The Giant Cows of Jackson County

On my first visit to Jackson County and State Forest State Park, I encountered species of giant cows, Some were confined by barbed wire fencing, while those in the park roamed free. They were massive with scowling faces.

The large, pale cows are of the Charolais breed, the fifth-largest breed of cows on the planet. The cream-colored ungulates weigh in at more than 2,400 pounds. Their massive, hulking bodies lumbered across a dusty clearing. A few ran, thundering across the terrain, their hooves rendering a tympanic percussive sound.

Standing on the dirt, they towered over some of the other cows. Suddenly, one of them violently pounded its hoof into the ground, raising a thick cloud of dust. Then, it rubbed its head against the dirt, snorting all the while. After several repetitions, it stopped and an even larger companion completed the same ritual. He raised his enormous head, sneered and bellowed a high volume low.

I hiked a nature trail in the hopes of seeing a moose. I heard snorting noises, and as I cautiously rounded a corner, I saw a black cow that looked more like the wall of a one-story building. She was just beyond the trail and seeing me approach, she ran behind a stand of trees. Massive running cows are comical. Their bodies don’t really change position vertically, but their legs move quickly in short steps in a cartoonish folly.  On the return, the same cow stood on the trail with her calf. From a distance, stared each other down as if in a spaghetti Western. The huge black cow gave in and ran off with her calf, allowing me to pass safely.

The cows in State Forest State Park appear to belong to a private ranch, but are free to roam as they please.