Rogue cows menace hikers in Calif. state park

Bobcats and coyotes are common hazards for hikers in the foothills of the California's Santa Ana Mountains, but visitors to the Chino Hills State Park complain of a much bigger problem — feral cattle, including “intimidating” wild bulls.

The problem has become so bad that officials at the 14,000-acre park are asking cowboys to come and wrangle the rogue bovines.

Being from Northern Ontario I have to chuckle about people being afraid of a few feral cows. Here we get several people a year mauled by bears.
Is it that the people who use these trails are so unused to encountering wildlife that a couple of hundred pounds of walking hamburger is seen as a threat?

reply to post by Beartracker16

The thing is its a bulls job to pound anything threatening into a puddle of mush while the rest of the herd wanders off. Now doubt a mother bear is protective or a bear could be hungry yet a mature bull is always ready to rumble where a most bears are just as likely to go the other way as confront you.

Cows? I eat one a day.

I assume the hikers want the less than authentic nature hike.

The locals could have the first annual round up and B-B-Q cook off in the park if they could ignore the PETA protest that would surely arrive.

reply to post by Beartracker16


I don't personally think it's because they are unused to wildlife or because they are afraid. I live in an extremely rural area of pennsylvania and i know that our wildlife is a far cry from all that, but we do have bears, and people do get mauled. Now, it's not like i have no reason to fear a deer just because i deal with bears that are 100x stronger. if i were to see a wild bovine which now that i think about it......i guess we do have a few, but i wouldn't dare go near it. they do charge and i don't think anyone wants one charging them. In a sense, it's probobly some type of general precausion in their minds like, "Oh there's a wild bovine, it's very close, let's not bother it." But also i see that you mentioned some people reported that there were "intimidating" bulls. These aren't things that people tend to walk alongside with without worry.

I just think its awesome they are shouting out to cowboys to help. I mean how often does that happen?

Wild cattle are frequently dangerous, and usually nearly impossible to wrangle when in brush. Solution is a hunting season. The state could sell 100 Tags for $500/ea and make some money in the process.

gotta wrangle 'em sumhow!

but really, why should the cows be made to move at all?

Beartracker16
Bobcats and coyotes are common hazards for hikers in the foothills of the California's Santa Ana Mountains, but visitors to the Chino Hills State Park complain of a much bigger problem — feral cattle, including “intimidating” wild bulls.

The problem has become so bad that officials at the 14,000-acre park are asking cowboys to come and wrangle the rogue bovines.

Being from Northern Ontario I have to chuckle about people being afraid of a few feral cows. Here we get several people a year mauled by bears.
Is it that the people who use these trails are so unused to encountering wildlife that a couple of hundred pounds of walking hamburger is seen as a threat?

You seem to think that somewhat domesticated(?) animals are never a threat. What about wild boars or feral hogs? Pit bulls?

victhebutcher
but really, why should the cows be made to move at all?

the cows must of migrated to that area with the local latino population...they have every right to be there

reply to post by Blowback


hahahaha