Catching wild bull?

[smilincowranch]

Backstory: Years ago I leased 100 acres from my uncle. Nice grazing, good country, lots of water. 5 years ago I sold out, and moved about 150 miles away. Everything got sold or moved with the exception of one bull, about 2 years old at the time that I had sold to my parents. They were going to have the butcher come out and and get him. Butcher got hurt, was out for a while, (not by bull) Bull got older, got leery of people. Now is wild as a march hair.
He is a Brahma/holstein/angus/somthing cross and Im guessing now 1900-2100lbs, he is huge.
For the last 5 years hes been by himself. I have tried several times to talk my parents into doing somehting with him. I think I finnally have them convinced he needs to go before he gets out on the highway, (fences are pretty bad now) or he dies of old age.

So we have 2 options. Shooting him with a hunting rifle, if we can get near him, and hauling him up with the tractor, gutting him out, and taking him Taylors to have burger, and jerky sticks made, or somehow catching him. Market price is great right now, and he would bring good money.

There lies the problem, you cant get at all close, and he goes right over or through the fences if you do. I dont know anyone good enough with horses and Id be afraid if upset he would get loonier, and go after someone.

My only thought on catching him was to wait till spring/summer when ground dries more, and take my to nurse cows out, (who are getting halter broke, and already very tame) Parking the stock trailer and truck in the field for a few days, with my round pen (heavy duty thick steel panes, not cheap light weight crap) Attached to my trailer, and the cows in the pen, or tied, so he could go in, and then we could herd him and the cows in. Maybe calm cows woudl help him keep calm?

Ideas?

 

[backhoeboogie]

How does anyone wind up with a two year old angus/Holstein/brama/something cross bull in the first place? I'm smelling a rat here.

 

[3waycross]

Backstory: Years ago I leased 100 acres from my uncle. Nice grazing, good country, lots of water. 5 years ago I sold out, and moved about 150 miles away. Everything got sold or moved with the exception of one bull, about 2 years old at the time that I had sold to my parents. They were going to have the butcher come out and and get him. Butcher got hurt, was out for a while, (not by bull) Bull got older, got leery of people. Now is wild as a march hair.
He is a Brahma/holstein/angus/somthing cross and Im guessing now 1900-2100lbs, he is huge.
For the last 5 years hes been by himself. I have tried several times to talk my parents into doing somehting with him. I think I finnally have them convinced he needs to go before he gets out on the highway, (fences are pretty bad now) or he dies of old age.

So we have 2 options. Shooting him with a hunting rifle, if we can get near him, and hauling him up with the tractor, gutting him out, and taking him Taylors to have burger, and jerky sticks made, or somehow catching him. Market price is great right now, and he would bring good money.

There lies the problem, you cant get at all close, and he goes right over or through the fences if you do. I dont know anyone good enough with horses and Id be afraid if upset he would get loonier, and go after someone.

My only thought on catching him was to wait till spring/summer when ground dries more, and take my to nurse cows out, (who are getting halter broke, and already very tame) Parking the stock trailer and truck in the field for a few days, with my round pen (heavy duty thick steel panes, not cheap light weight crap) Attached to my trailer, and the cows in the pen, or tied, so he could go in, and then we could herd him and the cows in. Maybe calm cows woudl help him keep calm?

Ideas?

Where does this story take place if I might ask?

 

[CattleHand]

Had a similar story with my grandpa once. A guy down the road sold most of his cows but could never catch a bull calf that just grew into one wild as hell/killer bull. He still had a few cattle in the pasture so the guy called my grandpa and me and him went down and brought all the cattle up at once and were able to catch the bull in a strong, strong corral when he came up with the other cattle to eat. The bull was still nuts though and was definitely dangerous as hell even with the other cattle around, tore into everything and it was only cause my grandpa is well skilled with cattle we got him in. So you got three options (last one I don't see working if the bull is as crazy as you describe):

1. Do like this guy did and have some one very talented with cattle come and catch him (be it dogs, tranq, or just better working cattle than you are).

2. Shoot him like you suggest

3. Put your cows in with them and withhold water except in the portable corral you have an hope that works.

All depends on your comfortability with working cattle and resources. Scroll down the thread. Someone already has a very similar post to this and those are the options everyone gave. Some give more detail on people to consider contacting.

