Luckiest Girl- Bull Attack

[Caustic Burno]

Very happy the young lady is OK!!!

This brings up a question for you guys...what do you do if you are in a pasture with otherwise "calm" cattle and one goes crazy? I always try to have a plan of escape, but sometimes in the middle of a field...I don't know. Anyway, I am just looking for things you guys have found to be safe methods of "escape" from a situation.

Thanks everyone,

Tim

Had one go bonkers years ago and got after the grandkids going to the back pond fishing.
I went down there on the tractor and he wanted to fight the tractor. I rolled him, went back to the house got a bull whip and the dog. Worked him over all the way to the pen. I hope he went into dog food.
Won't tolerate a cow of that nature, that being said I have seen a lot more cows with an attitude than I have bulls.
Working cows years ago getting rolled and penned down and wallered around by a crazy cow and waking up seeing stars I always carry a pistol now. Might not help one bit the next time but I could have got her off of me that day. I was a lot younger then and could move a lot quicker as well. Working by yourself as many of us do there is no help coming so you have to stay ever aware.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

I never trust the bull, ever. I don't want him in my personal space and he is required to turn away from me if I walk toward him. He does not get to stand and face me like the cows can. I always carry a stick and he will get it in the nose.
Bulls are very different creatures. A bottle raised bull is a ticking time bomb. And halter trained show bulls can be just as bad. When I shop to buy a bull I don't want one that anybody can pet. Docile, yes. But we don't handfeed the bull or make a pet of him. He has a job to do and we are not buddies.
Bulls can speak in a very subtle language which people do not notice. Body language with the bull is everything. All the while the bull is thinking he challenged you and you may walk off not knowing he is thinking these things. Then the bull thinks he is tops. Next time he shows you.

 

[skyhightree1]

I am one of the pistol toters I work the cattle by myself as well and its normally for me to be gone hours at a time fooling with them so I carry for protection but stuff happens quick the gun may not help but i had a incident with the bull trying to push me around earlier this year and after punches to the nose he still did not back up till i got a 2x2 and gave him a good whack ever since he doesnt come near me but had it been more aggressive I would have had to lay him down. While this was happening my kids were there with me.

 

[shadyhollownj]

It never hurts to give a bull or cow a good whack with a stick, shovel, or whatever I got to keep em in line even if they are just being a little pushy. I had a new cow calving in a field right out back out the house. she dropped the calf everything was fine. I got a quick shower looked out the window here comes another one. I seen the bag was over its head still and she was laying down. I ran outside in nothing but boxers and jumped the fence to help the calf. I made it about ten steps in the field before she got up and ran at me. She probably threw me 15 feet before I hit the ground. No one home, no phone, no neighbor that could even here me. Gotta be careful you never know. Lost the calf but luckily that was it.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Very happy the young lady is OK!!!

This brings up a question for you guys...what do you do if you are in a pasture with otherwise "calm" cattle and one goes crazy? I always try to have a plan of escape, but sometimes in the middle of a field...I don't know. Anyway, I am just looking for things you guys have found to be safe methods of "escape" from a situation.

Thanks everyone,

Tim

Tim, like most have said. Carry something with you. A stick, cane, whip, whatever. Don't hesitate to pop one in the nose, (their soft spot.) Cattle are tuff, so you have to do it hard like you mean it! Don't be scratching them on the head, that only encourages butting at you.
As for bulls working you over, the cows may "all be bred". But if a younger bull has been around, and the older bull is on the "alert" he will turn his agitation/aggression on to you!
I had a friend moving a halter bull to another corral one day and was attacked. The bull was agitated by another bull in an adjoining pen. He had a halter and a nose lead on him, leading him away. This very gentle bull turned on him and proceeded to grind him into the ground! The nose lead saved him when he wrapped it around a feeder and crawled out from under the bull. Luckily he only had a very badly broken leg! Could have been worse. Any Testosterone in the air could set them off.
When my bull is out breeding cows, I ride the 4-wheeler or a horse out to check on them. (I know that I could not get to a fence in time on foot.) If I am on foot, I do not get between him and the cows. All my bulls are very docile, but you can not be too careful.

 

[Limomike]

Often times it is the "gentle" ones that get aggressive because they do not fear you. Cattle having a little fear of you, is a good thing.....I have seen this happen with "show bulls" before. I make it a point to thump mine "like I mean it" if they look at me funny.
So glad that she is ok![/quote]

I totally agree with this statement that cattle having a little fear of you is a good thing...
I am glad the girl is going to be ok.

 

[peg4x4]

I'm glad she's gonna be ok. That was close.

 

[CowboyBlue]

Papa always carried an ax handle under his arm when he was spreading range cubes or blocks of hay. Daddy was a big ol' boy and so am I, so we just slapped the bull on the nose when he got too close to us. Our bull we have now has head-butted my son in the chest, and my son punched him on the nose hard, twice, to back him up.

I'm not as spry as I used to be. I might start that ax-handle under the arm thing again. :roll:

 

[SRBeef]

Even the gentlest cow can get dangerously protective of her calf right after calving. Some folks try to tag or band calves right after they are born an d wonder why the cow is charging them.

As calving season approaches in the north I urge folks to be careful.

In my opinion there is nothing so important that needs to be done that it is worth getting hurt.

I tried it and gave up after a few close calls. Mine now get random number tags at the first workup about a month after the last calf is born. The whole herd goes through the chute and gets whatever is needed. My vet gives them whatever shots he recommends and we cut most of the bull calves.

Later I note which calf tag number is sucking on which cow, enter that in Cattlemax and no problem.

Tagging or banding a calf is not worth getting hurt.

Jim

 

[branguscowgirl]

I might add, a good dog has saved many a Rancher! I don't take my dogs out when a cow has calved. The cow will go after them every time. But a dog will get in a bulls face if they are on you! I think even my labs would. I remember a story of and old timer getting down under a bull in the corral and the dog got in the bulls face enough for him to crawl out. A good dog is priceless!

 

[cowgirl_jenna]

Yes, as others have said glad the girl was not killed! We had a jersey bull many years ago that went crazy. One day he was just fine, kept his distance in the barn, the next he was absolutely nuts. Would charge the tractor, needless to say, dad shot that one. We didn't want to chance someone getting hurt at the slaughterhouse. That was the last bull we have ever had at the dairy since. The "bulls/breeders" there now can get pretty ornery/moody too, but trust me they are harmless.......mostly :lol:

When I was growing up we had a older neighbor with no immediate family that had a herd of cattle. He pretty much just fed and watered them. Had several huge bulls running around with the cows. When he died, the real estate agent tried to drive around the farm to look at it. Those bulls came running and he got out of there pretty quick. It took a group of cowboys and horses to round them up, and they ended up shooting some of the crazier ones I remember.
Jenna

 

[Dave]

People should think about this but when was the last time you heard of someone being injured or killed by a bull that was known to be wild or mean. It is pretty darn rare. That is because people are smart enough to give a wide berth to a wild bull. But a tame bull can get real close to some people and they don't give it a second thought.

 

[Tim/South]

I am glad she was not hurt worse and will recover.

A good cow dog is priceless. So is a .357. They work well together.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I am glad she was not hurt worse and will recover.

A good cow dog is priceless. So is a .357. They work well together.

The help of the dog gives you time to pull the .357! Otherwise, you may not be a quick enough draw to save your azz with it alone!