One of a herd of cows with calves in a field adjacent to a track in the wildlife area below the quarry edge. The field is enclosed – just as well, since although the calves are no longer young, the cows would be very protective if dogs got into the field. Many years ago @shepherdmanswife and I were walking on a footpath through a field of cows and calves with our dog a lead. The cows came charging at us, but having worked with cows on a farm I wasn’t worried, thinking that they would stop when they got close. They didn’t. They tried to knock us over and wouldn’t back off, even when hit on the nose with a stick. We were in trouble. I released our dog, who could at least outrun the cows, but we had cows between us and the field gate. We only escaped because someone in a garden backing onto the field called us over, and we scrambled over the fence to safety, and our dog followed. Our rescuer was a retired farmer who was aware that cows with calves could be aggressive, and had been keeping an eye on us. Nowadays, with more recent well publicised incidents, cows and calves are rarely kept in fields that have a footpath running through them. Incidentally, since @shepherdmans wife just queried it, the round frame is a feeder for hay - not used in summer when the grass is growing.
Nicely framed shot. I'm still very wary of cows since that incident. They really wouldn't stop head butting, pushing, trampling us. We were so lucky that the guy at the bottom of his garden rescued us!
lovely framing - I've had cows stampede after me too, and it's incredibly frightening - and it was on a footpath. That time I let the dog off the lead and he stood his ground and barked at them which gave us time to get clear.
Great shot, cool framing. Scary story! Thanks for posting the description. I had no idea and as a child I lived on a dairy farm on summer and winter breaks. Eek!
