Where Wild Cows Roam
It isn’t true that the colonists wiped out native cows. They are relatively small, their numbers are greatly reduced, but they can still be found in certain areas of Pennsylvania and other states if you know how to look.
Very often they are mistaken for deer. They are almost identical except they are squatter, have short thick necks, horns instead of antlers, long tails, they moo, some have udders and they fart a lot.
Their scat is significantly different, too. Deer poop consist of pellets and look a little like Milk Duds. It has a gamey taste which varies between summer and winter depending on what the deer are eating. It is sweeter in summer and chewier in winter.
Wild cow poop is larger and frequently full of gravel or stone. They eat gravel and stones to help them grind up their food which consists of bark, wood, leaves, snails, ferns, mushrooms, shubs, grass, dead leaves, snow, dirt and anything else that grows. They are vegan. Their poop is almost flavorless but is not edible because of all the gravel.
Hunters sometimes mistakenly blast one but then leave it in the woods. If you shoot one it lets out an incredible amount of hydrogen sulfide which can make you pass out and possibly die if you are too close. Hydrogen sulfide is also highly flammable and native cows sometimes explode if shot at close range (less than 100 feet.). The entrails are extremely sticky and will permanently ruin a nifty hunting outfit.
For hunters who enjoy exploding game, Cabelas sells fashionable wild bovine hunting outfits.
Pennsylvania Game Commission posts warnings on State Gameland properties about shooting wild cows and has videos on its webpage on how to recognize them.
Despite the dangers of shooting them and the awful taste of the meat, they are in season from Oct 15 — Dec 15.
Permit required.
