Saturday 4th July – All 4 seen – NoFence collars triggering while drinking at the water trough

At 14:20 this afternoon, youngsters 276, 282, and 283 were grazing on the diagonal track about 120 metres east of the tarmac road, near ///snowy.they.ideas, making the most of the fresh grass and warm sunshine. They were all very friendly, coming over to greet me before taking turns enjoying plenty of attention. Youngster 282 welcomed me with some gentle head rubs. Youngsters 276 and 283 were looking great with their freshly trimmed horns. Youngster 278 had been grazing near the perimeter fence to the southwest but came to join us after about ten minutes. As soon as he spotted me, he greeted me with a chorus of moos before wandering straight over for the first of many neck scratches.

After our initial greetings, the boys soon gathered, content to stand beside me and chew their cud. They took turns stepping forward for more fuss, particularly enjoying long neck and back scratches. After a while, they drifted away to graze, but regularly wandered back for another neck scratch or two. It was lovely to watch them play-fight with one another before returning to their grazing. By 15:15, it was becoming a little too warm, so I moved into the shade of the trees to the south, where youngster 278 was quick to join me. He was more than happy to enjoy another long shoulder and back scratch while relaxing and chewing his cud. Before long, the others wandered over as well, and it looked as though they were getting ready to settle down for a rest.

Shortly before 15:45, I set off to check the water trough, with the boys following close behind. They each stopped for a long drink from the trough. As they drank, the audible warning from their collars sounded, prompting them to move away from the trough. Youngster 283 didn't move far enough away in time and ended up getting a shock. It may be worth considering extending the Nofence boundary in this area so they can comfortably drink from both sides of the trough without triggering the warning. After the boys had finished drinking and the trough was refilling, I gave it a good clean.

Afterwards, the boys gathered around me at the edge of the woodland to relax and chew their cud. They all leaned in for a few more neck and head scratches while they rested. When I said my goodbyes at 16:15, the boys decided to follow me once again. I stopped to spend a few more minutes with them before gently encouraging them back to the fresh grass, where they happily resumed grazing in the refreshing breeze. After a short while, I slipped away, leaving them all peacefully grazing.

The boys were all good today.