As police work goes, it was a case of udder frustration.

A cow that wandered away from a farm north of Mankato was returned home Tuesday, but not before eluding authorities for nearly three hours, the Mankato Free Press reports.

Capt. Rich Murry of the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office said authorities received a call of a cow wandering around on the north end of the city, close to Hwy. 14. about 9:30 a.m.

Murry said officers were dispatched to the scene with hopes of a quick corral. But it wasn't until after noon that officers were able to "load it up" with some help from area farmers equipped with trucks and trailers, Murry said.

Murry estimated the cow walked "five or six miles" from a farm in neighboring Le Sueur County.