There have been cows running loose on our lease for about a week now. I informed the cows owners and spent most of my morning/afternoon helping them move the cows back to thier property. I thought that was over with until tonight my evening hunt was ruined by the cows. They have gotten out and onto our lease again. I didn't have time to hang around in the rain to ride to the cows owners house nor run them off the lease. I'm sure the guy didn't find the hole in the fence or maybe there are multiple holes but while working with the guy I got the vibe that he didn't much care that his cows were on our property & just really didn't feel like fooling with it. I'm going to try & track down his phone number and give him a call tomorrow (unfortunately I dont remember the guess name). If they are still out there next weekend whats the proper way to go about getting them off the lease. Also, what kind of impact would stray cows have on the deer? So far they have already knocked down two feeders & spilled 500lbs of corn and made a mess of my food plots. I'm concerned that they might run deer off one of my stands where the seem to be hanging out the most.

I should add that this is our first interation with this guy & he is not the lease owner.

I'm thinking you'll be ok...

I have horses and deer at my feeder... (horses and deer living together... it'll be anarchy!!!)

Talk with your land owner about nuisance animals.


http://www.thecattlemanmagazine.com/livestock_laws_Texas_cattle_tscra.asp
Livestock Laws of the State of Texas
(Last Updated June 21, 2004)

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/AG/htm/AG.142.htm
Texas Agriculture Code
Chapter 142. Estrays
Chapter 143. Fences; Range Restrictions
Chapter 144. Marks and Brands

Two stupid calves that had got on my side of the fence were raising hell opening morning trying to get back on the other side with their momma. AFter about 20 minutes, I stood up from my ground spot to wave the calves off. Doing this busted me by two deer that were around 60 yards away, but out my line of sight. I wound up rounding them up to a gate and getting them on the right side of the fence at the cost of my hunt, but next time I'll let the coyotes get them before I get out of my stand.

part of the problem is that its 5 very stubborn cows, thier people had a hard time convincing the cows to leave. Thanks for the info 7mag, I'll check that stuff out.

My grandpa has about a dozen cattle and the deer don't seem to mind em'. The bad thing is they will eat the corn from the feeder before the deer do sometimes. but usually the deer will hang out until the cows leave.

HAPPY HUNTING

They will clean you out of corn for sure and and 1 out of 10 times they will keep the deer from comming to the feeder due to no corn or scared deer.Cows can mess up a hunt it has happend to me more than once.And they will make you want to shoot them.

I would note the prices and pictures. We got screwed up by cows bad last year. Try the GW or Sherrif. Wear them out. Your deer herd will slow down.

Was there a written contract with stipulations for livestock?

Study and learn chapter 142. Talk with landowner, Sheriff office, and your neighbor about your concern and problems. You are the landowner guest and you are paying him to provide you a service (trespass / hunting lease). The landowner and neighbor need to keep "Tight Fences" otherwise they are damaging your service. Its has to be proven in court that owners/neighbor knowingly and willfully allowed the livestock to cause the continual damage. Your neighbor can be your best friend or worst. Offer to help them repair fences ther fences. With the margin of profit there is now day with stocker cow/calf operation they have a hard time finding money to repair fences and let them go or run mutual leases. A good cattle man will keep up his fences. A sundowner will sometimes let them go.
Break you damage / losses down into damaged feeders, corn loss, loss of x day of x day you can hunt, then $. Discuss refund of monies if it continues.
Follow up your discussions with certified receipt mailing of a letter of your discussion to all 3 parties. Good luck.

The pictures are a great idea BIL.

From year to year, I may have cows on the place I hunt. When I first put up my feeder, I remember coming to the lease only to find the feeder torn completely down, the motor ripped off the barrel and no corn. I was steamed. I thought it was poaches at first but realized soon enough that is was just dumb'ol cows. I put up a fence around my feeder and problem solved.

I refilled the feeder tonight only to realize and see the cows on the place. I went to the feeder and ... you guessed it, here they come runnin'. I had to chase them off the feeder. With every bag of corn I put in the barrel, they were literally working themselves into a frenzy.

