And they have pink udders with four teats. Thanks for the perspicuous comment
What gets me is the cavalier attitude when something very specific and borne out of personal experience is being discussed. I come from a country where cows abound everywhere, they are extremely docile, even if you pull their tails they don't react. Just to be clear, I have no basic problem with cows.
The Swiss cows in current times are different, and for a specific reason (changed husbandry practices).
They seem have abnormal inquisitiveness and are edgy/moody. I don't mean to blow things out of proportion, but accidents don't mean a cow/bull goring you to death: if you are in difficult terrain, it is quite possible to have to escape on tricky terrain etc. and that case cause accidents. Especially for those who can't outrun a cow (BTW in flat terrain a cow an outrun most adults; so your headstart is critical)
Happy hiking.
Pretty much agree with what your saying except this bit .
As a dairy farmer back in the old country I saw husbandry practices change dramatically from extensive to intensive and then sort of back again to a happy medium.
In Switzerland I don't see any change since the 50's. They still, mostly, use milk churns ffs.
Anyhoo, as for the dog:cow question - we had cattle dogs so our cows had no desire to investigate strange dogs at all . Here, it's different, they are very curious and playful and it's the playfulness that causes the problems. I don't accept the word "attack" in relation to cows and I've certainly never seen such a thing. Being bowled over by a playful cow / calf / heiffer / steer isn't pleasant, though, and being trodden on will completely ruin your day.
Your equipment is such a situation is your voice and a stick. Yes, a stick. Even Swiss cows know about sticks. Running away is not an option - that just makes the game more exciting. Initially hold your ground and then walk away, turning back every few yards to shout and wave your stick again as they follow you - which they will.
One thing the op has not see is a field full of black bulls. If we were talking bulls then it's a different story. Bulls deserve respect but you'll never see more than one in a field and if he is with cows don't worry, he is more interested in them. If he is alone, take a detour.
Having said that, different breeds of Bull have different traits. I don't know what Swiss Brown Cows are like but I also see Dairy Shorthorns in Switzerland - the bulls are normally gentle, friendly softies. There are a few herds of Friesans - the bulls are reasonably nasty and should be treated as such. There's also a few French Charolais - these are the grumpy bastards of the bovine world .
Worked for me every time in those years long gone, when I was hiking through the Alps. Just tell them to move on in a friendly way, but with a loud and firm voice, and on their way off, give them a light and friendly pat on the back with your hand. This gets you the added bonus, that your hand will now have that fantastic agricultural smell of a cow's backside for a while
Most important: Don't be afraid, there is usually no reason to. Many animals can feel, when someone is afraid and it makes them nervous. If you are afraid, don't try to hide it, but take a detour. That's, what @möpp's doggie did and that's what we can learn from the animals for our own behaviour.
Have fun
Thanks Swissbob and Plau derri, now I hear some useful tips that are not mutually contradictory and actually doable in practice.
Also agree with Plau derri: if in the first instance you are able to walk by smoothly, shouldn't be a problem. But once you have experienced fear and exchanged a couple of looks with the cows, I think the wall is broken, best is to detour or wait out.
Hi, cows and dogs don't mix very well. I was twice attacked by a herd of frisians, in the UK and on footpaths. The last time I was on a footpath crossing a field and all the cows where in the next field, with a gate in between. What I didn't know was that someone had left the gate unlocked - by the time they came for us I could not get out because of the type of fencing- close square wire dug into the ground, with 2 strands of barbed wire over. I have never been afraid of cows, having been brought up in the Jura countryside, so made myself as tall as poss and faced them to stop them in their tracks - but they continued straight at me. I realised the only way to survive was to let Gatsby (our dog) off the lead and let her go. I did manage to climb the fence tearing my trousers and legs to shreds - and it took me 20 minutes to get round back to where the car was parked at the south of the first field- all the time I was sure I'd find Gatsby dead - but she had managed to get through the smallest gap at the side of the hedge near the entrance gate, and was lying by the car, panting and absolutely terrified. Many people with dogs get killed by cows every year - especially when they have young (in my case they were heffers, no calves around) - be it in the UK, Switzerland or elsewhere. At least in Switzerland that type of fencing is not used. Bonne chance, Viel Gluck.
Got any evidence of that?
I'll be interested in seeing that as well. While I have heard of many close calls (see the hiking sticky thread for references), I doubt "many" deaths is accurate.
However, the problem is, you can't precisely ascribe deaths to cows...my yesterday's episode was a mere annoyance, but one a few weeks ago was a close call; Barth: the story you wanted to hear:
I was approaching Faulhorn around 7 pm from the right side on the ridge, it started snowing and dark. By then I had hiked up over 2 vertical kms and as I was anticipating a warm meal at the hut, so was hungry and tired.
My spirits rose when I spotted the hut. Normally I was about 30 mins from my meal and warm bed. Moments later my heart sank because I saw a herd of cows (and with calves ) ambling down at the saddle you see in the pic. If I continued, in about 10 mins we would cross paths on a 30 foot wide ridge. Detouring would mean down-climbing on either side of the ridge, both almost certainly fatal in those conditions. Turning back was also scary because I was several hours away from the nearest human habitation, and every chance of my losing my way in the dark. But it was the best I could do, so walked back about 30 mins... by a stroke of luck, the cows decided the grass was greener on a detour and were off my route shortly, so I seized the window of opportunity and made it back to the hut around 9 pm just before it got fully dark.
Every year many people die hiking in the Alps, most of them in T3 grade which TBH are peanuts in sheer technical skills for fit Alpine hikers...Most of those deaths are closed as "reason not known".
The point I am making is, no one really knows how many deaths are attributable to cows directly (I personally don't think it is a large number). A cow goring you to death is not the only way it can kill you.
Wow, Niranjan - that looks like a bit more than a bucolic stroll through an alpine meadow... (With our without cows. )
Respect!
Perhaps the word I should have used is 'some' rather than 'many'. I will look it up - just remember seeing regular news items in newspapers and on TV over many years, usually involving humans + a dog.
PS Just Googled wo/man killed by cows - and got lots and lots of results.
Just read in a newspaper (Le Matin) that a 79 yo man has been attacked by a nursing cow on the Grenchenberg, Soleure (Solothurn).
He has been seriously wounded at the throat.
So be very careful, even if you don't have a dog.