Ideas to catch "wild" cows

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These cows may have been very reasonable for the Dad to handle, but not comfortable with strangers. There was a group of Hereford cows brought to the local Livestock Auction here and they put everyone on the top rail of the fences. One cow came into the sale ring and before the one owner of the Auction could finish giving the prospective buyers information about these cows she put him in the top rail. Once he was seated comfortably on the top rail, he explained that these cows belonged to and had been being fed by an 80 year old lady. I am not sure my cows would handle nicely for just anyone
 
It doesn't sound like this guy is to committed to getting rid of these cows. Sounds like he should use the best wireless device that I know of, 30-06.

Several years ago dad and I got roped into help the neighbor load his cows that he sold. His corrals, well he don't have any. During the process they tore down his corrals, after several attempts we finally got most of them load, but they had one that got out before we could shut the gate on the trailer. The were going let all those cows out just to get just one; I told them if they did they were on their own, and suggested that we unload them in our alley, and then they could come back and get that one cow. We got her loaded dumped her in with the others at our place and the all loaded with ease.
 
Sounds like the son should have been around a little more to find out how dad did it.

Might consider its the new pannels they don't like? Where did the old man work them. I'd start there.

I've found that when cows get used to a trap a new trap in a different place usually works better than the trap they are wise to.


On the many cowboy and dogs suggestions. That's a option for sure but first you better have a group of real cowboys not calf roper's. Trying to yeehaww 17 grown cows around anything but a really large pasture is a sure way to get to chase them across the country when they start going through fences.
 
I've found that when cows get used to a trap a new trap in a different place usually works better than the trap they are wise to.


On the many cowboy and dogs suggestions. That's a option for sure but first you better have a group of real cowboys not calf roper's. Trying to yeehaww 17 grown cows around anything but a really large pasture is a sure way to get to chase them across the country when they start going through fences.
I agree. I have been very outspoken about about not using "cowboys". I'd dart or shoot a bad one dead before taking a chance on them pushing cattle through fences.

The problem is the son is not going to get it done and they have taught these cows some bad habits so options 1, 2, 3 are long gone.

They need a cattle guy that has cattle, takes care of cattle, and catches cattle on the side. Not a gung hoe team roper who wants to be a youtube star that claims to knock it out in a couple hours and be gone.

You have to have some one with experience make the call and say... let me work with the cattle, yall stay away and I'll pen as many as possible OR they are a lost cause and we need to remove them by what ever means necessary.
 
It won't catch them but a tip to stop them from going under the panels by lifting them up. At each point where the panels connect drive a steel post and use a heavy zip tie to connect the panels to the post. Don't use the small zip ties use the heavy ones.
 
Big trap pen made out of the "escape proof" 24' corral panels... set up so you can trap 'em without them realizing you're there (maybe a rope to pull a self latching gate shut... might have to set up a blind to hide out of sight in to accomplish this). Feed in the corral for a few days, without any thought of trying to catch them. Place feed so that they see you doing it, and walk away. Would be nice in these situations to have a "drop gate" that could be remotely tripped, wouldn't it?

Gordon Hazard has some good thoughts on gentling wild head high critters in his book. Set a bucket of feed out so they see you do it, and walk away. Do the same every day for a week, eventually they'll not see you as a friend instead of a threat.
 
Do the same every day for a week, eventually they'll not see you as a friend instead of a threat.
I think you slipped an extra "not" in there.

That works for some, maybe even most. I had a couple (at different times) over the years that no matter how many times I put out cubes and no matter where I put them they simply wouldn't come near on a regular basis. I was able to lure those 2 high heads into the pen and send them on their merry way but I don't think they would have ever become 'part of the herd'.

My oldest sister had one like that and when she sold out, I had a little trouble getting it in her old wooden pen (thanks to a neighbor's yapping dog) but as soon as it realized it couldn't get out, she went berserk. Up and over the 2xs, then over the 5 strand into her yard, across the yard and out over the fence on the other side of the yard and into the river and out into the Nat Forest. We never saw her again. Happened in less than a minute. My sister's reaction?
"Good ****** Riddance!" and walked back into the house.
Yes, they are usually good mommas and raise a calf but daughters are almost as bat poop crazy as they come.
 
It won't catch them but a tip to stop them from going under the panels by lifting them up. At each point where the panels connect drive a steel post and use a heavy zip tie to connect the panels to the post. Don't use the small zip ties use the heavy ones.
Baling wire doubled or tripled, tied in 3 or 4 places.
 
May be an awful idea but may be worth a try: one of my neighbors had some yearling feeder calves. 7 or 8 were idiots that he couldn't bring up to his corral. He ended up selling the rest and was about in the same fix as your buddy with the flighty ones. I brought 5 of my old gentle cows onto his place and let them comings with his for about a week. After a week I called my cows up to his corral and sure enough all the feeders followed them in
 
I agree. I have been very outspoken about about not using "cowboys". I'd dart or shoot a bad one dead before taking a chance on them pushing cattle through fences.

The problem is the son is not going to get it done and they have taught these cows some bad habits so options 1, 2, 3 are long gone.

They need a cattle guy that has cattle, takes care of cattle, and catches cattle on the side. Not a gung hoe team roper who wants to be a youtube star that claims to knock it out in a couple hours and be gone.

