Have an opportunity to hunt farm that has cows on it. How do the cows affect deer movement? Pros and cons of cows on hunting properties?
From a hunting standpoint, not much to worry about. From a management standpoint, cows are a very bad idea.
Deer are very selective feeders. They pick and choose the foods that are best for them at the time. And unless food sources are very limited, deer tend NOT to eat all of a plant, just the tender tips. Cattle eat everything and eat it completely. I've seen more than one property where cattle have devastated the habitat. The key to having both is having the cattle limited in the areas they can access. As long as cattle are fenced in pastures, and good low-to-the-ground food sources provided for deer outside those fences, everything is OK. But giving cattle free-range of an entire property is bad news for deer.Would you expand on the bad points on management. Is it because of cattle eating up food plots?
Reason I'm asking is the farm I hunt (and surrounding farms) all have cattle on them. No food plots on my lease. We have good deer every year.
Just a personal observation. Open Fields or pastures that have cows in them almost never have deer at the same time. It seems when the cows are there the deer are not.Have an opportunity to hunt farm that has cows on it. How do the cows affect deer movement? Pros and cons of cows on hunting properties?
Deer are very selective feeders. They pick and choose the foods that are best for them at the time. And unless food sources are very limited, deer tend NOT to eat all of a plant, just the tender tips. Cattle eat everything and eat it completely. I've seen more than one property where cattle have devastated the habitat. The key to having both is having the cattle limited in the areas they can access. As long as cattle are fenced in pastures, and good low-to-the-ground food sources provided for deer outside those fences, everything is OK. But giving cattle free-range of an entire property is bad news for deer.
I do t know about deer but they surrounded me when I was in my tent blind. They kept getting closer until the biggest one stick her nose in my window. Damn they are big. I shook the blind and it jumped back. Then they went over and about destroyed my turkey decoys. The next time I went I brought a slingshot. Yup they came to me again and wack. Then to my decoys and wack again. Stupid cows.Have an opportunity to hunt farm that has cows on it. How do the cows affect deer movement? Pros and cons of cows on hunting properties?
That is my experience as well. When my in laws had cattle, I would plan to hunt where the cows weren't.Just a personal observation. Open Fields or pastures that have cows in them almost never have deer at the same time. It seems when the cows are there the deer are not.
And if they are both in the field cows will be at one end deer in the other . Also where cattle are its difficult to find deer sign because deer will follow cattle trails . I really don't like hunting an area with cattle but if it's a good enough property I'll hunt it but like others have said from an elevated stand always which is very common for me anyway .Just a personal observation. Open Fields or pastures that have cows in them almost never have deer at the same time. It seems when the cows are there the deer are not.
and turkeys.If there are large hay feeders for the cows, deer will find them also.
In addition to BSKs points eating everything vs selectively, soil compaction, erosion, and surface water quality are all negatively affected by cattle.Would you expand on the bad points on management. Is it because of cattle eating up food plots?