# Beef, sometimes your for dinner?



## Grubblin (Jul 4, 2017)

To the mods, if this fits better under travel stories, please move it - wasn't sure.


So I camp out in out of the way places on the tops of mountains. It's usually much cooler up here and you don't have to worry about being surrounded by people. Unfortunately, it's the same place that the FS allows grazing allotments in the summer.

For those that are unfamiliar, a grazing allotment it's where the FS or BLM allows ranchers to graze their cattle on native vegetation for a very small fee per head. They eat the native plant species, threatened and endangered alike, and get fat for the winter. Most of the ranchers that graze their cattle on allotments have very small ranches of only twenty or thirty thousand acres. Ranches that they bought cheaply from the government, who first robbed them from the Native Americans. So you can see they desperately need to ruin the natural flora in order to save their tens of thousands of acres to hay for the winter. The cattle also greatly reduce the natural browse for the native herbivores who depend on it to get fat and survive the winter.

They throw the cattle out there for the summer completely unsupervised and put salt blocks out at collection points. Whatever cattle come back to the collection points in the fall are collected and shipped back to the ranch. Whichever cattle don't show up are left to die of cold in the winter for the coyotes and bears. As a result your national lands are littered with cattle bones just about everywhere I've ever been. Yeah, don't get me started on grazing allotments.

Anyway I'm camping on a mountain about thirty yards of the main FS road when a herd of about fifty head of cattle come feeding up the main road. I've had lots of cattle in and around my camp before, it's never been a problem until tonight. I get out of the hammock and walk toward them whistling and talking. I'm just letting them know I'm there, I'm not acting aggressively, not trying to scare them off. The last thing you ever want to do in the woods is 'surprise' an animal, whether it be a feeding bear or a stupid cow. Once most of the cows had identified me and knew what and where I was I sat back down in the chair and continued my book. I didn't see the bull.

All was well until the four wheelers showed up. Several ATVs came up the main road at a break neck speed scaring the shit out of several of the calves. Since the road leading to my camp was the easiest way through the woods, here they came, also at break neck speed. Since the cows didn't want to lose their young, they were right on their heels. I thought stampedes were kind of a myth until I was just in one. As they tore ass thought camp one of them stepped on the battery operated radio smashing it to a thousand pieces while another ran through my hammock, snapping a support line like a piece of dental floss. 

During all the commotion I stood up and ran behind a group of close knit Aspens and Spruces so that they would have to go around. I'm not near the obstacle that a hundred foot tall group of trees tends to be, the bull proved that. 

So the herd passes and I can hear them bellowing and crashing through the brush down below me. I'm pretty sure I'm safe so I step out to head back to the truck. Just then the bull turns the corner heading for His herd and I'm caught out in the open, between him and the herd, just thirty yards away. When I say bull, he looked like he weighed 6000 lbs (that's an illusion brought on by fear, he probably weighed 2k at the most). He was colored like an Angus but had a bit if a hump like a Brahma. Brahmas are known for their pissitivity. For all I know he's an ex rodeo bull still pissed off at the pretend cowboys that tried to ride him.
Had I been smart I would've headed to the truck but there is no smart for me when I'm running on adrenaline and instinct, so I freeze. 

It's a reaction in which he must have thought that I was standing my ground and denying him his herd. He promptly lowered his head, snorted once, and charged. I freaked the fuck out and ran as fast as I could back to my trees. By this point he was mad as hell and he wasn't just going to let this go, he decided to get even. This resulted in him chasing me around the group of trees that he couldn't fit his fat ass though for ten minutes until I had the good sense to make a break for the truck. I'd stay on one side, he'd be in the other until he committed to a direction and I'd head the other way. 

Now I've heard of bulls ramming trucks. Once they get mad they don't cool off very easily. Luckily this bull decided to face off head on with the truck. Just as luckily I have a small LED lightbar mounted on the front bumper. Since it was right at dark I was able to flash him a couple of times while he was busy snorting and pawing the ground to get him to move along his way. He headed toward the herd and I'll be sleeping in the truck tonight. I'm pretty sure I'll skip the tent for tonight, at least.

Everyone is afraid of encounters with bears, wolves, and mountain lions. I have my share of stories about the first two but until tonight i never thought cattle would be a problem. Since this encounter only ended in a little monetary damage it's a good story. Had that son of a bitch caught me it would have been a whole nother story indeed.

Happy fourth everyone, from a public grazing allotment near you. I've had enough excitement, i don't need the fireworks.


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## EphemeralStick (Jul 4, 2017)

Holy shit, I'd be a screaming heap of uselessness in that situation. That's epic! 
Also yeah, this would go in travel stories I'll go ahead and move that now.


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## Grubblin (Jul 4, 2017)

Thanks, I thought travel stories but general banter seemed more inclusive. The adrenaline is still rushing. Since it ended well I'm glad it happened. It was worth the price of a new radio. I never thought of beef as dangerous.


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## Grubblin (Jul 4, 2017)

After reading the post again I realize that I made several grammatical errors. Instead of correcting them, I'll apologize. I hope everyone can figure out what I was trying to say and realize that I started the post ten minutes after the incident. I was still geeked up from the encounter and could barely hold the phone. Frankly, I'm surprised it came out as well as it did. Sleep may be a few hours coming, even in the truck.


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## germanbini (Jul 4, 2017)

Wow, that's an awesome story!! Glad you're ok, thank you for sharing your adventure with us.


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## Grubblin (Jul 4, 2017)

Thank you. Welcome to the life and the site. 

I don't want anyone to think that cows are really dangerous. I mean, come on, it's a COW, unless it's male, then it's a bull. What happened yesterday evening was an unusual set of circumstances and timing, leading to a even more unusual outcome. 

That being said, any animal can be dangerous when threatened or defending their young. The best thing to do is to let the animal know you're there in a calm manner and from a distance. That way they have plenty of room to run and they don't see you as a threat. 

One more thing, never - NEVER - run from a predator. By running you trigger their prey response and suddenly they go from wondering if you're worth the effort to seeing you as an easy meal.


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## Odin (Jul 4, 2017)

Yup... glad you didn't get hurt that was a dangerous situation Grubblin.

I gave you a useful rating as you have a bunch of epics lol and I think this story will make people think twice about how to behave/camp around herd animals. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## Grubblin (Jul 4, 2017)

Thanks!


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## Keystone Ice Kid (Jul 4, 2017)

Well done. Ran into some myself in eastern Oregon. Was more annoyed with the cow woman who felt it an emergency to holler at me asking if I was ok when obviously camping.


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## Tude (Jul 4, 2017)

Dam dude - that is a hell of a story there!!! I always wondered about the cattle that was out on the state land and wondered how they were gathered, well now I know! Shit!


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