranqs, sorry.

Have you tried the water in the catch pen? He's gotta drink.

 

[milkmaid]

This has went on for about 2 weeks now and are getting ready to take him to the slaughter house if we can not catch him.

Not trying to be (too) funny, but... it's kinda hard to haul him to the sale barn if you can't catch him.

20ft is actually a fairly small flight zone. Anything wrong with leaving him alone? why do you need to catch him?

do you have other cows/calves that are comfortable around you? if so, given time most skittish animals will calm down when they see the others aren't afraid of you. If you don't have other cows, then just put a small tub of grain out in the field on a daily basis and gradually he'll tame down. Grain can be a pretty strong motivator.

 

[Wewild]

Please help. thanks, Brian

Go to the locally owned feed store and ask them if they know someone who can help you.

 

[cfpinz]

I raise horses as well as the fellow that I am buying this bull from, ...

Here's an idea: Don't buy him!

 

[Wewild]

I raise horses as well as the fellow that I am buying this bull from, ...

Here's an idea: Don't buy him!

Dang good point. I missed that. You could ask for your money back. The owner has to get it penned around here.

 

[mitch2]

Why are you taking a 6 month calf to slaughter? Is he hurt or something?

Michele

 

[briandavis1652]

7 replies and only 2 answers that will help.

 

[cfpinz]

7 replies and only 2 answers that will help.

Actually, my response was intended to help you.

For what purpose are you considering buying this calf for?

 

[bigbull338]

ok heres the advice your wanting to hear.call your local sale barn an see if they know of any cowboys with horses for hire.hire them they will rope that bull calf an put him in a trailer.around here it costs $100 hd to have 1 roped an loaded in the trailer.

 

[TheBullLady]

Is he in your pasture alone? That would explain part of the problem. If you can find an older cow to put in with him, he'll bond with her, and likely would come into the catch pen with her.

Even the tamest calves are very hard to catch when they are alone. Be patient.. and keep feed in the pen.

 

[stocky]

The first thing I would do is put more cows and calves in with him. Feed them grain in the pen each day and it wont be long until he starts going in with them. When you try to load him, load other animals with him, this will keep him from going crazy. I have had much wilder animals calm down with grain and be around the farm for many, many years. If you are getting within 20 feet, he is alot more calm than most calves that age that are on their own. You cant expect to keep a 6 month old limousin cross in a pen by himself without him going crazy. I would consider putting other calves with him in the pen and feed them grain every day and he will calm down.
As far as tranquilizers go, do not get him excited. Shoot him with a dart that has 1/2 cc per hundred pounds of Rom-pum or Xylazine, by another name. Shoot from 50 feet, so he isnt scared. That much will cause him to go to sleep, or almost sleep and you can load him easy. If I liked the calf, I would try calming him down with other gentle animals before I slaughtered him.
Best of luck

 

[Susie David]

From what I read that bull may never be "tamed". Was he wild when you bought him or did he turn bad when he came out of the trailer. Our Lim bull was broke to lead when we bought him as a yearling a year ago and is the most gentle animal on the place. Limousin has a dostility EPD for a reason...though the wild ones have been culled by the better breeders over the years.
You may need to set up a open pen with panels and set out feed to get him used to feeding there, then close him in when he doesn't expect it. Had a cow on pasture last summer that was a hard catch but is a sucker for good alfalfa and cracked corn. Set up the trailer with panels as a modified alley way and fed her there for a couple of days. Closed the gate on her and she was off to the farm.
Do a search on halter breaking and see if anything fits your situation.
Just my two bits worth...asked for or not...Dave Mc

 

[donnaIL]

Even catching a tame bull can sometimes be a *story*.. i assume your bull has been free with plenty of room and little human company :| You must get him confined to a smaller area and other animals with him are preferable and then the catch idea will work, with time. I have heard of the folk up in the NW (family in OR and WA) running them with 4 wheelers into trucks and pens..i cannot imagine it but everyone has a method. Good Luck and let us know how it goes. donna

P.S. we feed them in the area we want them to load (chute, trailer). Last calves we weaned, didn't do a thing, i just stood by the gate and opened it for them..they walked right in, mommas standing right there.

