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Cows on hills

Cows on hills


Postby Sarah86 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:46 pm

I am just wondering if anyone has ever had any bother with cows on hills? I always have my dog and walks and most of the time we only pass sheep but have had the odd walk spoiled by cows in the distance, we usually turn back. I have been itching to attempt my first munro soon either Ben Chonzie or Meall Buidhe but in a couple of walk reports there is either mention of or photos of cows outwith a fence. This has really put me off and I am quite disappointed as I am looking for a nice easy munro of my first. Have any fellow dog walkers ever had any problems with cows on the hills, I am really wary to take the risk.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Border Reiver » Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:09 am

I've never seen cattle in the Cairngorms - any walk from Glenmore or Braemar should be a good starter and cattle-free. Most of the areas where there's likely to be cattle are on the fringes of the mountains or on the sides of the bigger glens. Cattle are mostly docile, but if they've got calves the cows can be very nervous and likely to attack any dogs that are running around.
A couple of hundred years ago, the main economy of the highlands was cattle and the hills would have been covered with them. Then the crofters were evicted to make way for sheep and then eventually grouse moors and deer forest. The much-despised (by some) deer-stalking / grouse shooting economy there is now, that tries to restrict our walking, is responsible for the look of the hills today. I've walked through a few cattle grazed hills and it's not pleasant, with deep ruts and heaps of steaming s**t everywhere. I would hate it if things changed back to that.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Caberfeidh » Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:20 am

Border Reiver wrote:The much-despised (by some) deer-stalking / grouse shooting economy there is now, that tries to restrict our walking, is responsible for the look of the hills today. I've walked through a few cattle grazed hills and it's not pleasant, with deep ruts and heaps of steaming s**t everywhere. I would hate it if things changed back to that.


I agree, though I think highland beef tastes better than any other! Also a good side effect of grouse moors is the burning - this gets rid of ticks, cleggs and midgies, etc. And short heather is good to walk on.The west highlands seem to have more cattle, Rothiemurchus and Mar have none now, though I noticed on a Weir's Way programme, as Himself clambered over the old ruined sheilings between the Linn O'Dee and Derry Lodge, there were cattle grazing around there, that was probably late 70s - early 80s.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Border Reiver » Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:00 am

To many people, the countryside is an alien place, with hidden terrors everywhere. I've lived and worked most of my life in the country and found it difficult to understand how my Liverpool cousin was pretty well scared of everything when he came to stay. He was scared of bugs, sheep, cows, the dark nights, the river, fields and lots more (even in his 50's). The fields and river were our playground and the animals were just things we shared the space with. Most country things are nothing to be scared of, once you understand and know a bit about them.
To get the most out of and enjoy your country walks and climbs, try and get to know now it all works. Have a chat with farmers, speak to gamekeepers if you meet them and they'll usually be more than happy to spend a few minutes. I've had gamies tell me where I could see otters and golden eagles in the area where I was going walking - I wouldn't have known otherwise. I had my dog with me once and I made a point of speaking to the farmer. He told me that the cows further up the glen had calves and said that if I put my dog on the lead and walked through another field before rejoining the path I'd be fine. No problems.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Sarah86 » Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:35 am

I have never seen any farmers on our walks, our dog is always on a lead so wouldn't be causing any stress to animals. Cows are the only issue I have being out an about after hearing some horror stories. Definitely wouldn't go anywhere near a cow that had a calf!
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby clivegrif » Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:30 am

Hello
On my round of the munros I can't recall seeing cattle anywhere except in fenced off fields in the valleys at the bottom of some hills. I wouldn't anticipate cattle getting in the way in many places at all.

Having said that - many types of cattle do not like dogs and will actively go after them, so it is best not to stand between them and a dog. There have been a few fatalities where dog owners have tried to protect dogs from angry cattle.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Tinto63 » Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:44 pm

I don't walk with a dog, but have never had any problems with cattle, despite many very close encounters, including walking past a young bull (within touching distance) on the same track in Glen Etive a few years ago. Just about all the cattle in highland areas are beef breeds, which are generally friendlier than their dairy cousins.

Sometimes they even cooperate when you want to photograph them.

IMG_3735.JPG
what's not to love?
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby whiteburn » Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:52 pm

There's usually 2 - 3 dog walkers killed every year by heifers with calves.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-16485164
The heifers may see the dog as a threat and try to mob it, if you have the dog on a lead you may 'accidentally' get trampled. It's best to take the dog off the lead so it can escape but if your mutt is not well behaved (runs wild) it may provoke things in the first place.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby hills » Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:30 pm

Me and my dog were attacked by cattle in 2010, we were both very, very lucky to get out of that scrape, as the last poster mentioned, several people a year are killed by cattle. In almost every case, calves and dogs are involved. But bulls have been known to become aggressive to humans. I avoid cattle like the plague now, but have become pretty good at avoiding them, you very rarely see cattle above 300m, its not viable to keep them higher up on the hills, so any problems with them, will come at the beginning or the end of the walk. Cattle will be kept in relatively small fenced off fields, you will never see a cow wandering around the side of a road like we do sheep. I carry 1/25000 maps, these show the fence lines, so if you do come across them, you can see how to get around if desired.

