getting a little frustrated...

[naturegirl]

we've been scouting for months. cattle have been moved into a couple of our honey holes the last month or so. talk about a shut down. we r getting very little on camera and seeing very little while out scouting in these particular areas.

 

originally I thought the elk/deer would stay in the area but just move out of the cattles general vicinity but now I'm wondering if they prefer to pack up and leave the area altogether.

 

just curious what others experiences are with this.

 

great time out in the woods though. we carried our bows with judos and packs. we practiced guessing yardages and taking shots from different positions.

 

I'm pretty good with my shooting. I'm thinking I just need to make sure plan B, C, & D are in order regarding the elk.

[Eagle Eye]

I'm tryin to find a spot for deer and keep getting big bulls on my camera lol. no bull tag for me this year

[Willyhunts2]

I've had years where it seems like I see elk then cattle move in and they disappear. Then ive had years to where I use the moo cows to my advantage stalking elk being 100 yards apart. I think it depends on how long the cows have been there and how many there are. It seems like if the cows have been there for months I start to see less elk as the hunt comes closer. Maybe if cattle are eating everything around the elk will move a bit. I've seen elk in my spot last 5 times I've been in there and last weekend didn't see a single one so don't get discouraged. I'm sure someone else can give you a better answer or have had more experience with this. Good luck on your hunt!

[coueshound]

generally its been my experience when cattle are introduced in numbers the elk relocate....very frustrating indeed. I'd be all about plan B. good luck

[Pine Donkey]

Our elk hotspot has a lot of relatively small pastures with cross fencing. There are always a lot of cows in the area, but also a lot of elk. The frustrating part is when the rancher schedules a round up on opening weekend. These roundups usually have 10 to 20 riders pushing cattle throughout the area. This has happened to us twice during the archery season.

 

 

[Coues Sniper]

That's a tough one. Its been very hit and miss in my experience with cattle. I've had cattle move in, and seemingly everything else move out. That being said, I killed the deer in my avatar with literally 150+ cattle in the same canyon. The good thing is you already have trail cams up which is huge. Keep an eye out, and if they're not there - you'll have a good handle on the situation as opening day approaches. Good luck

[DesertBull]

The bigger bulls will be moving to new locations soon anyway. If you know where the traditional rutting areas are in your unit you should be good to go.

[hiawatha]

I agree with desert bull. Follow the cows and look for old rut sign if your new to the area. In my experience when cattle first move in the elk will leave but usually come back. Onother reason you might see less bulls is because they are changing patterns right now. They are strpping velvet and becoming loners again. I'm assuming you know there are good bulls in the area. If you find the cows, the bulls will show for the rut. Good luck!

[AZbowhntr]

When I shot my bull this last year I was within 20 yds of cattle. They were all together. So I don't know how much the cattle affect them. It might just be the time of year for them to start moving like others have said.

[Alpinebullwinkle]

Good answers above. My experience is elk do not like cattle and prefer to avoid them if adequate food supply elsewhere. Now that almost everything burned we have the most food supply in history and the elk are therefore more reclusive then ever. They just don't have to move far now for food or water. That should change soon though as we get closer to the rut and the bulls start to lay out their rubs. I have noticed finding deer, elk, and cattle together more than 20 years ago. Suspect that could be more for a collaborative effort on predator control.

[jnobleinaz]

Been down that road a quite a few times herd of moo cows=no elk herd of sheep=no elk. Save yourself a lot of frustration and figure out which way the elk went. Usually you can find out by figuring out the perimeter of where the livestock is and taking and educated guess. From what I have seen the elk move around 2-3 miles away. In 2007 we glassed an area watched over 200 elk all mixed cows and bulls 2 weeks later the cattle were there and we did not see one elk but they did move and we found them again.

[Alpinebullwinkle]

Got into a nice herd of cows today and enjoyed their quacking while three bulls on the surrounding hills bugled aggressively trying to make believe they were someone. The music has started. What a blast. This usually happens annually about August 15-17 and then they go quiet until the end of August. Bring it on sportsfans!!!

[LYONKILL33]

Stay the course. Go with your gut,odd's are it's your hot spot for a reason. The Rut changes alot of things,alot of the bull's you see now,you might not see on your hunt. They will move back in! It's easy to get discouraged when cattle are in the area,but the elk are still around. Ive been told that elk hate cow's,but ive got pictures of elk drinking in the same spring with cattle behind them. The only situations that ive been affected by cattle is when they are staking claim to a tank and laying all over it for several days,ill try to hunt another one. But cattle are always around,and a thirsty bull chasing tail will go to water when he needs it. Might not feel right ,but I say if it's a proven spot....stay the course!

[GotBowAz]

In my experience if you find the girls you will find the boys during the rut cattle or no cattle. Generally the elk will go back to their same breeding grounds within a mile or so year after year. At least this has been my experience and they slightly change things up when the cattle are there but they will go around them. Don’t give up even though it is frustrating. If you know elk have been using the area during the rut in the past most likely in a couple of weeks they will be back in there. If the cattle are messing up the water holes, the elk will usually avoid those tanks. Find a tank fenced off from the cattle.

 

GBA

 

[Devil Diver Down]

My experience has been with cattle being bad news for elk. That said, when there's as much feed and water as there currently is in some areas, I don't think it'll be an issue. Case in point: Tuesday evening, I'm driving in to my #1 spot in my archery unit and cattle all over the place. My face probably came unglued. About 2 minutes of driving further on that same road, I spook a small herd (15 or so) of cows and raghorns. Another 2 minutes and another, different herd of about 12. Non-issue.

 

Next day I check another favorite spot, but the cattle have been fenced in and overgrazed an area - no fresh elk sign AT ALL. Outside the fences, plenty of feed and water so that's where the elk will stay. Did see a mountain lion in the canyon there, which was cool because it's been a LONG time since the last one.