 

[Brute 23]

I raise horses as well as the fellow that I am buying this bull from, ...

Here's an idea: Don't buy him!

Ya, tell him to get his bull off your property.

Try feeding him outside the pin first. Then move to feeding in the pin.

 

[grubbie]

First of all, be glad you didn't get a rope on him. And evidently you don't have the facilities in place (corrals, etc.) to handle this critter. Honestly, get your money back. This guy knew what he was selling you. If he will not take the bull back and return your money, then go with Baxters idea. Put him down. He will be fine for hamburger at least, (if you must have corn or grain finished beef). A young animal like that should make some good steaks as well. Grass finished beef is yummy!! Cut your losses and cut them now. Not being sarchastic, speaking from experience here. You don't want him or any calves out of him either.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Most of the time folks on this board make a little sense. You are dealing a bull calf. He an't to wild if you can get with in twenty feet of him. Get the feed bucket out dump him some in a in a tub or any thing that will hold a little feed. in about a week he will follow that feed bucket.Don't chase him take your time work slow get him to trust you or at least be comfortable with you around. Sounds like a young calf that has just got rattle headed. just needs time to calm down with out some one chasing him every time he see them. I have raised limi cattle for 25 years never had any more knot heads than any body else. You got to remember that calf stands a good chance of being more than half angus.

 

[briandavis1652]

OK, thanks for the reply ya'll. Yes I have paid for him by doing dozer work, he is a very good looking bull and decided to take him as partial payment. He is in the 10 acre pasture with his mother and a 1 1/2 yr old bull. both his mother and the other bull have loaded several times, we have had to run them back out of my trailer.( we put grain in there hoping he would load by himself) what I have done now is park my trailer in the field, use 30 of my 16 foot panels and made a catch pen with a side chute leading to the trailer.( we use to catch wild pregnant mustangs like this out west years ago) we are going to feed all 3 in the pen for about 1 week (is this long enough?) then catch him in there one evening and close the gate. I do not want to take him to the slaughter house, but my friend has sold this house and land, and he has to be out by the end of April. And the lady that bought the house has miniature horses that she raises and part of the sale was that the cows were to be removed. thanks again for the replies, Brian

 

[Brute 23]

No one call tell you if it is long enough. You may have to feed him outside the pin for a week or so. Let him get the tasted of that feed and start liking it. WHen he comes running when you come... then move the trough inside the pin. IF that doesn't work you need a PROFESSIONAL DAY HAND. ;-)

 

[backhoeboogie]

If he is going through the catch pen wire, start by fixing that. If that pen cannot hold a 600 pound calf, it is not a pen but rather a joke.

Why would you buy something to haul to the sale barn?

You did not give your locale so if anyone here wanted to come help you out, they have no idea what country you live in, let alone state or county.

If you have to do this NOW, and if you can get within 20 feet of him, you can do catch him. Tie several ropes to the brush guard of the truck or else tractor and to the corner post at the catch pen. I have used three rope with success. Put them about a foot apart. Leave the rope slack and have your wife back up the truck to pull the ropes taught when he circles the truck within the 20 foot flight zone. Herd him into the pen. He's going to try and get around you. Don't let him. You might want to have that lasso ready at the point just in case. You can loop him (even if you can't throw a rope) as he goes by.

You may now have problems in the pen since he figures he can break out of that pen.

Get yourself some pet cows until you get more experience. You can get yourself killed or maimed.

If you don't have to do this immediately, feed him in the pen for a while, after you build yourself a worthy pen. He may be gate smart and you need to be a little smarter by tying a rope to the gate to pull it shut behind him etc.