Attacked by a cow.

[Yale]

Through experience I will never fully trust a bunch of suckler cows and calves,especially if I were walking a footpath.

The minimum would be to have an escape route planned and keep near a boundary.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

So you are going to close a footpath as there is a potentially dangerous animal in there? You can't do that. The police on the other hand can legally close any road they see fit. It's about the law. The footpath stays open unless a statutory authority closes it. At the end of the day, like it or not, when there is a human corpse in the field, the farmer will absolutely be asked how that came about and have to defend themselves. You can spout all you like on a forum about the M4 but it is you who is in court.

Somebody mentioned earlier that it would cost 7 grand to move a path because the authority where being arses. That is stupid. All it would take is the farmer and all other interested parties to have a sit down and work it out with open minds. It seems that is impossible in many cases on one side or the other. Depressing.

For 5 long winters my house flooded and left 6 inches of stinking mud on the ground floor so I decided to move the ditch to the other side of the hedge that passed my front door, this meant moving the foot path 10 ft over, would they have it would they hell, they have now decided it can be moved 10 ft after a lot of bother, they will bill me £1700, for what I don't know

 

[Pasty]

Through experience I will never fully trust a bunch of suckler cows and calves,especially if I were walking a footpath.

The minimum would be to have an escape route planned and keep near a boundary.

Near boundary might mean going off the path which is trespass. Having 3 young kids makes it 1000 times harder.

 

[Pasty]

For 5 long winters my house flooded and left 6 inches of stinking mud on the ground floor so I decided to move the ditch to the other side of the hedge that passed my front door, this meant moving the foot path 10 ft over, would they have it would they hell, they have now decided it can be moved 10 ft after a lot of bother, they will bill me £1700, for what I don't know

barstewards.

 

[Mishoo]

For 5 long winters my house flooded and left 6 inches of stinking mud on the ground floor so I decided to move the ditch to the other side of the hedge that passed my front door, this meant moving the foot path 10 ft over, would they have it would they hell, they have now decided it can be moved 10 ft after a lot of bother, they will bill me £1700, for what I don't know

Absolutely sums it all up.

 

[Yale]

Near boundary might mean going off the path which is trespass. Having 3 young kids makes it 1000 times harder.

I believe there is no law of trespass,only reparations for any losses.

I have three young kids also and wouldn't think twice of taking an alternative route if I assessed the risk to my family as being a potentially dangerous situation.

 

[Pasty]

I believe there is no law of trespass,only reparations for any losses.

I have three young kids also and wouldn't think twice of taking an alternative route if I assessed the risk to my family as being a potentially dangerous situation.

You are right, trespass is now civil. But going by the tone of some on here, how would I be treated if I was to scale the outside of the field and veer from 'the path'? I am a land owner and give the respect I expect from others. So I keep to the path. Last thing I want as a farmer is to be bawled out by another farmer, quite rightly for being where I shouldn't be. I get enough space cadets roaming my land and it would drive me nuts if I let it. Should I pick another field to cross instead as it is safer for me? How would that fly on TFF?

 

[Yale]

You are right, trespass is now civil. But going by the tone of some on here, how would I be treated if I was to scale the outside of the field and veer from 'the path'? I am a land owner and give the respect I expect from others. So I keep to the path. Last thing I want as a farmer is to be bawled out by another farmer, quite rightly for being where I shouldn't be. I get enough space cadets roaming my land and it would drive me nuts if I let it. Should I pick another field to cross instead as it is safer for me? How would that fly on TFF?

I would risk getting bawled at by another farmer if there was a herd of unpredictable cattle on a footpath and I had my family with me.

I would detour around the cattle being careful not to damage property,fences etc.

 

[Mishoo]

There's no other way to take out the risk to the public. They'll just have to ban us from keeping any sort of stock where footpaths run.

 

[Yale]

There's no other way to take out the risk to the public. They'll just have to ban us from keeping any sort of stock where footpaths run.

Or ramblers will have to attend a training course and pass to be certificated to walk land with livestock.

Along with the refresher course every two years.

 

[Mishoo]

Yes. Put the boot on the other foot for a change

 

[Henarar]

For 5 long winters my house flooded and left 6 inches of stinking mud on the ground floor so I decided to move the ditch to the other side of the hedge that passed my front door, this meant moving the foot path 10 ft over, would they have it would they hell, they have now decided it can be moved 10 ft after a lot of bother, they will bill me £1700, for what I don't know

Isn't the cost in changing the maps

 

[Mishoo]

They walk with clip boarded OS map in hand looking v official. Any dotted line is a footpath to them. No need to go to expense of changing the map, a keep out sign is all that's understood.

 

[ARW]

One day our livestock won't be allowed on our land an the re introduction of wild boars will have started.
Poor ramblers just can't get a break

 

[JP1]

One day our livestock won't be allowed on our land an the re introduction of wild boars will have started.
Poor ramblers just can't get a break

Or Lynx.......

 

[Old Boar]

One day our livestock won't be allowed on our land an the re introduction of wild boars will have started.
Poor ramblers just can't get a break

I have some for sale. Hint, hint...

 

[Allison Bray]

Friendly inquiry, having perused all 12 pages of this: best practices for anyone on these paths include common sense to avoid unpredictable livestock where possible, carry a stick (?), and be ready to run.

So, how effective is the nose-tapping with a stick? And how likely is it that a cow can catch up if I'm running for my life?

Bonus question: how much help is talking or singing while near cattle? I could probably improvise some "Get along little dogies" tunes after watching my share of American Westerns, but would UK cows be offended?

 

[milkloss]

Friendly inquiry, having perused all 12 pages of this: best practices for anyone on these paths include common sense to avoid unpredictable livestock where possible, carry a stick (?), and be ready to run.

So, how effective is the nose-tapping with a stick? And how likely is it that a cow can catch up if I'm running for my life?

Bonus question: how much help is talking or singing while near cattle? I could probably improvise some "Get along little dogies" tunes after watching my share of American Westerns, but would UK cows be offended?

Nose tapping: not really effective as described. Depending on imminent threat it could have to be a thrashing but the most important part is noise, lots of it, and making yourself appear big and scary.

A cow could catch you easy but if defending a calf is likely to return to it when you are away and not a threat.

Singing or talking is very unlikely to help as cows and especially the younger stock will be curios and may run over and crowd you.

We had some wild bullocks one year and when rounding them up and they went mental an old boy would fall to the ground whimpering. Bullocks would run back to take a look.

 

[Allison Bray]

Nose tapping: not really effective as described. Depending on imminent threat it could have to be a thrashing but the most important part is noise, lots of it, and making yourself appear big and scary.

A cow could catch you easy but if defending a calf is likely to return to it when you are away and not a threat.

Singing or talking is very unlikely to help as cows and especially the younger stock will be curios and may run over and crowd you.

Seeing as my singing is most generally (and generously) described as "noise, lots of it" maybe I'm in good shape

 

[CopperBeech]

Common sense should be universal, unfortunately its not.

Walkers should understand the ways of the farming landscape they walk through.

And farmers with arsey cows, large bulls etc etc, should probably give a thought to the fact that at this time of year on a major footpath in a touristy area, a lot of folk are going to walk through the field. . . .so a strand of electric, or barb, or a sign or a different field for the cattle . . . . might just be less hassle than dealing with the fall out.

Although to be fair I think everyone should stay at home and leave me a lone in the countryside.