GOSHEN - Town officials here thought they had solved a long-standing problem of cattle wandering into people's yards when they named a field driver to round up the bovine escapees and assess hefty fines against the owners.

To their dismay, residents Monday told the Select Board in no uncertain terms that the problem persists. Cattle continue to wander through neighborhoods and damage lawns, residents said.

The cattle in question, pastured on 600 acres rented on Spruce Corner Road, belong to Cosimo Ferrante, who in a telephone interview Wednesday denied that his cattle had been loose or improperly cared for.

"This is completely ridiculous. It is a personal vendetta. No one reported to me that there were any problems and trust me, there were no cows stampeding on peoples property," Ferrante said.

Eric Light of Spruce Corner Road said he called field driver Josh Porter of Ashfield last week to report cows lingering in his yard. The cattle had moved on before Porter arrived, Light said, but not before leaving his yard full of holes.

"It's like deja vu," said Light. "This happened a dozen times last year, then it seemed to subside. Now it is happening all over again."

Carol Hodge, also of Spruce Corner Road, reported frequently seeing cows wandering around her neighborhood and on Route 9. She said a small herd of cattle had paid her a visit three weeks ago.

"We had 15 to 20 head come down out of the woods, into my back yard and surround my house," she said. "I called animal control and I called the field driver but nobody ever got back to us. Where the cattle eventually went, I don't know."

Hodge said she was troubled by the lack of response from authorities.

"I am wondering if we could take care of this ourselves, and stick the beef in the freezer," Hodge said.

Selectman John Judd advised against residents taking matters into their own hands, but said something has to be done.

"This has been going on three years," Judd said. "It's just foolishness and it has to stop."

"When animals are properly fed and watered and have access to shelter they generally don't go wandering about like this," said Judd. "I am just worried that they might cause an accident on Route 9."

According to Ferrante, "One or two calves may have been outside the fence since this summer," but he said that is not a big issue. Ferrante told officials this summer he was diligently working to secure his animals and believed that his efforts would resolve the problem.

Meanwhile, Judd said that Animal Control Officer Kyle Meservey is scheduled to speak with the Select Board on the matter next Monday.

"I know you're frustrated," Judd said. "I can see it. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know what the next step is. We thought we had this covered but obviously we don't."

The Select Board appointed Porter June 28, and set stiff fines for owners of wayward cattle. Owners must pay $100 for the first hour and $60 for each additional hour it takes to round up and transport cattle back to a holding area, as well as $50 per day fee for each animal that is impounded. Those fees are Porter's payment.

One glitch in the system may be that fines are only assessed once the field driver actually becomes involved. If cattle are retrieved before Porter arrives, or if he does not show up, no penalties are imposed.

Hodge asked if she or other residents could impound the cattle themselves.

"If they are on your land, I suppose you could hold them until the owner retrieves them," said Judd. "But rounding up other people's livestock shouldn't have to be a requirement to live on Spruce Corner Road."

Ferrante maintains that the problem is that selectmen are neglecting his rights as a farmer.

"Rather than hiring a field driver to solve the problem, they should be communicating with me, not just listening to hearsay," he said. "They should be serving as a liaison, working with me and supporting my rights to farm as stated in their own bylaws."

As for a field driver picking up any of his cattle, Ferrante was steadfast in his response.

"This whole field driver thing is ridiculous," he said. "Transporting and impounding my animals would put them in danger, and I would hold the town and the selectmen personally responsible for any fees and any vet bills that I got."