Last year I had built a four strand barb wire fence from the river to the neighbor's fence effectively cutting the peninsula in half and stopping the cattle from getting to the parts where they can get into trouble. In checking up on the cattle I noticed a couple spots in my built fence that could be potential weak spots. And knowing cattle they eventually will find the weak spots.
In the afternoon I got a few boards and wire and went to enhance the fence. At first I stood over on the small island hoping my cattle would come over to check me out. Nope. So I went to enhance the fence. The cattle all followed me there. *sigh* I dislike working on fence when cattle are around as they invariably want to check out my handiwork once I am done - and sometimes, as I am doing it.
I waited for them to get bored. One heifer went into the river and walked halfway across the narrow channel to the small island before stopping to take a drink of water. While the river channel here was deeper and muddier it appeared she could cross it. A number of the other cattle watched her. I thought, "Go. Go. Go across to the island." She came back to the peninsula. *argh!*
After a while most of my cattle went over to the neighbor's fence a short distance away as the neighbor's herd was now in sight. I worked on my fence. I noticed that several of my cattle more watched me than the neighbor's herd.
After I was almost done I noticed the neighbor's bull had come and was next to the fence with several of my cattle just on the other side and wanting to touch noses - and probably do more than that.
I went over and the bull could now see me. He quickly backed away from the fence. I walked up to the fence and he retreated and trotted back to his herd on the side of the ridge to the SW. Several of my cattle mooed at him to come back.
After I finished up my fence work I noticed the bull had come back to the fence and my cattle. This time he brought my heifer with him. Once he saw me he retreated again this time leaving my heifer. It was almost like he brought her back to my cattle and me.
Wow! I have a chance to get her back.
I went over and opened the gate and then came back to herd my cattle towards the gate. Again, like yesterday, when they could turn away from the fence and go towards the river crossing area most of them did.
"Why? Why? Why do you make it so hard for me?"
A short time later the cattle filtered back closer to the fence. I crawled through the fence and tried to herd #431 to the gate. She was nervous. She looked at my cattle. She looked at the herd and bull on the ridge. She ate some grass. She looked around again, then ate more grass like she was starving.
I tried to herd her, but as my cattle wouldn't follow along the fence. Instead they preferred to stay and look towards the neighbor's herd and bull on the ridge side. I could only herd #431 so far before she turned and tried to run past me. Several times she almost got past me but I could cut her off. Eventually we came to a draw and I let her stay near my herd and eat grass and I did not try to actively herd her.
I would slowly take a few steps every now and then to pressure here towards the gate. I was so close to the gate earlier but too much pressure too fast and she would get spooked.
One of my heifers came to the fence and began eating. The rest of my heifers stood and watched #431 and me. The heifer that ate was pointed in the wrong direction and moving away from the gate. As #431 was now calm again I crawled through the fence and encouraged my heifer to turn around and walk towards the gate while eating.
I then again crawled through the fence and slowly walked and pressured #431 towards the gate. But ever so slowly as she would look up and around when I moved too fast.
The fence heifer turned around again - *argh* - and I had to turn her around again. Later she stopped and I had to prod her to continue.
Ever so often the herd would moo for my heifer to come back and I would have to tell her to ignore them. Then one of the cows came down off the ridge to the low land. "Ignore her." Then the bull came down off the ridge and joined the cow.
The bull then began calling my heifer. Her head came up and she listened and replied a few times. She made a move to rejoin the bull and I headed her off. She went back to eating grass. I tried to stand between her and the bull so she couldn't see him. He was ancy over there but didn't dare come over closer - thank goodness! I guess earlier he hadn't intended to deliver my heifer back to my herd and me.
Eventually the herd on the ridge moved on top of the ridge and out of sight. The cow and then the bull slowly moved up to join them. He would stop every so often to call my heifer. "Ignore him. Ignore him."
Then they were gone. Once the neighbor's herd was gone my cattle decided to leave the fence. "No! Wait! Wait!" Soon all I had left was my fence heifer. I herded a little faster both because my cattle were leaving the fence and because the neighbor's herd was out of sight. I was getting closer to my gate when my fence heifer turned and tried to get past me to join the others. "Noooo! I am so close." Did I say that aloud? Ignore that, #431.
It was now or never and I actively herded #431. She wasn't happy about it but with no herd to run to I was able to get her close enough to the gate where she could see it was open. She went through it to get away from me.
It took a long time, but "Success!"
All my cattle are now on my side of the fence. They are still on the peninsula, but as they have lots of grass and water, crossing the river can wait for tomorrow or another day.
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