azphil Report post Posted October 14, 2011 What are opinions on how the number of cattle in an area affects coues? I've seen a couple of wt does in the area we're scouting but no bucks. Quite a few cows using the same section. Put up with the cattle or find a different spot? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted October 14, 2011 The buck i shot last year started out in the middle of a group of 12 cattle. I thought it was kinda crazy that he was right in the middle them feeding along. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted October 14, 2011 In my area the cattle made the coues dissappear last year. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues&Bass Report post Posted October 14, 2011 My Dad has always had a theory that if cattle were in the area then the whitetail bucks would move out. I do not think this is the case in all areas though. The buck I shot in 2009 was in a rugged area and cows were using it also. Just my 2 cents. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted October 14, 2011 i think coues deer, and muleys and elk and pronghorns, etc, are where they want to be and if there are cattle there it doesn't bother em much. i also think deer and other big game are a lot more individual in their traits than folks think. just because one animal does something, it doesn't mean they all do it and just because a bunch of em might do something that seems similar it doesn't mean there aren't individuals that act contrary to the rest. really big old bucks and bulls get real solitary and tend to move away from the rest of the herd because they know a bunch of critters are a lot easier to find than one lone stud. they learn that solitary is a lot safer than in numbers. even if a couple big bucks or bulls do kinda hang around each other, they stay a fair piece apart most of the time. in the same area, and they might socialize a little, but when they bed and feed, they are alone. think of all the times you've seen a number of bucks or bulls together. is there ever a great big old one with a gigantic rack? nope. you will see sometimes a buncha really nice bucks or bulls together with some smaller ones, but when one gets to the age and size that he knows he's different, they move away from the rest of em. don't know if they are more aware of their rack or if they just get tired of being around kids or what the deal is, but they do become aware and get real solitary and real nocturnal. if a cowboy moves a big buncha cattle into a pasture, i think it will have an affect of the game until the cows scatter out and settle down, in the immediate area they are in to start with, but i don't think it has a long term affect on the deer. the deer are gonna naturally migrate to where the feed and water is best. Lark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted October 14, 2011 my take on this topic- cows are pretty much anywhere - one yr here another there depending on grazing rights. cows can really move around a lot - deer do not - you can find deer in the same general area yr in and yr out. a few cows are not gonna move the deer out of their home turf. Deer /cattle/ elk get along - i've even seen young elk playing with cows/calfs while mom's feed peacably the only real problem is the water source - a lot of cows can turn a stream/seep/spring/water tank into a stinkin pie hole - in a matter of days deer / elk do not like to drink out of a stinky/ urinated /crapped in cow tank - they will move and find someplace else to drink thus changing their habits . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted October 14, 2011 In my experience mule deer and whitetails pay little attention to cattle, but I've seldom seen elk feeding or associating much with cattle. When we're in Greer (from April to October), I drive around at first or last light about twice a week to look at elk. One of the places I check is the little hill with the microwave station near the Sunrise Lake junction because it has a resident herd of about 250-300 elk. The herd will be on the reservation side until the Tribe brings in cattle, and then I'll immediately start seeing it on the forest service side, sometimes with the sheep that are grazed there. The same is true around Green's Peak, Carnero Lake, Sheep's Crossing, Wahl Knoll, Mexican Hay Lake and Crescent Lake. All have big herds of elk -- until the cattle arrive. As Lark says, anecdotal evidence more often than not is wrong. But I am one who believes elk don't like to be around cattle. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
