In article ,
wrote:
On Sun, 03 May 2015 17:04:34 +0100, Tim Watts
wrote:

I regularly walk around cows and I know what they are like (and yes,
they can sometimes freak and charge, moreso beef cattle than dairy stock).

Bulls tend to be the other way around.

And a lot of people not from an agricultural background do not realise
a farmer can have certain breeds of Bull in a field with a public
right of way across it if the Bull is accompanied by Cows.
The Breeds that are prohibited and listed here
https://www.gov.uk/public-rights-of-...sponsibilities
are all dairy breeds. Those small sweet looking Jerseys and Guernseys
can be the most ferocious of them all.

Right. I am also very cautious about Highland, because they are
often left to be a lot more feral than most cattle. But all that
means is not walking through the middle of a herd, or otherwise
being an idiot.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
says...

In article ,
wrote:
On Sun, 03 May 2015 17:04:34 +0100, Tim Watts
wrote:

I regularly walk around cows and I know what they are like (and yes,
they can sometimes freak and charge, moreso beef cattle than dairy stock).

Bulls tend to be the other way around.

And a lot of people not from an agricultural background do not realise
a farmer can have certain breeds of Bull in a field with a public
right of way across it if the Bull is accompanied by Cows.
The Breeds that are prohibited and listed here
https://www.gov.uk/public-rights-of-...sponsibilities
are all dairy breeds. Those small sweet looking Jerseys and Guernseys
can be the most ferocious of them all.

Right. I am also very cautious about Highland, because they are
often left to be a lot more feral than most cattle. But all that
means is not walking through the middle of a herd, or otherwise
being an idiot.

One aspect of Highlands' "feral" nature is that the cows don't keep
their calves at foot (as other farm breeds do). Highlands hide their
calf in rough undergrowth and though the mother may be a considerable
distance from it, she is guarding it and will attack without warning if
she perceives it to be threatened; for instance by a human walking close
to the hidden calf or even just between it and her. Our farm neighbour
who raised them, used to ask us to keep off the moor during calving, for
our own safety.

Janet

On 03/05/15 19:46, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
wrote:
On Sun, 03 May 2015 17:04:34 +0100, Tim Watts
wrote:

I regularly walk around cows and I know what they are like (and yes,
they can sometimes freak and charge, moreso beef cattle than dairy stock).

Bulls tend to be the other way around.

And a lot of people not from an agricultural background do not realise
a farmer can have certain breeds of Bull in a field with a public
right of way across it if the Bull is accompanied by Cows.
The Breeds that are prohibited and listed here
https://www.gov.uk/public-rights-of-...sponsibilities
are all dairy breeds. Those small sweet looking Jerseys and Guernseys
can be the most ferocious of them all.

Right. I am also very cautious about Highland, because they are
often left to be a lot more feral than most cattle. But all that
means is not walking through the middle of a herd, or otherwise
being an idiot.

While certainly not wanting to make light of the dangers
of cattle (or hippos), there are many free-range highland
cattle that coexist with walkers, golfers and cars on
Minchinhampton Common.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerzzz/9248644430/
http://www.stroudlife.co.uk/images/l...6599-large.jpg

I can still visualise a cow with hooves skittering on asphalt
as it zigzagged through a row of cars at a junction - after it
suddenly realised the rest of the herd had just disappeared
over the brow of the hill

In article ,
Tom Gardner wrote:

Right. I am also very cautious about Highland, because they are
often left to be a lot more feral than most cattle. But all that
means is not walking through the middle of a herd, or otherwise
being an idiot.

While certainly not wanting to make light of the dangers
of cattle (or hippos), there are many free-range highland
cattle that coexist with walkers, golfers and cars on
Minchinhampton Common.

I said cautious, not panicky - unlike certain posters on this thread!
Also, the places where I encounter them tend to be ones where they
are not used to walkers, so a bit of extra care is indicated.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 03/05/15 22:19, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Tom Gardner wrote:

Right. I am also very cautious about Highland, because they are
often left to be a lot more feral than most cattle. But all that
means is not walking through the middle of a herd, or otherwise
being an idiot.

While certainly not wanting to make light of the dangers
of cattle (or hippos), there are many free-range highland
cattle that coexist with walkers, golfers and cars on
Minchinhampton Common.

I said cautious, not panicky - unlike certain posters on this thread!

Well excuse me for thinking reintroducing lynx, bears and wolves are a
crap idea...

In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:

Well excuse me for thinking reintroducing lynx, bears and wolves are a
crap idea...

I would if you were - but you were merely reacting emotionally, and
not thinking. There are reasonable arguments against reintroductions
(weak ones in the case of lynx and wolves), but all the assertions
against have been irrational prejudice, picked up from fairy tales
and the likes of Daily Wail silly season articles.

It probably IS a bad idea to consider reintroducing bears, at least
unless some pretty massive other restoration projects are under way,
but everybody who has looked at the issues rationally has concluded
that reintroducing lynx and wolves would be practically risk-free
to humans (which is not to say that it would succeed).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 04/05/15 12:17, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:

Well excuse me for thinking reintroducing lynx, bears and wolves are a
crap idea...

I would if you were - but you were merely reacting emotionally, and
not thinking.

So? I'm happy with the ecosystem in this country and I don't want anyone
introducing any new (by modern standards) predatory animals.

There are reasonable arguments against reintroductions
(weak ones in the case of lynx and wolves), but all the assertions
against have been irrational prejudice, picked up from fairy tales
and the likes of Daily Wail silly season articles.

It probably IS a bad idea to consider reintroducing bears, at least
unless some pretty massive other restoration projects are under way,
but everybody who has looked at the issues rationally has concluded
that reintroducing lynx and wolves would be practically risk-free
to humans (which is not to say that it would succeed).


Hmm let me see...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._America#2010s

That might not be a high frequency of deaths, but I still do not want
the buggers in my country.

And I fancy my chances with a chasing cow better than a bear. At least
of I get over a fence or up a tree, I'm probably OK. The bear is not
going to stop.