My patience would be coming to an end. Those beef cows look like dairy cows. Pittiful! Especially since he has hay. I'd be calling the livestock inspector if he won't pull his head out!
When I lived in Williston, North Dakota, there were two bison that were kept in a park on the north side of the city. They were frequent escapers. I know that bison like to roam, but I wonder now if they were not fed enough.
Once a critter is in the habit of escaping they might as well be hauled to the sale barn. Its a habit that's next to impossible to break, my experience anyway.
But he created the situation by giving them reason to escape... That's the frustrating part for me... to quote Barney Fife... "Nip it in the bud!". This could have been avoided and yet the kid's still operating under the incorrect assumption that this is "normal".