Runaway steer still at large on Whidbey

A one-year-old whiteface steer recently escaped Bell’s Farm in dramatic fashion, possibly providing a valuable shot in the flanks for the breed’s civil rights movement.

The wayward steer remains on the lam.

Jerry Bell, owner of the West Beach Road farm, purchased four steers from Jerry Lang. Upon delivery April 21, the new owner watched three of the emasculated bovines fill their stomachs.

The fourth, comparatively skeptical steer nervously milled around until a young Labrador retriever entered the pasture for a round of gamboling and proper introductions. The cow promptly exited the field in a less-than subtle manner.

“My nephew let the dog out of the truck and it went from there,” Bell said. “He’d never seen a cow before. And I don’t know whether it ever saw a dog before.”

The red and white, whiteface steer, a breed appropriately named for its white face, took off at breakneck speed — for a cow — and plowed through two barbed wire fences, an electric fence, jumped a large stack of irrigation pipes and headed south across an expansive field.

“Some friends turned him around and he went tearing across another field,” Bell said of the short-horned yearling. “He never slowed a bit.”

Bell’s Farm is separated from the upscale Sky Meadows development to the east by a tract of forest. The steer disappeared into the cover after “exiting” through the corner of a deer fence.

“A neighbor saw the steer leave,” the 60-year resident said. “He just busted through the fence.”

The large animal has reportedly not been seen since he bid an ungraceful adieu to Bell’s Farm. One would assume the cow would either emerge from the woods opposite the farm or wander back to its intended home. But one would be wrong.

“Nobody’s seen it,” Bell said. “We’ve contacted everyone in the area, we contacted the ranger at Fort Ebey, and nothing. He was only here for 15 minutes. It’s been a week now.”

Where does a 450-pound steer hide? Therein lies the question.

“This is the first time anything like this has every happened to us,” Bell said. “You’d think someone would see him.”

The elusive white-faced cow was last seen wearing red and white leather. Anyone with information about the steer’s whereabouts should contact Bell at 678-4808.

Runaway steer still at large on Whidbey

A one-year-old whiteface steer recently escaped Bell’s Farm in dramatic fashion, possibly providing a valuable shot in the flanks for the breed’s civil rights movement.

The wayward steer remains on the lam.

Jerry Bell, owner of the West Beach Road farm, purchased four steers from Jerry Lang. Upon delivery April 21, the new owner watched three of the emasculated bovines fill their stomachs.

The fourth, comparatively skeptical steer nervously milled around until a young Labrador retriever entered the pasture for a round of gamboling and proper introductions. The cow promptly exited the field in a less-than subtle manner.

“My nephew let the dog out of the truck and it went from there,” Bell said. “He’d never seen a cow before. And I don’t know whether it ever saw a dog before.”

The red and white, whiteface steer, a breed appropriately named for its white face, took off at breakneck speed — for a cow — and plowed through two barbed wire fences, an electric fence, jumped a large stack of irrigation pipes and headed south across an expansive field.

“Some friends turned him around and he went tearing across another field,” Bell said of the short-horned yearling. “He never slowed a bit.”

Bell’s Farm is separated from the upscale Sky Meadows development to the east by a tract of forest. The steer disappeared into the cover after “exiting” through the corner of a deer fence.

“A neighbor saw the steer leave,” the 60-year resident said. “He just busted through the fence.”

The large animal has reportedly not been seen since he bid an ungraceful adieu to Bell’s Farm. One would assume the cow would either emerge from the woods opposite the farm or wander back to its intended home. But one would be wrong.

“Nobody’s seen it,” Bell said. “We’ve contacted everyone in the area, we contacted the ranger at Fort Ebey, and nothing. He was only here for 15 minutes. It’s been a week now.”

Where does a 450-pound steer hide? Therein lies the question.

“This is the first time anything like this has every happened to us,” Bell said. “You’d think someone would see him.”

The elusive white-faced cow was last seen wearing red and white leather. Anyone with information about the steer’s whereabouts should contact Bell at 678-4808.