You have to have some one with experience make the call and say... let me work with the cattle, yall stay away and I'll pen as many as possible OR they are a lost cause and we need to remove them by what ever means necessary.
On the many cowboy and dogs suggestions. That's a option for sure but first you better have a group of real cowboys not calf roper's. Trying to yeehaww 17 grown cows around anything but a really large pasture is a sure way to get to chase them across the country when they start going through fences.
Dunno who or what y'all call cowboys in Texas, but neither me nor anyone I use to work cattle ever "yeehaws" cattle when we go to move, pen or catch them. And I have won my share team ropings for sure,. Never did compete in calf roping, because injuries prevent me from running very fast.

With men that know what they are doing, on horses that know what they are doing, I can move any cattle anywhere, and rarely get out of a walk. I won't work with men or horses that I don't know...much of the time I supply the horses.

I agree with @callmefence about the dogs, however. I won't have them around, except in a few situations where the woods are to thick to ride in. Once you get the dogs involved, though, then yeah, it usually turns into a **** show. I have the horses to take care of it when it does turn into a fence-jumping, cross-country, moto-x-on-horseback if the dogs are involved,. but I'd rather the dogs stayed on the truck 99.9999% of the time. Like @greybeard said, often it is just one or two that are crazy , but they will get the whole herd stampeding. Best to take them out first, then the others may settle some.

In a situation like the OP described, with questionable fencing and no corral, pen, or lot, I might spend a week before I caught that herd. I'd ride the place the first day, seeing how they were gonna react to a horse, and finding a good spot to set up a corral. If they settled down, easing a horse through them, we might could pen them that day. If not, though, then if there was a way to only have water in the pen, then that's what I would do, along with some feed. And as someone else suggested, shut them away from the food and water at night. Might even use a trick I learned form an old cowboy that I started catching cows with when I was teenager. He had this big ole LH steer that a baby could lead around by the ear, and people could ride. A few times when we had to get some that were high-strung like that, he'd take Jerry over there and turn him loose with them for a few days. When we'd go back, we'd just ride up to ole Jerry,. and he'd follow along behind us, and nearly always, the cattle would fall in behind Jerry, and we'd just all walk to the pens and go in.

Dunno what it would cost up there, to get someone that knew what they were doing to catch that herd. If it were close to me....40 miles or less.... I'd charge $500 to set up the corral with my panels, and the going price to catch cows like this is $250 a head. So, that's $4250 + $500. That would include us loading them and carrying them to the closest sale barn, though. Oh,, and if they had already been trying to catch them with 4-wheelrs or dogs, or those "yeehaw cowboys" like Brute and Fence described, I'd probably not fool with them.
 
Dunno who or what y'all call cowboys in Texas, but neither me nor anyone I use to work cattle ever "yeehaws" cattle when we go to move, pen or catch them. And I have won my share team ropings for sure,. Never did compete in calf roping, because injuries prevent me from running very fast.

With men that know what they are doing, on horses that know what they are doing, I can move any cattle anywhere, and rarely get out of a walk. I won't work with men or horses that I don't know...much of the time I supply the horses.

I agree with @callmefence about the dogs, however. I won't have them around, except in a few situations where the woods are to thick to ride in. Once you get the dogs involved, though, then yeah, it usually turns into a **** show. I have the horses to take care of it when it does turn into a fence-jumping, cross-country, moto-x-on-horseback if the dogs are involved,. but I'd rather the dogs stayed on the truck 99.9999% of the time. Like @greybeard said, often it is just one or two that are crazy , but they will get the whole herd stampeding. Best to take them out first, then the others may settle some.

In a situation like the OP described, with questionable fencing and no corral, pen, or lot, I might spend a week before I caught that herd. I'd ride the place the first day, seeing how they were gonna react to a horse, and finding a good spot to set up a corral. If they settled down, easing a horse through them, we might could pen them that day. If not, though, then if there was a way to only have water in the pen, then that's what I would do, along with some feed. And as someone else suggested, shut them away from the food and water at night. Might even use a trick I learned form an old cowboy that I started catching cows with when I was teenager. He had this big ole LH steer that a baby could lead around by the ear, and people could ride. A few times when we had to get some that were high-strung like that, he'd take Jerry over there and turn him loose with them for a few days. When we'd go back, we'd just ride up to ole Jerry,. and he'd follow along behind us, and nearly always, the cattle would fall in behind Jerry, and we'd just all walk to the pens and go in.

Dunno what it would cost up there, to get someone that knew what they were doing to catch that herd. If it were close to me....40 miles or less.... I'd charge $500 to set up the corral with my panels, and the going price to catch cows like this is $250 a head. So, that's $4250 + $500. That would include us loading them and carrying them to the closest sale barn, though. Oh,, and if they had already been trying to catch them with 4-wheelrs or dogs, or those "yeehaw cowboys" like Brute and Fence described, I'd probably not fool with them.
Warren.. you should apply at the Winnebago ranch. They always looking for another superpuncher... 😉
 
Caught three 4-year old steers that escaped roundup by a rancher for several years. They ran to old mining pits that held water and lots of brambles. It took two Catahoula dogs about 30 minutes to pop the steers out to the trail. One wanted to break back and got a dog on his ear and another on the tail. They then trotted right up the dirt road to the corrals with a dog on each side. However, the rancher was aggravated they were missing some skin on the ears and tail.
It was a amazing sight to watch those wide steers seek the safety of the pens. Those Catahoulas we usually used on hogs but they were good dogs on anything.
 

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