Deer and cows?

[Blythe1022]

I have a new hunting lease this year that is a cattle farm. I have been putting up some stands, getting some corn out and working some trail cams. Lucky for me I got to see where the last guy on the lease had his stands. I'm not sure what he did to get the boot. Anyway, most of his stand locations were behind fences off the main cow pasture. They all have good sign and I'm seeing good deer on the cam. He had one stand in a section of pasture that the cows can get to. I really like the location because it is on high ground, there are three cattle ponds you can see and some oaks. I put out a cam with corn and a trophy rock by a big oak. I left it for about two weeks. I have no deer pics on that location. The cows ate the corn after about two days. The trophy rock didn't make it another week. I have plenty of deer on camera 300 - 400 yards to the North and South of this location. Do you think the cows are territorial and keeping the deer out of the pasture? Maybe the deer are just staying in the woods eating new growth? Maybe the deer didn't find the corn before the cows was the only issue? Who has experience to share hunting cattle farms?

 

[Rubline]

I have a new hunting lease this year that is a cattle farm. I have been putting up some stands, getting some corn out and working some trail cams. Lucky for me I got to see where the last guy on the lease had his stands. I'm not sure what he did to get the boot. Anyway, most of his stand locations were behind fences off the main cow pasture. They all have good sign and I'm seeing good deer on the cam. He had one stand in a section of pasture that the cows can get to. I really like the location because it is on high ground, there are three cattle ponds you can see and some oaks. I put out a cam with corn and a trophy rock by a big oak. I left it for about two weeks. I have no deer pics on that location. The cows ate the corn after about two days. The trophy rock didn't make it another week. I have plenty of deer on camera 300 - 400 yards to the North and South of this location. Do you think the cows are territorial and keeping the deer out of the pasture? Maybe the deer are just staying in the woods eating new growth? Maybe the deer didn't find the corn before the cows was the only issue? Who has experience to share hunting cattle farms?

I hunt a farm with about 30 head of cattle, I never hunt in the pastures but I have several setups on the fence line.
I've seen deer spook numerous times when cows approach the area where the deer are feeding or walking through.
They're skittish around cows for some reason and you'd think they wouldn't be since they see em every day.

 

[dobber]

I hunt some large properties and always hope the local farmer has an easy fall so he can put his herd to the East section, the deer get chased out of there which puts them closer to my spots

 

[oldest school]

you'll do well on some of the fence corners. the edge of the pasture and woods there will be a likely travel path.
It doesn't seem like you have hunted much around cows so I leave just one tip.
when they start staring in the woods-- get ready.
Good luck.
oh wait another tip- don't bait in the pasture- do that where the cows cant come.

 

[aya28ga]

The answer probably is as simple as the deer just aren't using that particular piece of ground this time of year.

Like OS said, check the fence corners, look for low spots in the fence, ditches, any place that would funnel deer in their travels.

 

[golfer]

We hunt a couple farms that are fenced with cows. Deer do not leave the area, but they will not feed or interact close with cows. The cows on our farms are very calm cows. When they see a deer, they will walk towards it out of curiosity....adios to that deer. Also, if you have box stands don't be surprised if they follow you to the stand and bump every leg and ladder on the stand for hours.

If you spread corn thin enough, cows will graze through it without being able to pick up the corn.

I eat red meat every chance I get just because the cows where we hunt are so dang frustrating.

 

[Loganwayne]

last few years our biggest deer have come off a cattle farm, like said above the deer use the fence line to travel. also look for shoots that the farmer may use to drive equipment or stock from one field to another. deer will use that to travel as well.

