cows and deer
10-17-2006, 04:37 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 255
cows and deer
I'm certain that this topic has been reviewed, but I sat in a stand for 4 hrs last Friday evening in a likely spot...Pinched funnel between fields, hardwoods and thicket (bedding)...lots of trails, rubs etc...didn't see a deer (saw 3 bucks driving in- but nothing on stand) Cows were pretty active in an adjacent field...they were never closer than 75 yards and were not near where I was likely to see deer in front of my stand...Do deer avoid areas where cows are working? My inclination would be to say no, but I'm not sure..thx for advice/ help
10-17-2006, 04:58 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Southern Maryland (St. Mary\'s)
Posts: 884
RE: cows and deer
Just like horses, other livestock and/or other people/things in their surroundings...if they get used to them as being "natural" in that area I don't believe they mind them at all. Good friends of mine have deer mingling with their horses in the same pasture all the time. No big deal.
10-17-2006, 07:50 PM
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Iowa, Dubuque
Posts: 67
RE: cows and deer
I don't have any experience myself but a hunting friend of mine, who farms, told me once that his cows will run deer off. I was surprised. Possibly it depends on the particular herd, or one crazy cow!
10-17-2006, 08:08 PM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: northeastern nebraska
Posts: 173
RE: cows and deer
yeah the deer dont mind the cows at all..not in my area anyways..proof of that is a couple days ago i went into get a trail cam from one of my setups and about 50 head of cattle were eating with a doe and her young on some corn not more than 25 yards apart from each other..
10-17-2006, 08:48 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 565
RE: cows and deer
I've also hunted a farm where the cattle were allowed to roam the entire farm, and IMO the deer do not see cows as a reason to avoid a particular area or find a different route to their destination. Granted I'm sure that a lot of deer don't really want to be really close to the cows, but that kind of goes without saying. Cows are typically a lot bigger!
10-17-2006, 10:47 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NW Oklahoma
Posts: 1,166
RE: cows and deer
I hunted a farm owned by my cousins and about this time of year they would turn steers in on the rye. It pretty much ended the deer hunting. The steers will follow you to your stand and then hang around there. The deer aren't afraid of cattle, but will steer clear of them. If you have cattle on one side of the fence and no cattle on the other, the deer will definitely favor the side with no cattle.