# Feral Cows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699 "2005-01-14T12:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/1 "2005-01-14T12:53:09Z")
Is there anywhere where cows have gone wild and aren’t living with people anymore? Would you be able to tell the difference between behavior of a feral cow and your average domesticated one? (Aside from when they do the “Off with the Primate Oppressor” dance, of course) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/2 "2005-01-14T13:07:07Z")
In South Texas there are longhorn cattle that are feral to all intents and purposes. That is, they are legally the property of the guy on whose land they roam, but they aren’t habituated to humans at all. According to the locals, they can be pretty dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/3 "2005-01-14T13:26:36Z")
“Attack Of The 50 Foot Feral Cows” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/4 "2005-01-14T13:49:45Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > According to the locals, they can be pretty dangerous. So how do you pronounce that? “ **Fear all cows!** ” ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/5 "2005-01-14T14:11:46Z")
I’ve been hiking in parts of Arizona on the upper plat and Mogollon Rim country and run into some cattle that look to be quite wild. No ranches for at least 50 miles, and a scruffy look that would seem to make them ferral. ---
**Author:** ![silkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@silkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silkie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/6 "2005-01-14T15:00:41Z")
[Chillingham Wild Cattle](http://www.whitepark.org.uk/chillingham.htm) This herd didn’t go wild - they always have been ! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/7 "2005-01-14T15:05:05Z")
Cattle have become feral in many parts of the world. [Here’s](http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=172&fr=1&sts=) some information on feral cattle in general. Here’s some information on feral cattle in [Arizona](http://www.fguardians.org/news/n990805.html) and in [California](http://wwwnotes.fs.fed.us:81/r4/payments_to_states.nsf/0/b2688113a02b97c088256d03004c3885?OpenDocument). They can be a particular problem ecologically on islands, such as [Hawaii](http://www.nps.gov/havo/manage/kahuku/ka_hunt.htm). There are large numbers of feral cattle in Northern Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/8 "2005-01-14T16:03:55Z")
\*\*Spring Break 2005: Tulsa, Oklahoma \*\* – Cows Gone _Wild !_ ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/9 "2005-01-14T16:13:17Z")
Oh, wow! Look at the udders on _that_ one! No…the one with all the beads around her neck. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/10 "2005-01-14T16:35:16Z")
The previous owners of my cousin’s house in NY state had feral cows that had earlier escaped from his neighbor. He finally shot them. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/11 "2005-01-14T20:24:35Z")
> [@SavageNarce](#): > > So how do you pronounce that? “ **Fear all cows!** ” Paritculary [these](http://www.theflasharchive.com/f/f-50.htm) cows. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/12 "2005-01-15T01:49:36Z")
[I’m a cow.](http://myboringlife.com/i_am_a/cow.html) ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/13 "2005-01-15T01:52:29Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > [I’m a cow.](http://myboringlife.com/i_am_a/cow.html) NSFW, if the loading screen leads to the flash I’ve seen before. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/14 "2005-01-15T02:26:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Here’s some information on feral cattle in [Arizona](http://www.fguardians.org/news/n990805.html)\ Not to be picky, but the Gila Wilderness (and therefore the cattle) is in New Mexico, not Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/15 "2005-01-15T03:29:14Z")
[Are you sure they’re not mad cows?](http://www.pimpworks.org/misc/madcow.swf) NSFW. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/16 "2005-01-15T14:57:47Z")
> [@silkie](#): > > [Chillingham Wild Cattle](http://www.whitepark.org.uk/chillingham.htm) > This herd didn’t go wild - they always have been ! They imply that these cattle are descendents of wild aurochs … but weren’t aurochs supposed to be HUGE? And fairly deadly? How big are the Chillinghams? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feral-cows/284699/17 "2005-01-15T21:59:42Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > They imply that these cattle are descendents of wild aurochs … but weren’t aurochs supposed to be HUGE? And fairly deadly? How big are the Chillinghams? Chillingham cattle are certainly not direct descendents of wild Aurochs, but simply a very old feral stock. [This article](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2386/is_1_113/ai_86063329) describes some of the mythology that surrounds them, as well as the issue of whether they are true wild cattle or not. More information on the Aurochs can be found in my Staff Report, [What did cows evolve from?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/maurochs.html) Aurochs were huge, up to 6 feet at the shoulder. I’m not sure how big Chillinghams are, but the article I linked to describes them as “miniature aurochsen” so they must not be that big.