How much of an issue are cows on a lease? Looking for a lease for my teenage boys and myself, never was a deer hunter, unless they were wearing a duck costume. Going to look at one Saturday PM, besides asking if the cattle owner also will have access/hunting capability, what do I ask or look for?

Thanks,
Charlie

Depends on if its been overgrazed or not and if the rancher has traps he rotates for summer/winter grazing... you will need feed pens but unless it looks like a goat pasture I wouldn't worry about cattle at all.... just about all of my hunting spots have cattle on it

Make sure he is going to be ok with putting feed pens up also

Cattle and deer have existed on the same range for over 100 years. Cattle moved or rotated into a pasture that had none will have a slight effect for a week or so on the deer. Then things will get back to normal. I would put up a feed pen to keep them off or from being around your feeder. If the LO does not run the cattle and cattle grazing is leased I would not want a lease were the cattle lessor is hunting it also. I was on a lease were grazing was leased to someone else and that someone else poached game when we were not on the lease. We caught them midweek.

Depends on many factors, how many cows vs. acreage, how long they've been on the property and if deer are accustomed to them, I'd highly recommend feeder pens. My opinion is that deer would prefer no other animals, coyotes, cows, especially hogs, etc. to compete/contend with but pretty much a necessary evil for most ranchers hoping to reap the tax exemption.

You also have to take in that cows grazing like they do will manicure a property bringing on fresh growth to plants that deer will need during the spring/summer

Are there any oil/gas wells or are any planned?
Will you have year round access?
Will you have exclusive hunting rights?
Water service?
Electric service?
Can relatives/guests hunt with you?
Can you leave your gear/equipment there in the off season?
Can you feed corn/protein year round? (had one landowner not allow this once...was convinced it would draw hogs in)
What game and varmints can you hunt?

Also insist on a written agreement showing all of the details before money changes hands (this will protect both of you).

always hunted with cows and never really had a problem with them. Sometimes you get tired of seeing them!

I would rather hunt with cows, instead of sheep, goats or llamas. Been there and done it, not a good time.

Thanks for the input... I do get putting up the pen to keep the cows out, what do you do if you want some hog traffic as well around the feeder during the off season?

Charlie

I would put up cattle panel around your feeder unless you want it on the ground. I would put out corn by hand in a different location for hogs.

got cows love em

We run cattle, sheep, and goats and kill plenty of deer.

That's one of the dumbest post Ive seen in a while. That's almost as dumb as saying duck hunting will run the deer off. We ranch and run duck hunts and lease out the deer hunting, and low and behold they kill deer every year! Deer aren't near as allusive as you think they are.

Jeff, did you wake up on the wrong side of bed or something? I'm not saying cows are bad or will run off deer, what I did say is that if given the option, a deer would prefer no other animals around. That's not dumb, simply fact my friend. Don't know your years of hunting experience, but I do have more than 35 myself to draw upon. I myself am one of those that run cows in the offseason to reap the ag exemption and I do see more deer when they're off my property than on it. If a property has overgrazing, that will impact your deer activity as well.

Post isn't as dumb as you think it is. Cows in open range do not effect out deer, cows by a feeder or corn pile will run the deer off. Not to say the deer will run to the next county, but cows can ruin a hunt.

Killing "a" deer and killing "the deer" are two different things. I can shoot tannerite all day long at some places on our ranch and still kill "a" deer, but I don't just hunt to kill. I wouldn't want someone duck hunting right next to where I am deer hunting.

On a side note, cows grazing is actually beneficial to range land and deer if done correctly. There are many HF places that haven't figured this out

Thanks for the backing TX, I do notice the rotation of the cows off does cause the grass to come back faster so I think I see what you're talking about on that. Not a duck hunter myself but would think that blasting magnum shotguns early morning and during day at ducks could have a detrimental effect on deer sightings. Size of property would obviously dictate some of the effect of that but I personally would not want to be hunting close to that property during deer season.

We have cows on the lease year round. I think the deer are use to them but having said that, I have seen the deer leave the feeder when cows came up. I would not let cows being on the property a reason to turn down a lease. Just say'in.

Just make your pens larger than the throw of the feeder. Adjust your feeder to make sure. All of ours have a low,medium and high spin so depending on size of your pen the corn won't get out side. You just need to deal with this in Texas. But cows do not scare off deer. Had 2 WT bucks and an Axis doe all at the feeder last week with cows milling around. Shot an 28+ Axis buck in velvet with cows nearby. In true cattle country like NW and West Tx, just put a pen up and make it big.

Cattle ran the deer off my feeder 2 times this year. Don't like them... but like said before this is Texas.

Guess you guys have never seen a herd of deer grazing a grain field alongside cattle?

It doesn't brother them, it is what deer are use too. Kind of like what's the best way to kill a monster buck from the pick up...jump in the ranchers truck, why because they are use to his... I get were jeffs coming from because its been that way on his ranch his entire life and I've seen several deer over 150 on his place. Hell had many deer come in for a drink right after we way mowed a flock of ducks down.

His leasers kill big deer every year, infact I don't think you could run them off lease.

Deer are use to cattle like stx said they've co-existed for over a 100 years. Only thing cattle effect is fawning cover if pasture is over grazed. I can't count the number of times I've had to wait for cattle to move so I can shoot

I've had deer jump in to the feed lot and eat right next to cattle in the feed lane.

I have seen them feed right along side of them and travel through a herd too. Have pics and video of deer in a pen surrounded by cattle. I have also seen deer run like hell when a cow was headed their way. All deer aren't the same and they don't all act the same, even on the same ranch. Just because someone experiences something different, doesn't mean that their post is dumb.

Same with shooting. Bothers some and has no effect on others. I have literally shot 5 or 6 loads of tannerite and had deer walk within 100 yards of us at the truck. I have also seen deer run during bow season because of dove hunters that were over 500 yards away.