Contributors to this thread:
After many years I finally got my brother to go elk hunting with me. We were in Colorado last week having a wonderful time. The elk were singing every morning and afternoon. Having lots of close calls.
Thursday afternoon I decided to let go alone with the guide and I would hunt a place I knew pretty well by myself. We all drive up the mountain to my location in the truck and they drop me off to pick me up right after dark. About 30 minutes before dark I hear a 4 wheeler coming. I just knew my brother had killed and they were coming to get me to help them.
The guide drives up and tells me my brother had been attacked by a beef cow and he was banged up pretty bad. I just laughed. My brother always does this. He always tries to fool me into thinking something else has happened. So, I just laughed it off and kept asking the guide what by brother had killed.
After a few minutes I gave up and said take me to him. Well, sure enough, he had been attacked. The cow had broken his cheek, his nose, fractured a vertebrae in his neck and really worked his ribs over. Bless his heart, he is having a real hard time getting around. He is having more X-rays ran this morning.
I have never heard of an elk hunting being attacked by a beef cow before. Took me 20+ years to get him out there and this happens. I will say this, he had a blast.....until the attack.
I will never just walk about a cow again while I am elk hunting.
Cows are stupid and they can and do hurt a lot of people every year. Sorry for your brothers problems. Mike
I was raised on a dairy. DO NOT trust a cow, even if you raised the bitch ! Ask me how I know !
Sorry for your brother. Hope he recovers quickly.
I've grown up around cattle and been around them all my life, but I'm still wary around cows I don't know, and always wary around a cow that has a small calf
Sorry for your brother's luck.
When you're trying to talk him into a hunt next year, just have him watch some freestyle bullfighting before you go :) (tons of examples on youtube)
You NEVER run a straight line away from a cow :)
Bake
I had no choice but to walk through some beef cows while packing out my buddies antlers last week. I really think they thought I was an elk. They absolutly wouldn't move and there was nowhere else for me to go.
In hindsight and after reading this, bugling in their faces with a rack on my back probably wasn't a good idea.
Hoping for a full recovery! C
I got hooked under a rib and thrown across the pasture by one of our "tame" beef cows when I was a kid. Seems to always be in the back of my mind when I'm moving around/through them.
Sorry to hear about your bro...I hope he makes a complete recovery.
Best of luck, Jeff
Terrible luck for sure! Hope he makes a full recovery and the elk keep him coming back for more.
Range cattle are different animals. Have never had an issue, but some of the bulls have caused me to unholster my handgun. Just to be sure....
I hope your brother heals fast.
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That's too bad. Sorry to hear about your brother. The antelope that I shot this year just happened to be in a field that allowed grazing by cattle. The cattle kept a close eye on me while making my stalk. After making the shot and walking up to the antelope, a large group of cattle came in to investigate. Many were cows with calves and a few brave ones kept coming within feet of me as I was trying to cut the goat up. I swear they were making sure that I didn't shoot a calf, but it certainly made me a little wary that one might charge me, especially when I had my back turned to them.
I'm sorry but that's some funny stuff. I wish him a speedy recovery.
I just got a text from him. He had nuclear X-rays done this morning and they found several fractured ribs as well. He is going to have a long road to go.
You are right about the jokes though. He is taking it well. He is a firefighter and they are tearing him a new one.
drycreek, I was raised on a dairy (transitioned to beef) farm, as well... cattle are more dangerous than black bear, seriously
Sorry to hear that brother! I work on my father in laws farm from time to time and he raises scottish highland beef. Long hair, shaggy looking things, most people think they are a yak or something. They can get mean and yes they are sneaky bastards too. Been changed a few times (never caught) and been kicked plenty. Mothers are the most dangerous! Wish him a speedy recovery!
Any cow with a calf can be dangerous.