 

[DRS]

Where I hunt deer don't like the cows or is it the cows don't like the deer. I have watched the cows run deer off. I watched one cow chase a doe with the ferocity that I think she would have killed the doe if she would have caught it. I have seen deer feed on one side of a thick hedge row and cows just on the other side. The deer were jumpy keeping aware of what the cows were doing, while the deer browsed. Beware that most cows will calf in hunting season and the cows can be very protective over a calf, to the point it can be dangerous. This especially to someone they don't know. Since coyotes have moved in cows seem to be more aggressive to something strange. Camouflage seems to throw them off, almost like they can't decide what I am. I have had the lead cow seek the herd on me a couple times, that ain't cool. I don't feed/bait in or near the pasture, cows will eat the corn and tear a fence down to get to it. I have had luck hunting inside corners and hedge rows with oaks and persimmons on them. Deer like the hips on rose bushes too. Walk the wire looking for low wire or a depression under the wire. Deer are creatures that like the path of least resistance and will use these places to come through the wire. They can step between two strands of barbed wire easier than you think too. You will find deer hair on barbed wire where the deer are crossing a fence. These places make a good location to put cameras. Concern with aflatoxins in corn, is another good reason not to feed corn in a pasture.

 

[GSOHunter]

I hunt a farm with a bunch of goats and the deer stay away from the goats. Like someone else mentioned make sure the goats/cows don't see you enter the field because they will stay with you the whole darn day.

 

[Blythe1022]

Luckily the cows and a few donkeys haven't given me any trouble and haven't followed me up to this point. This is grass and hay fed cattle and I am guessing the farmer does most of his feeding activities with a tractor rather than a pickup. The location is on the back edge of the pasture with about 50 yards of woods dropping down to a river. Maybe I will scout a little more a little ways into the woodline.

 

[DCdeerhunter]

Never liked hunting around cows just my experiences they dont mingle very well.

 

[oldest school]

Luckily the cows and a few donkeys haven't given me any trouble and haven't followed me up to this point. This is grass and hay fed cattle and I am guessing the farmer does most of his feeding activities with a tractor rather than a pickup. The location is on the back edge of the pasture with about 50 yards of woods dropping down to a river. Maybe I will scout a little more a little ways into the woodline.

a 50 yd section of woods between a river and a pasture is as good a place as exists to funnel a deer within your range.

 

[aya28ga]

Luckily the cows and a few donkeys haven't given me any trouble and haven't followed me up to this point. This is grass and hay fed cattle and I am guessing the farmer does most of his feeding activities with a tractor rather than a pickup. The location is on the back edge of the pasture with about 50 yards of woods dropping down to a river. Maybe I will scout a little more a little ways into the woodline.

The location you're describing is the definition of a deer funnel. Everything else being equal, it sounds like a place worth checking.

It's ok to do some light scouting now, just keep in mind that the deer's routine will change between now and Fall. Right now with this hot & muggy weather, the deer aren't moving too much anyway.

 

[Eric Revo]

In my area of the foothills most fencing for cows is on the more flat areas and often leads to, or along a creek, it's the perfect place for a lazy deer to get from point A to point B and they use them all the time.
Deer seldom ever mix with cows but the noisy human interaction with working cows will certainly help keep deer from being as spooky toward noise in an area. They get pretty used to seeing human activity and smelling us stinking varmints as well, so being around cows does have it's advantages as far as hunting goes. Cows also leave a good source of cover scent everywhere they go and I use it often to cover my trail into my stands.

 

[Blythe1022]

I thought the cows would make good cover scent. It sounds like Eric Revo is picking up on his boots what the cows are laying down? I didn't think to take it that far.

 

[oldest school]

I thought the cows would make good cover scent. It sounds like Eric Revo is picking up on his boots what the cows are laying down? I didn't think to take it that far.

well make sure you set up on the cow side and approach that funnel and place your stand on the cow side if you cannot cover your entrance scent.

and stay high with your stands, don't get down in that river bottom.

it will likely be covered in sign and they will walk there but winds do some squirrely stuff down low, keeping you from killing them.

just telling you some of the ways I have screwed up an obvious slam dunk like you describe.

 

[JJWise]

Our property back in WV has always had cattle on it. 25-30 head on ~90acres. I never see deer and cattle together, but often times deer will come into the pastures while the cattle are on a different part of the property. When I used to put out supplements and such, I always found it was a waste because the cows destroy them first. Best places to hunt on our land are just on the other side of a fence the cows can’t get through.

 

[woodmoose]

Our property back in WV

The area i was in this past weekend up there was plum full of deer

 

[JJWise]

The area i was in this past weekend up there was plum full of deer

I’ve hunted a few properties besides ours up there, all have had cattle and every one of them has always been “plum full of deer” haha. Same goes for state land.