You also will not find cattle on National trust lands, so you have the Lawers and Glencoe Hills to think on. There arent any on the Drumochter Hills, the Cairngorm main routes, the Glenshee Hills or on the John Muir Trust Schiehallion path, so plenty for you to choose from. Happy walking... 8)

:lol: Oh dear, seems i'm a coo anorak......
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Driftwood » Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:58 pm

I have seen (early last month) hairy coos on the Glen Lyon side of the Ben Lawers range. That puts them outside of the National Trust land, but the herd was high up by cow standards - something around 400 metres, at a guess. I didn't see (or bother to check on a map) how far around the hill is fenced, but that might be a factor for long walks into the Lawers or Tarmachan ranges from the north.

Those would be the exception, rather than a rule, but they were grazing (or standing around chewing the cud) right on the side of the road (though I can't blame them, as there wasn't much else flat to set their hooves down on).

On the topic of those hills, there was no sign of cows on the usual approach to the Glen Lyon Munro Meall Buidhe; the high start means not just an easy walk, but you're already up in the heather (and towards the peat hags), beyond much pasture for cattle.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby simon-b » Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:23 pm

whiteburn wrote:There's usually 2 - 3 dog walkers killed every year by heifers with calves.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-16485164
The heifers may see the dog as a threat and try to mob it, if you have the dog on a lead you may 'accidentally' get trampled. It's best to take the dog off the lead so it can escape but if your mutt is not well behaved (runs wild) it may provoke things in the first place.


I agree with Whiteburn, the advice given is generally to let the dog run free if the cattle react aggressively. Cows have always seemed timid or uninterested when I've passed them, but I don't have a dog. Bulls and bullocks often stare at you, which can seem a bit scary, but it's usually a blessing in disguise - it means they know you are there so you are far less likely to startle them. And then they usually just stay where they are. Startling cattle could be dangerous.

Another tip I've heard from people who've worked on farms. If a cow or bull does run at you, don't turn tail and run, sidestep it instead.
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby wee black dug » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:03 pm

"Another tip I've heard from people who've worked on farms. If a cow or bull does run at you, don't turn tail and run, sidestep it instead."

And if you can remember to shout "Ole!" at the same time you'll get the full effect. :wink:

Don't remember coos on Meall Buidhe, but there certainly used to be a gang of mean looking ones on the walk in to Beinn Bhuidhe in Glen Fyne...

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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Sarah86 » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:11 pm

Thanks for the replies everyone, I am just so wary of them and couldn't ever put my dog at risk, if I see them I turn round immediately or try and find another route, I really hope if a dangerous situation arose she could outrun them to safety being a whippet. We have only just started hill walking in the past two years and really enjoy it, nothing beats the view at the top. I am really keen to get out first munro completed but my dog is 9 now and she is still very fit but I don't like going on hills that are too continuously steep so Meall Buidhe seems ideal (the drive up doesn't look great hopefully my sister wont mind!), since she is such a big part of our walking life I would love her to have one munro to her name no matter how easy it is!

Those do look like mean cows, especially the one at the front!
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby electricfly » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:17 pm

Earlier this year the farm by the approach track to Beinn a'Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich near Dalmally grazed some rather protective cows in a section of lower ground that needed crossed. Being springtime, there were a good few calves being supervised by some fiesty, full grown cattle. Opening the gate, I alerted the cows to my presence. My dog was kept on his lead and walked by my side furthest from the cattle. In my other hand I had extended a walking pole and held it low and wide, tapping the ground and speaking to the cows in a calm but confident manner helping them see I was not a threat. I gave them as wide a berth as possible, making sure not to walk near any of the youngsters. Things would have been made far easier had the farmer not placed a circular feeding cage right upon the track, a few cows considered mobbing us but were content to see me walk in the opposite direction. We made it past unscathed, and on the way back out at the end of our walk they seemed quite unfazed by our presence.

I'd agree that once under attack it's common sense to drop the dog's lead, but until such time the handler should keep control of their dog using the lead. A dog running free around cattle is only going to trigger an offensive reaction from those with young to protect.

Other areas where cows are an obstacle, are the approach roads to Beinn Bhuidhe near Loch Fyne and at Kenknock Farm, Glen Lochy. Also the stretch of the WHW between Falls of Falloch and Crianlarich has some defensive cattle to contend with.

At Beinn Bhuidhe they are Highland Cattle which in my experience seem more docile than the shorter coated roan cattle at Dalmally.

Thankfully, the Dalmally cows have recently been relocated and the short section of gated pasture is now open to the hillside.

:)
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Re: Cows on hills

Postby Sarah86 » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:26 pm

Maybe I am getting mixed up with Beinn Bhuidhe and Meall Buidhe! Here is hoping if we head on up it will be a cow free day and I can finally reach the top of my first munro!

I have heard that highland cows are more docile but was quite surprised to find them on Dumyat last week!
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