What to do in these situations

[WVBill]

OK, I'll admit it. After living on our four acres in a rural area for seven years, I'm still a "city slicker" to some degree. But I've encountered two situations recently and just don't know how I should have handled them.

Situation 1. Driving to work at 4:30 AM down a two-lane road about 2 miles from my house. Came upon a herd of cows standing in the road.

What I did - Stopped, then drove toward the herd very very slowly. They turned and started trotting off the road. I guess cows don't do well on pavement 'cause some slipped and fell. When I got past I drove on.

What should I have done? I feel I should have told someone - but who? I have no idea what farm they were from. Should I have just gone to any farmhouse and woke them up? Should I have gotten out of the car and tried to herd them off the road? How does one person herd cows - in the dark?

Situation 2 - Driving by a pasture I see two horses. One is laying on its side, the other standing. I have heard (can't remember where) that horses don't lay down unless they're sick.

What I did - I just drove on. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

What should I have done? Nothing- Horses laying down are just tired.(?) Gone to the nearest farmhouse and told someone?

..... Just trying to learn to be a good rural neighbor....

Bill

 

[BB_TX]

1. I would have probably called the sheriff's department to let them know cows were out on the roadway. I don't think I would have started knocking on doors at 4:30 in the morning.
2. Don't know about horses, but I have seen horses several times laying on their side in a pasture. Wondered about it the first time. But came by later and they were up.

 

[RobS]

I'm laughing with you Bill, not at you!!!

I ran into a small herd of young cows when we first bought our property. Like you, I had no clue so I called my wife and had her call the sherriff. They accepted her call with no issue, indicated there were no reports of missing cattle and apparently made some calls to local farmers. I never learned how it ended up as the cows just kind of moseyed away on their own.

Ain't rural living grand /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

One time while on my way home, I was just about to turn into the driveway and a cow came up out of my valley and crossed the road in front of my car. I went into the house and asked my wife if any of the real farmers had been looking for a cow. The lovely Mrs_Bob, city girl that she is, ran screaming into the back yard calling the name of our large male Akita. After he responded to her calls (he was in the FENCED part of our yard) she came and and told me she thought maybe I had mistaken a cow for the dog! He was a large dog, but not close to the size of a cow.

Another time I was driving to work about 5:30am and happened upon a cow in the road. I knew it belonged on the other side of the fence and knew who the farmer was so I backed up and drove up their driveway. Looked in vain for a door bell and finally started knocking on the door. Then knocking on the window. Then honking the horn. I thought farmers all WOKE UP EARLY? Anyway, finally the wife cracks open a window and calls out to me. I tell her that one of her cows is missing and where it was. Almost instantly the house lit up and I could hear lots of movement inside. Walked back to my car and drove to work confused.

 

[riptides]

Isn't 4:30am milking time?

I wouldn't go knocking on doors that early unless lights are on.

Horses do lay down, some even look passed out. Now if they lay around for long (time is relative), it could be a problem.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[roho]

City slicker/country kid, IT don't matter! Situation don't happen much but when livestock is loose, BEST thing to do is call Sheriff Department and make sure U let U'r concern be about Human life! Lifestock the size of horses and cows can cause serious injury or death if hit by auto! What happens is the car basically knocks their legs out from under them and they slam into windshield and a lot of the time into the drivers set! I keep the Sheriff Department number to 3 different counties(counties that I drive in) on my cell phone directory!

 

[Cliff_Johns]

So if you hit a cow with your car, can you strap the carcas across your bumper and take it home?
Cliff

(Sorry, it's the image that popped into my head.)

 

[ByronBob]

Ditto your idea. Call the sheriff

 

[getut]

I'm NOT from the city and still had an "incident" a few weekends ago.

We have new renters for our pasture and they have two beautiful horses. I was out in my workshop with the rollup doors up working and happened to turn around and look through the door over to the pasture. BOTH horses were flat on their back with legs straight up in the air and with no movement by FAR long enough to cause me a fright. They were fine and were just wallowing in some mud. They must have took a break to admire the clouds about the time I turned around. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

In high school I had a buddy that got a brand new '87 Pontiac Trans-Am for his birthday. The day after he got it he was high tailing it to school and encountered some cows in the road. He just barely DIDN'T get stopped and hit the poor cow just fast enough to clip the legs out from under it in a side swipe. The cow gently fell sideways onto his hood. He came to school with a very noticeable cow print on the hood. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif We all laughed so hard most of us hurt the next day.

 

[BillyP]

You should call the sheriff's department and tell them exactly where you saw the livestock. They have deputies that know their area and would be familiar with who owns what.

It's not uncommon for horses to lay down.