Wild Cattle of Pelion Plains

[Overlandman]

Interesting story
From ABC News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-04/t ... ns/7567088


Skulls of two wild bulls, shot c. 1945
PHOTO: Skulls of two wild bulls shot circa 1945 on Pelion Plains. (Supplied: Roy Davies)
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In the 1930s it was not snakes, tigers or bushrangers that terrified people venturing into central Tasmania — it was the wild cattle of Pelion Plains.

But unlike legends of big cats roaming the wilderness, the stories of aggressive beasts in the Central Highlands are firmly based in reality.

Early last century, Pelion Plains, north of Lake Saint Clair in central Tasmania, was renowned for its luscious grassy plains.

Cattle on Pelion Plains, 1958
PHOTO: The McCoy/Davies cattle at Pelion Plains in 1958. (Supplied: Roy Davies)
Such was its allure that in 1909 farmer and prospector George Sloan applied for a 14-year grazing lease over an area of about 4,000 acres.

In January 1910, Sloan drove 132 head of cattle to Pelion Plains where he let them roam for nearly six months.

"Grazing cattle on Pelion Plains became a financially viable practice," historian Simon Cubit said.

Within six years of Sloan's initiative the state government made funding available for the extension of the track leading to Pelion Plains.

The development of the route resulted in a safer and shorter journey for the cattle and increased farming and grazing in the area.

"It was in the 1920s after a decade of successful seasonal grazing at Pelion Plains that trouble arose," Mr Cubit said.

Cows gone wild

The likely start of the problem occurred after 40 Black Angus heifers from Bothwell were placed on the run.

Little did the graziers realise that five wild Herefords, likely pushed down the track due to heavy snowfall, were already populating the area.

Remains of stockyard built in 1926 to hold wild cattle, 1987.
PHOTO: Remains of a stockyard built in 1926 to hold wild cattle. This photo was taken in 1987. (Supplied: Simon Cubit)
By the time the heifers were ready to be collected they had mixed with the wild Herefords and were reluctant to return to captivity.

"With no fences or yards and restricted by the terrain to muster on foot with dogs, the stockmen were no match for the wild and agile cattle and returned empty handed," Mr Cubit said.

Frustrated by the loss of their valuable cattle, the graziers came up with a number of plans — none of which proved altogether successful.

Eventually they decided to shoot the beasts and sell their skins for £2 each.

Hunters came for prized wild cattle

Within a few years it was believed the wild cattle were so low in numbers that there was a push to introduce new herds for grazing again.

Yet the legend and presence of the wild cattle would not go away.

"The [wild] cattle continued to attract attention from a circle of young men," Mr Cubit said.

"Each of these animals held economic value — as much as a week's wage."
From 1932 to 1936 the hunting of the cattle became a sport, almost a rite of passage.

Pelion Plains
PHOTO: Pelion Plains as it is today. (Supplied: Simon Cubit)
"The prospect of earning some money and the thrill of the chase was a powerful lure," Mr Cubit said.

By the mid 1930s the boundaries of the Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park were extended and most graziers left Pelion Plains.

Climbing trees only safe option against wild cows

While some hunters were keen to meet the wild cattle, some of the cattle gained such reputations no-one wanted to encounter them.

One large bull was given the nickname Jack Johnson after a popular American boxer of the period due to his aggressive attitude to strangers.

Recreational walkers also wrote of their contact with the beasts and how scaling any nearby tree was the most reliable escape route.

Such was the reputation of the wild cows and bulls that stories of their presence on the plains became part of local folklore.

In 1946, however, the animals' 35-year occupation of the area came to an abrupt end.

It is believed two weeks of snow followed by 27 days of consecutive frosts killed off even the most hardy of the remaining wild cattle, leaving only their stories behind.