Firstly, before I forget, you should know the cattle here are indeed delicious. It’s just the fresh thing. I grew up on the east coast and we had our fresh seafood. The steak was okay but not until I moved here did I taste a memorable one. Fear not all those who will not eat anything with parents. What was once known as vegetarian hell has become a much easier place to finding non-meat options.
Regarding working around cattle, there is really no worry per se. They are curious and mostly friendly. But they are animals. In the rare instance (like above) that you would be away from the rancher or wrangler – stay calm. Respecting the wrangler and the animals and asking what you can or can not do will save everybody any embarrassment. The majority of ranchers are more than happy to help. Here are a few tips to consider when filming near cattle:
- Yes, they do smell. They are cows. But pig and chicken crap smells much worse.
- If you are shooting at a dairy, keep in mind there are milking times, usually twice a day every 12 hours. So the dairy might say “We milk at 3 and 3.” That’s AM then PM.
- Don’t build a set or place the camera between the herd and their dinner. They are heavy clumsy animals. When hungry, they are on a straight line to the food.
- A sensitive client probably should NOT be there on “off to market” day. Also known as getting picked up for slaughter. It’s just a tad emotional.
- DO NOT order your meat well done. And NEVER – ever – put ketchup on your steak.
Photos and words COPYRIGHT Jamie Vesay ANY USE requires permission.
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