I ignore them when they are on the place. The deer don't care. They just stay away from them. You don't ever see deer and cows grazing together do you? The cows move on and the deer come in. Now, if those cows stand there and stare at me like they have before, I"m going to be steamed. We'll see how this year goes.

One of my stands is set up next to a tank. There's no cows on my land but the neighbors on both sides have some. During the dry spell they were busting down the fences all the time and hanging out around the tank. I never saw a deer the whole time they were there. I'd have to chase the cows off and my hunt was done. no cows=deer coming to feeder. I'd chase those suckers off and 30min later they'd come running back through the fence. I wanted to shoot one so bad. After repairing the fence a couple of times I finally spoke to the neighbor and they fixed the problem. I think if you show them you made an effort they'll work on it too. I've seen deer around horses several times. I don't think they like cows too much though. Good luck. I feel your pain.

I use a sling shot and pellets to deter cows from hanging around. One or two shots is all that is needed to get them on their way. Personally I hate cows with a passion but I have found that I would rather cows than goats.

Cows = no deer.

Here's the way I see it:

1) If you put decent BARBED wire fences around your feeders the cows will not get to the feeder hardly ever. You can't just throw up a loosely wired pen with posts stuck in the ground 6 inches.

2) Deer are fine with cattle as long as they are there pretty much all of the time. We have cows and deer with little known impact either way.

3) If cows get introduced to the property at the beginning of the season or right after, you will see the deer hide until they get comfortable with it. However, that might take all season.

Those have been my experiences. Might not be the same for everyone, but that's what we have observed.

You can't start calling the sheriff over a couple of cows getting out... In TX they will have the famers back over the hunters, which is how it should be. as for having cows will chase off your deer... false. Now, you dont want the cattle eating at your feeders, but deer and cattle don't mind erach other especially in rut

Open your gates and sit there and honk your horn. If the cattle have been fed they will come to the honking. Get them outside of your fence close the gate and and call the sheriff's office that cattle are on the road.

Dogcatcher hit the nail on the head. When we "get the cows" at a stand where we are hunting, we send a text message back to whoever is still at the house (we have a house on the ranch and the wives are generally hanging out in or near the house). A couple of toots of the car horn and the cows scram in that direction.

We own the land and lease the grazing rights to the nephew of the former owner. The land had been in that family for over 100 years, so the ongoing relationship is beneficial in more ways than just grazing income. It took us a couple of years of cussing about ruined hunts when in reality what runied them more was us getting out of the stands to run the cows off. A cross fence also helps limit the number of stands potentially bothered by the cows.

used to buy hay and put out way away from where we hunt, that got costly. built a spud gun, you hit them with a potato that's hualing butt. they will not come around. before couldn't run the silly things off, now we pull in the gate they leave.

Shoot the cow...great steaks

Yeah then when someone gets killed or injured in a car accident hitting one of them you can have the guilt, and maybe the lawsuit, that goes with that ill informed plan of action.

I know for a fact that the owner of the cattle are responsible for all damages they cause when they get off their property. I bet the owner of them would change his mind and make sure they don't get out again once he get's a bill for damages caused. Call the sheriff's office and make a report getting it on record.

Done it several times, once you get them on the road, you call the sheriff's office and then keep the cattle in the bar ditch. Takes about 1 or 2 times max and the owner fixes his fence after the he gets the feed and hauling bill from the sheriff's office.

We have cattle on our place, and they will ruin your hunt as long as they are there. But, they normally move on and the deer will come.

Remember this, cows will jump a fence to get to the corn if they want it bad enough. Doesnt matter how good the fence is.

This situation where they are not your landowners cattle means that you should all three get together, figure out whats going on, and come up with a plan.

I had to run out to the lease again tonight and was able to chase the cows off the property back through the hole in the fence they came through. I didn't have anything to patch it up, but did my best. on the way out I stopped by the cattle owners house to let them know the latest. They weren't there so I left a note telling them that I found the hole in the fence and to call me and I'd describe to them where the hole is. hopefully the owner will give me a call and get the fence fixed before they bust down my repairs.