I keep thinking of the joke about the guys in a cow costume sneaking up on antelope,when an excited bull appears.Guy in the back says"what are we going to do"?Guy in front says I'm going to eat some grass-you better brace yourself!All kidding aside,I've been thru the broken rib thing from a tractor accident,and it will hurt forever!
And some guys snickered a couple of years ago when I posted up about getting caught crossing a previously empty pasture in the dark and receiving the "look" from a huge bull. My sphincter did a full pucker and the "boys" ran for cover.
I hope that he recovers quickly. Make sure to feed him a really thick steak afterwards. I suspect he will find chewing beef vindictively much more satisfying in the future.
I had to run cattle out of our camp several times this year in Co. I have never had a problem with them but prefer not to have them around for sure.
Curious if the owner has any liability in states like Colorado?? I know that in Ohio they do.
"Curious if the owner has any liability in states like Colorado?? I know that in Ohio they do."
Rick M - Are you serious?? I'm sorry, but as unfortunate as this accident was, I for one am growing very tired of others always looking for "liability" to push on others. When around ANY animal, especially on the range or in the woods, you have to assume some risk of danger and assume your own liability.
Elkhunter - I am glad that the injury wasn't any worse, and wish your brother a speedy recovery. I think your thread title captured it...JUST BAD LUCK
Troy
I had a run in with an entire herd ad very angry and defensive cows. One of the cows had a young calf and for whatever reason a mule in the pasture wanted it. Just as I was nearing the herd the mule picked up the calf by the neck and took off with it. I was 16 or 17 at the time...still a shotgun hunter. I dropped my gun and ran at the mule and made him drop the calf. By that time the herd had gathered and was getting upset. When the mule ran they turned on me. I retreated, the mule came back and grabbed the baby calf by the leg and took off with it. The cows turned back on the mule and so did I, making him drop the calf again...and the cows turned back on me. This cycle occurred several times before the hackles were raised on my neck and the adrenaline kicked in. I grabbed my shotgun and put the whole load of souped up # 4's in his hind quarter. It was the sherriffs mule.
RickM- I don't imagine there are many free ranging cattle in OH.
I had almost the same thing happen last year while hunting in Utah. Cattle was everywhere and we were constantly moving through them throughout the hunt. close to the last day this big ol heffer decided she didn't like the looks of me all dressed in camo. she came barrelling down the hillside at an aggressive clip. (people don't know it but cattle are very agile animals) it was everything I could do to get away from her. this continued on for longer than what my lungs could take. Finally I said screw it and pulled my arrow with a big rubber bludgeon out of my quiver. I centered her right on the nose at ten steps with a 470 grain arrow moving at 285fps. snot went flying and she got out of there like her tail was on fire. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared
I did not say they should be liable, not looking to put the blame on anyone. I was just asking if they are? curiosity since they are owned by someone, loose on public land. I know in most free range state that if you hit a cow on the road you just bought a cow.
Correct that there are not any free range cattle in Ohio. if your cow gets loose and walks in front of a car the farmer just bought a wrecked car.
So If you hurt or kill a cow self defense In a free range state what happens?
so I'm sure there is a story here, details? how did it happen?
TBM, That must have been where the "Hamblaster" shot was born!
Thanks for pointing that out:-). I had to man up and tell the sherrif I shot his mule. Next time I saw it wasn't putting any wt on that leg. Even with # 4s that sucker left a major blood trail but it didn't kill it.
I wish your brother a speedy recovery and hope that he does not stop hunting because of this. I have walked into range cattle in the dark in CO and it made me nervous. I was walking out with a guide mid morning one time when two big range bulls started towards us. The closer they got the bigger they looked. Tony (my guide) looked around and picked up a 3 foot long dead branch. I looked at him and said "What the hell are you going to do with that?". He looked at the stick, dropped it grinned and started slowly backing away. Those bulls (now the size of a VW bus) eyed us from about 20 yards away until we got into some timber and then they ambled off. We were very happy to leave that spot!