Edit: Just read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=69391

 

[smilincowranch]

backhoeboogie: His dam was my black Brangus/holstein cow Cleo. She was out of a holstein cow from the dairy I use to work at and dad was brahma/angus. His sire is??? We was marked weird, but was polled, and threw a lot of skunk backed calves. This bull is skunk backed with a dilute brindle color. Creamish/blue instead of orange/black. Im thinking longhorn x? Kinda marked like a pinzgauer, dark legs, white garters, white belly, dark head neck sides. I have an old pic of him I will have to get scanned, if I find it.
He was not supposed to be a bull but 3 times I got him into the corral to cut he either jumped or broke out when younger. My parents told me to leave him as they were just going to butcher him anyways.

Thanks cattlehand. Im not sure if option 1 will be a choice. My uncle may be a road block on how we do things. But I will talk to a few cow friends and see if they have any ideas too.

3way: Northern cali, very northern.

 

[chippie]

Do you mean tie your cows in the trailer with the pen on the side set up so that the bull can go in? I would not tie my cows in the pen where the bull can get to them. That is a good way to get them hurt.

Another thought is that when you set your pen up, sink some solid posts to secure it, otherwise he will scatter the pen if he hits it.

Good luck!

 

[Wild Cattle]

This situation is the most dangerous one I face in my business. Catching grown loner bulls on their home turf is a job that can be very dangerous. They can be faster than a horse and once disturbed they are just as likley to start hunting you. I have roped dozens and dozens of bulls like this as they were chasing my horse with their head in my horses tail. My sugestion is a trap baited with a "hot" cow.

 

[angus9259]

Seems like every option other than shooting him would cost more than it'd be worth for whatever value gain you may have in taking him alive.

 

[Wild Cattle]

In my area that bull would bring at least $1,500.00 I would sure split that with someone who would catch and haul him for me.

 

[I luv herfrds]

A bullet is cheaper.
Don't matter what he would bring in the ring if you are in the hospital. that bill will cost more.

 

[GMN]

We had a friend with the same issue, long story, but he just let the bull get too big, and it was a Charlais, no one could catch him to take him to the butcher, so he had to have someone come out shoot him-kill him, then take the body to the butcher-

The bull was smart and sneaky- he knew what people were going to try to do before they did it.

 

[angus9259]

In my area that bull would bring at least $1,500.00 I would sure split that with someone who would catch and haul him for me.

Subtract the value of the burger and fuel from the $1500 then divide by the number of hours times the number of people and see if the per hour rate is worth the risk.

 

[djinwa]

In my area that bull would bring at least $1,500.00 I would sure split that with someone who would catch and haul him for me.

I'm curious as to exactly how you sell him. Do you haul an animal like that and dump him out at the salebarn? Doesn't seem like that would go very well.

 

[Wild Cattle]

Not a big deal really for someone who is in the business. Find them, rope them, tie them, and load them. They go directly to the sale barn and are bought by the packers, happens everyday and is not a big deal.

 

[Anonymous]

What I don't get with all these wild bull stories the last couple days is this: if you can get within 200 yrds or so of the bull, why can't you shoot the dang things in the head. No running, no chasing. Sit in a darn stand if you have to, just like a deer or what not. A 308, 306 or 270 in the head will drop it, and then haul em out and butcher them. I just don't get why its such a hard thing to do, regardless of terrain

 

[Dixieangus]

i think i would have a top on that trailer wild cattle

 

[chippie]

That is probably a half-top trailer. They are very common in west Texas and the Panhandle area.
The bull will be pulled or pushed to the front under the top.

If you look at the top rail, you can see an upside down loop. The cowboy can throw his rope over it to pull the critter into the trailer if he wants to.

 

[TexasBred]

This situation is the most dangerous one I face in my business. Catching grown loner bulls on their home turf is a job that can be very dangerous. They can be faster than a horse and once disturbed they are just as likley to start hunting you. I have roped dozens and dozens of bulls like this as they were chasing my horse with their head in my horses tail. My sugestion is a trap baited with a "hot" cow.

Two cowboys on two horse and two ropes can usually catch him pretty easily and suck him up into a trailer in no time. Got a couple friends that wait on a call to do it anytime just to help folks out. No charge, just put a truck and trailer in the same field with the bull.

 

[upfrombottom]

That is probably a half-top trailer. They are very common in west Texas and the Panhandle area.
The bull will be pulled or pushed to the front under the top.

If you look at the top rail, you can see an upside down loop. The cowboy can throw his rope over it to pull the critter into the trailer if he wants to.

When you get them that close to the trailer, two guys can stretch a rope across his rear legs just under his rump, and most of the time he will lunge in the trailer.

 

[Wild Cattle]

I have a 12,000lb winch in the nose of my trailer and use it for loading bulls.