What will a bull do if it is angry?

Answer 1

Anger is a human emotion, not an emotion that other animals, like bovines, feel. Bulls are "angry" when they feel they are being challenged by a human they think is another bull, or another bull. When they get like this, they become aggressive, and/or territorial, not angry. When a bull reacts "angrily" when from being poked, whacked and prodded to go into a place it doesn't want to go, or feels cornered and wants to get out of that place in any means possible, he is only reacting out of fear, anxiety, nervousness, which leads to a panic attack, not anger.

A bull in the bull-fighting ring is not angry at the matador, he is merely overly aggressive. A bull that is being ridden for the first time is reacting out of fear, then once the cowboy has been bucked off, this fear turns to aggression because the bull sees this cowboy as a threat that needs to be dealt with. A bull that goes after a worker in the middle of a pasture is acting not out of anger, but aggression because that bull sees the worker as a rival, not as something or someone that poses no threat to him or his harem of cows or heifers.

An aggressive bull, which may be the context of this question, behaves with warning signs first, be they subtle or obvious. The subtle signs of an aggressive bull is one that does not pay you any attention when you enter his pen or pasture. A non-aggressive bull should raise his head and look at you when you enter his enclosure or even walk by the fence. If he doesn't do this, look out! An aggressive bull will also display his side and arch his neck to show you how big and strong he is. He may also give you a hard stare and even wrinkle his nose similar to a dog or wolf might in an attempt to "bear teeth" at you. Mother cows and heifers with their first calf may do this to tell you or another animal to keep away from their calves. Head shaking is another sign to watch out for, as well as what is called "growling," where a bull will make a low, but rumbling "Merrrrrumph.....merrrrrrrumph!" in your direction. The next level, and the most obvious warning sign, is the pawing of the earth with his hooves and rubbing his head in it to make him look more masculine and tough. He will also do this to impress his females prior to the mating ritual and challenge other bulls.

The highest level of aggression is the charge. A charging bull has his head lowered and his chin tucked in to allow for maximum impact and injury to the subject that he has challenged or wishes to "get rid of." Sometimes these charges will only be mock charges, but most of the time they are not, and are delivered with the intent to do irretrievable harm. Also, not all bulls that start a charge start it with a snort. They may begin the charge silently, then start blowing snot when they get nearer and nearer to you or almost upon you. This is where the phrase "blowing snot down your back pocket" comes from when conversing with cattlemen and cattlewomen about aggressive cows and bulls.

Now, a bull that is fearful is one that has his head up eye, ears pricked and the whites of his eyes showing. Quite often a bull that is getting panicky will be snorting and blowing and moving very quickly, in sharp, jerky movements. If he gets in a panic attack in the chute, he will be throwing himself around in a wild attempt to get away. If he's in an enclosure where he feels cornered, he will turn and charge, but this is not out of aggression but a high state of anxiety to the point where it turns into panic, where he just wants the thing that is cornering him to get out and quit pushing so far into his flight or comfort zone. Rough handling such as yelling, chasing, hitting or prodding will always get this sort of behaviour from an otherwise docile and calm bull (or cow). Calm and quiet handling and respect and knowledge of the flight zone of a bull will not get this behaviour.

Nevertheless, it is always wise to be cautious around any and all bulls, no matter how aggressive or docile they are. Any bull that is showing signs of aggression should be culled immediately: it's not worth your life or limbs to keep such an animal around when there are plenty of other calm bulls to choose from.