I took a slight deviation from my usual walk this morning and my dogs found something in the field.  They were doing that usual 'shoulder down' roll they love so much when discovering fox poo or dead remains.  They had found a cows leg.  I don't think it had been dead for years as there was still flesh on the bones, it had a cloven foot and was a considerable size so couldn't be mistken. I took a picture with my camera and moved on.  Sure enough in the next field we had a repeat, then I noticed dogs digging which revealed a skin.  Now this certainly wasn't ancient (we have a tannery at work and I am used to seeing skins).

Should I do anything?  I am sure there is legislation to prohibit this type of disposal.  I don't want to put a farmer out of business by causing trouble, fines, etc but the local farmer has just been fined for sending a 6yr animal to slaughter with the tag of a younger animal on.

Any suggestions?

Given the BSE epidemic I would imagine that this sort of disposal is illegal . Hopefully someone will come along who can say for sure but I can't see that it is right. Does it look like it has been a deliberate disposal of could the beast have just died? I know most farmers know exactly how many livestock they have but ....

Would it be a DEFRA item possibly? They are in charge of farming and rural affairs aren't they?

If the poor thing did just drop down dead someone took his skin off and moved his legs over a few fields!!!

I might give defra an email as I could attach pics.

Of course someone could have poached it..............

Always a possibility but you would think that the farmer might have noticed!

It's been illegal to bury livestock on farms for a couple of years now, they have to go through the Fallen Stock Scheme, licenced knackerman or another approved method.

I would report it to the police, with an email to DEFRA too.

Don't fret about getting the farmer into trouble, if it's his doing then he deserves all he gets. I wouldn't think it was poaching as the leg meat is valuable... why chop it off then leave it?, but if it was, then the farmer would want to know/already knows that one of his beasts is missing and should be grateful to you.   :-)

Kath.

Have you any hunt kennels near you?  If so there may have been people walking Hound Puppies and what they feed them on sounds like what you have found here.  I walk them and have legs of cow etc bought over to feed them and when they have finished they go on the muck heap and get dragged of by foxes etc.
Any farmer in his right mind would not slaughter a cow and then scatter it when it is free for the local hunt to come and pick it up!!!!!

We do have a hunt but it's about five miles away.

I've phoned trading standards and I am now waiting for the animal inspector to arrive.  He said he was 'very interested' and would come out straight away! 

were you on a public footpath when you discovered this cow.....or trespassing?

>were you on a public footpath when you discovered this cow.....or trespassing? <

What difference does that make?

An illegal activity doesn't, as far as I am aware, stop being illegal because it is on private property anyway :)

..and there is now the Right to Roam Act ;)

Margot

Not in all areas yet, Margot!
:)

But slightly hypocritical to suspect illegal activity round cow remains, if trespassing on someone elses land at the time! :D

Wow! thanks for that comment!

Um, I didn't say you had deviated from a public footpath - I was talking hypothetically and generally :)

The difference is immense though both illegal ChloeH . The possibility that the cow has BSE and has been dumped illegally against wandering on private fields...hmm .... :)

I don't want to start a whole debate on how far you have to wander from a footpath for it to be illegal.  Two yds, three yds?  I therefore am not going to comment on that part.

The man from the ministry aka trading standards found three cows in the fields.  All had been there no more than a few weeks.  He is investigating but as the heads were removed there is little chance of identification.

I think a footpath is generally 6 feet wide, though the actual right of way can be narrower - less that the area that's been cleared to walk on.
:)

i was purely thinking of consequences of you also being sued for trespass if you were on private land without a public right of way across it. I know many farmers who used to use dead pits....we still have ours.....just doesnt get used any more. :) and if I found someone poking around ours (we have no public rights of way here) then i would consider action. ;)