End run cattle jailbreak

Today I finally finished the south pasture fence rebuild and I was feeling pretty good about my work.

A short time earlier some of the cattle passed by on their way to the river to drink water and cool off.  I was near the top of a short steep historic (hundreds or more years old) river bank.  Now the river is over a short distance away.  Buddy was ready to go down the riverbank.  First he pushed several calves away using his big head and neck as the calves were flitting about.  Then he went down.  Buddy is very big and he needed a clear running path in order to slow down his descent.  The calves - full of energy - would jump and kick up their heels as they went down the riverbank.

After packing up my tools I noticed some of the cattle were on the big island. Fine.  I pushed my wheelbarrow to the east end of the pasture then checked my pocket gopher traps in Wyatt's field.  Just as I finished I heard a commotion and saw ten cattle coming up out of the trees into Wyatt's alfalfa field.  Not good as his second crop of alfalfa had just started growing and was probably too rich for the cattle to eat much of without getting sick.  The rest of the herd was in my south pasture mooing up a storm at the ten cattle.

And here I was feeling pretty proud of my new fence and the cattle did an end run around the fence.  They couldn't get through the stack of dead tree trunks and branches I had placed after their last end run around the fence.  So they found another section of fence nearby and jumped over it.  Even Buddy!!!  As big as he is you wouldn't think he could jump that section of fence.  After I got the cattle back into my pasture I stacked more dead tree trunks and branches at this new spot.  Now that I finished my south pasture fence rebuild I have extra 5 1/2 ft t-posts I can use to build a decent fence on Wyatt's property along the river.  I plan on doing this a little later when it cools off.  Working down there among the thick trees and tall grass along the river is hot and humid with no air flow.

Back to the cattle. I called Donna for help.  I also asked my new neighbors for help.  I needed someone to handle the gate and other people to stand as barrier in cases a cow decided to make a sharp turn.

While waiting for the help to arrive I went back to the pasture. The herd who remained in my pasture were now at the middle pasture gate mooing to get my attention about the jailbreak cattle.  I locked them in the middle pasture so they wouldn't follow me back to the south pasture gate.  By now six of the cattle (including Buddy) had made their way to the south pasture gate.  I opened the gate and they came through.  A big cow, several calves, then Buddy slowly sauntered to and through the gate.  He then stood in the gate opening and I couldn't close the gate.

Clyde wanted to come through the gate but Buddy stood in the way and would put his head down to keep Clyde from passing through the gate.

Buddy!

I pushed on the gate and was able to close it. Then I had to convince Buddy to move away from the gate.  Finally he did and then I was able to open the gate and let Clyde back into the pasture.

Then the remaining four cattle across the pasture saw us and most came running.  About the time Donna and the neighbors arrived I had all but one cow back in the pasture.  As Donna came she shooed the cattle in the pasture away from the gate - including Buddy (who by now had tipped over my wheelbarrow with tools and supplies.   Buddy!!!).  Donna handled the gate and I herded the last cow back into the pasture.  And wouldn't you know it.. it was number 7.  She is the cow who eats through the fences and usually is part of a jailbreak.  Last year she somehow shed her ear tag until I put it back on this Spring.  I am positive she instigated this jailbreak and led Buddy into a life of crime.  She is a femme fatale.

Buddy standing at the gate after I was able to close it.