Sunday 5 July 2009

It's Simple Really

The quote below is typical of some of the comments arising from recent reported incidents in which cattle have caused serious problems for walkers in the countryside. The writer is evidently a country person perhaps of farming background, taking what he sees as a common sense approach.

Oliver, Dorset (from BBC Farming Today Message Board)

For the uninformed and trainee rambler sorts, I would respectfully point out that you should consider all cattle regardless of age or sex as potentially dangerous. I do not see a problem. Farmers have a right to graze their land and use it as they see fit, if there is livestock there, give them a wide birth, keep your dog on the lead and treat them with the respect you would give a large, heavy and often unpredictable animal. If you don't think the livestock in a field are safe, then don't enter the field.

Translating this to a place like Blacka illustrates just what the issue is here. Firstly the land is public recreation land, secondly the nature of the terrain means you may suddenly meet the animals running towards you along a narrow path with tall vegetation to either side (this has happened to me) and thirdly the ‘field’ is actually a 150 acre enclosure and it is rarely possible to know in advance where they are.

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