An Annapolis Valley bull slated for slaughter tried to escape his fate Sunday by leaping over a two-metre fence and fleeing into the woods.

The one-tonne creature was supposed to be sold and sent to slaughter Monday but it had other plans.

The bull's owner, Jan Speelman, says he thought he had the animal securely in the bull pen when it leaped over the fence.

"It jumped the gate," he said. "Then he was going, just a-going. I jumped on the tractor and put it in high — which is quite fast — and I tried to cut him off."

This bull thwarted its own escape effort, by returning to its barn for a feed of hay. (Brian MacKay/CBC)

Speelman, 85, said he's never seen anything like it in 70 years of having cattle. He watched as the bull fled the property, wading through mud that was about one foot deep.

"Then he went through a pond, a ditch of water over 20 feet and ice still in it. He went through the ice but crawled out, and that's when he went for the woods."

Speelman reported the escape to the RCMP, who sent out a news release late Sunday night, asking people to use caution near Long Point Road, in Aylesford East.

Speelman's farm is directly beside Highway 101, a busy stretch of the road, and the town of Berwick. RCMP warned about the danger if a vehicle collided with the one-tonne animal.

Jan Speelman, 85, hopped on his tractor to try to stop the bull from escaping. (Brian MacKay/CBC)

While people were warned, the hunt was on. Speelman says he monitored the road, while his grandson, J.T. took to the woods.

"I gave him a rifle to shoot it because I didn't want it to get to the public," Speelman said. "If the door was open, and he went into a house, he'd tear the house down. I was some scared that he would go to Berwick."

A bull that went missing near Berwick, N.S. on the weekend made its way home on Monday morning, but not before a search was undertaken and RCMP issued a warning to motorists. (Carolyn Ray/CBC)

Early Monday afternoon, Speelman's grandson tracked the fugitive right back to where the search began. It appears his stomach got the best of him, the bull was asleep after having a feed in the family's hay barn.

Speelman hopped on his tractor and used it to block the entrance to the barn, ensuring there would be no repeat escape.

The missing bull is now safely tucked away in this barn after jumping a seven-foot fence and going on the lam. (Carolyn Ray/CBC)

While the bull is back, it's not out of the woods.

"He'll end up in the slaughterhouse if we can get him back in that building," Speelman said referring to the bull pen. "If he doesn't, I'll shoot him and put him into hamburger. One or the other."