I just replied to a question that someone posted in one of the neighborhoods that brought back a not-too-pleasant experience that I would like to share.

I farmed most of my life.  For those of you who farm, or were raised on a farm, you know the dangers of farm life.  Up until five years ago, I was a dairy farmer.  A few years after high school, I worked for a dairy farmer about twenty miles down the road from where I live now.  Like many farmers in the area, he had about 120 head of cattle.  Servicing those 120 head was one bull (lucky bull, huh?).  That bull was going on three years old.  Usually when a bull hits the two year mark, they have a tendancy to get quite aggressive.

This bull was no different.  Before going out to bring in a new shift of cows to get milked, I tried to look for the bull.  I didn't see that damned bull anywhere, so I figured he was penned up in another pen.  After looking once more to be sure I walked out of the barn to chase the second shift cattle in for milking.  Half way out in the lot, I heard this loud SNORT.  I instantly froze in my tracks.  Knowing the worst thing I could do was to run, my eyes searched around me, with as little body movement as possible, looking for an escape route.  I still was not sure where the snort had come from, until I heard him snort again, along with the foot drag, which is an obvious pre-charge signal.  With no route of escape in sight to my left, I slowly turned my head to the right.  When I turned, me and that bull made eye contact.  He was no more than ten feet away.  With him that close, there was no way I could make a run for it and expect to make it to safety, which would have been a 40 foot run.

I just stood there, barely breathing, and praying a cow would come between me and that bull.  My thought was that if a cow would come close enough, I could probably make my escape by walking along side the cow, essentially using the cow as a blockade should the bull try to charge.  Much to my dismay, the cows were more interested in a stupid catfight just outside of the gate.  As I saw the cows heading toward the cats, I knew that they would not be of any help.

For what seemed like an eternity, the bull just stared me down.  They say not to stare a bull in the eye, but I did anyway thinking that if he made a move, his eyes would show it first, giving me the opportunity to get out of the way.  All of a sudden, I heard a bunch of yelling behind the bull.  The bull, startled by the noise, instantly shot in my direction.  Scared shitless, I did the only thing I could do at the time.  I darted out of the way just as he ran past the exact spot I was standing.  The person who did all the yelling walked up to me and told me I was the luckiest SOB he knew.  He could not figure out why that bull never charged me.  I told him that it runs in my family.  My family had all had bulls on there farms, and every single one of my family members has a story about a bull, and how they almost met their Maker.

Until next time....

coryputz

http://stores.ebay.com/Piepers-Valley-Outfitters

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I am new at writing blogs, but certainly not new at telling stories.  I am an avid outdoorsman.  I love hunting, fishing (especially walleye), gardening, and cycling are my four favorite hobbies.  With hobbies like that, there is bound to be many interesting stories.  But the stories are not what prompted me to start writing a blog.  It was the opportunity to help others enjoy the hobbies that I so passionately enjoy.  I have been reading many posts on hunting and fishing, and most of those posts are looking for help or advice. 

What prompted me to write a blog was the opportunity to share my experiences with others.  What you won't find in my blogs is a bunch of advertising.  I may mention a product that I have listed in my store, but only because it ties in with a story or a tip.  This blog is a place for me to get away from my store, and for readers to do the same.

I live within eyesight of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin.  My home is in a small valley 25 miles north of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.  It really is a beautiful area with its high bluffs, which relatives from Maine call mountains, overlooking the Mississippi River.  The fishing is excellent and the deer hunting is unmatched anywhere in the Midwest. 

Beautiful streams run through nearly every valley in the area.  Unfortunately, not every stream is filled with fish.  We almost have to guard the creek that runs through our land.  We have caught many people trout fishing on our land.  The trout are typically small, so trout fishing in our creek really isn't successful.  The crayfish, on the other hand, are abundant.  Nothing better than crawdads roasted over an open fire.

We are also blessed with 200 acres of woodland.  The deer are numerous and the wild turkeys are huge.  Pheasant are nealy non-existant, so we do not hunt them.  Grouse were pretty thin also up until about two years ago.  Now there population is up enough where I may take up grouse hunting again.  Well, as soon as I get my one year old black lab trained enough to chase them up.

Now that I have given you some background information about me and where I live, that should set the stage for my future blogs.  I hope my introductory blog did not bore you enough to keep from reading future blogs.  Until next time, enjoy the outdoors.

coryputz

http://stores.ebay.com/Piepers-Valley-Outfitters