City boy checking in.
So, this one time out on a hike in a semi-rural area, the trail opened out on a grassy riverbank kind of place, and there were a dozen or so cows between me and the path onwards.
Now, I mostly grasp which end of a cow the grass goes in, but that’s about my limit; I have no real idea how they operate IRL.
I ended up carefully edging my way past them and gave them as much space as I possibly could, and got extremely stared at by all of them, who probably thought I was nuts.
Just out of curiosity - how careful did I need to be? Can you just like walk through the middle of them, or would that be asking for trouble?
It really depends on what breed and how they were raised. In the Alps, there are almost anually reports of wanderers being attacked or even killed by cows. They often are with their calves for a longer time, are less accustomed to (strange) people and usually a fully intact male is in the heard that can get really protective.
Approach them with caution, watch their behaviour closely and use common sense. That’s what I do and for me that works.
I had quite the opposite experience in the alps, we have hiked within meters cows because the heard was laying and standing on the path. I have never seen very young calves or bulls on the mountains.
Well, then you were lucky. I‘ve been hiking off the beaten paths and more than once forced me an agitated bull to detour as he would not let me near his herd.