Actually there are both, Cows and Bulls. The herd is thinned in the winter months. The Island Association hires a company from Derry to come in and round up the herd. They leave of twenty or so animals at the suggestion of the state biologist. The animals that are removed are the more aggressive and older animals and they go to auction. The money raised by the sale of the animals at the auction goes to different charities benefiting the lakes region.
The bulls that are left are protective of the cows and have horns and will hurt you. They will bite chase and stomp you if they get angry and it doesn't take much to get them mad. I have witnessed people running in complete panic, screaming in terror trying to out of the fire roads on the island with the herd chasing them right into the lake. The animals just stand there and snort and snarl and make cow sounds until they feel you are no longer a threat.
I was chased back in 1998 and swear it was one of the scariest moments ever. I had to change my shorts. The bull was hiding behind a group of large boulders in the "quarry" area of the island, I surprised him and the foot race was on... I ran to a point where I almost threw up. Now I stay a good distance of those long haired bovines.
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