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Manola,Ab, Ca | Last night about this time I was within 7 or 8 miles from home from the first day of hauling logs this year and then out of the blue my day took a bad turn. I noticed some movement on the road in the oncoming lane. I thought deer as it was too low to the ground for moose. I was close enough that I didn’t have time to hit the air horn or brakes. Next thing I know I felt the thud and then it was multiple thuds and things flying everywhere. At this point I came to the realization that I had hit a herd of cattle.
I got stopped and let the truck a few miles behind me know.
I checked the truck for leaks and couldn’t see anything so left it running and got on the phone to the RCMP. As I was talking with dispatch a cattle wagon went past heading towards where I had hit the cattle. He slowed down but ended up sliding his front bumper into one of the dead cows laying in his lane.
Long story short it ended up that I had hit ten head of cattle and killed eight of them instantly with the remaining two having to be dispatched.
The remarkable part is that I was able to drive the truck home and we have it ready to go back to the bush tomorrow. It will need a new hood and a new bull bar but we are hoping that maybe we can wait until the spring. My boss is going to go ahead and get the parts ordered just in case.
The worst part is that this isn’t the first time that cattle have been hit on the road from this farm. The authorities had removed the cattle last winter but he replaced them over the summer. The farmer is elderly and has Alzheimer’s from what I understand. Not sure about family. Unfortunately two hours an SUV hit two more cattle in the same spot. The farmer has been charged according to a report I have seen. The neighbours are going to try and get the remaining cattle rounded up and put somewhere safe or put wheels under them.
I’m so thankful that I was in the big truck with a good bumber not a small car. I’m sure someone was looking out for me.
I think that because of the big group the first ones cushioned the blow to the truck and bounced them out of the way. None of them went under the truck.
Edit to add that I know the article says eight cattle but my boss counted ten. I’m not sure who is correct but it was still incredible. FYI the bumper on the truck was a Magnum brand. I’m very impressed, we pulled it out some and it still opens and closes. Pretty amazing in my opinion.
Edited by hankster1966 1/6/2026 21:08
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Quite the past 24 hours
