Dart Guns

Does anyone use these?

Several times threads on this have appeared, with much discussion. Might try the Archives for info.

Thanks

The issue with tranq guns is the tranqs.

DEA controlled and require the appropriate paperwork.

Probably have to work with a veterinarian.

I once had job where 2 cows with calves escaped and went wild in cornfields for about a month. Landowners had several deer bow hunters carry a tranq gun in hopes of getting a shot, but the cows were very sharp and played the wind and managed to avoid them all. They hired me and gave me the gun and darts with enough juice for an adult cow, or so they said. I located them in a forest and spent about an hour sneaking up on them down wind, but before I could get in range the wind swirled and they went crashing into to corn field. I could hear them sticking to the edge of the field so I went into the middle and tried to get ahead to wait on them, but when I got to the edge there they were. I darted the nearest one clean in the rump and they ran off. I thought it was money in the bank. Followed the tracks and found them in someone’s backyard about quarter mile away, the right amount of time had passed so I just walked straight toward them expecting one to be down. Nope, one was a bit tipsy, but they all ran off. No one ever got another dart in any of them until late fall when they decided to kill the two cows. That worked, the calves stayed close and it took 7 darts full of juice for one calf and 8 for the other. Apparently they were a type of cow that is not sensitive to the tranquilizer. They were those black ones with the big white stripe in the middle, Viking breed or something like that.
Yes, a vet had to be involved when we used the tranq gun.

Two breeds share the belted phenotype.

Belted Galloway a Scottish beef breed built much like an old type Angus, they share a common ancestry.

Belted Dutch, a dairy breed taller and rangier like most North European dairy breeds.

The two breeds share the Belted trait as there was some interaction across the north sea. Also both can show up as red and white as red is the dun factor of black. All black breeds can have the dun factor. Some have been segregated out as in red angus.

That jogs my memory. Belted Galloway is what they called them. They had no trouble living wild, and they were smart and knew they wanted nothing to do with humans. I would not quite put them on par with whitetails in terms of challenge to hunt, but every bit as wary as elk.
And I was honestly a bit intimidated by them. I just had a feeling they might decide to stomp me in the ground if they got the notion. In fact I told the owners of the cows that I would be carrying a Dirty Harry model 29, and if they came at me I would do my best to make them beef before they could catch me (which is what happened to the adults in the end anyway). They always ran though.

Grew up around beef critters. At one time dad got up to 60 head.

They may look dumb but are as smart or smarter than any dog and got a nose better than any whitetail.