where did the term cow polk come from or mean.?

Answer 1

it's poke

The term "cowpoke" originated as a term applied to the men who rode with the shipment and during stops would walk the train, poking the livestock with sticks to keep them from lying down or kneeling on the floor. Later, and probably meant to be derogatory, it came to mean "cowboy". The term for the car they traveled in was called a "drovers caboose".

Answer 2

The term is "cow poke." It is a term used to describe cattle herders in the Old West. Similar to cow boy, cow puncher, etc.

Answer 3

You have to poke and prod cattle when driving them down the trail !