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Cows Out, Deer In???

MNbuckhunter

MNbuckhunter

Member
We have a new lease this year in SW WI. The farm is 240 acres with cropland on the tops, water in the valley and lots of good bucks in the neighborhood. There have been a dozen cows in the 140 acres of timber since spring (they had been there in prior years, too). We feel they have negatively affected the hunting based on the number of deer we've been seeing compared to the hunters on the two adjacent farms. We are going to tell the landowner that if we renew the lease next year the cows have to go or no deal. My questions is if the cows go how long do you think it will take for the deer to start calling this place home? Do you think we will see improvement next year? Two years? Thanks.
 
I would guess the deer would come in as soon as the cows are gone.

Are you willing to pay more for the lease without cows? I'm guessing that is what it will take for the farmer to keep them out.
 
Let me just clarify that these cows are not his, I believe they are a neighbors. Any idea on what he would pay to have cows on this ground?
 
I think he is making more money from the cattle than the deer.


What are you paying per a acre?

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I would say couple of days. I have cattle farmer on the back side of my land and he cattle always seem to get out. Couple dsys to week and they are back in numbers. Hell those cowes have gotten out and eaten the food plot down to numbs. But the bad thing is the cows ruin all the brush and bedding areas and that can months and to fix. We have had to hing trees and plant dogwood to make bedding areas.
 
Thanks for some opinions so far. Anyone else have anything to say? I really am trying to figure out if the hunting would get better next year with the cattle out??? Also, what do you think the landowner receives for having 6 head of cattle in 140 acres of timber? Responses great appreciated!!! Thanks, Mark.
 
I don't quite get how 6 cows in 140 acres is going to change how the deer act. I've hunted areas with 60 cows in a 140 acres and still saw deer every sit. It didn't change much either after the cattle were taken out. 6 cows shouldn't have very large of an impact in my opinion.
 
I think every timber and deer herd react differently towards cattle in the timber. 6-12 in 140 acres might not be affecting the deer as much as you think. There may be other influencing factors. Right now, the 2 farms I hunt with cattle in them also have the highest numbers of deer.
 
In my opinion I doubt the cows are causing that much of a problem. Deer usually don't really care much about the presence of cows. I hunt a farm with over a hundred cows on it and there are more deer there than most other places I have hunted with no cows. And pasture rent is anywhere from $60 an acre to even $100 an acre. I am sure there are some places it may be less, but that is pretty avg.
 
No doubt the cattle can ruin the habitat, but it will come back quick after they are gone, and some hingecutting. Its hard to say what he is paying. It really depends on how much grass there is. Normally the pasture rent is gonna be way more than a hunting lease, but if not your best bet will be to make up what he is getting for the cattle being in there, if he is willing to end the cattle lease, which he may not.
 
bigbuckhunter88 said:
I don't quite get how 6 cows in 140 acres is going to change how the deer act. I've hunted areas with 60 cows in a 140 acres and still saw deer every sit. It didn't change much either after the cattle were taken out. 6 cows shouldn't have very large of an impact in my opinion.
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Well we have had 26 sits in pastured timber and have been skunked 13 times...50%. Avg about 1.2 deer/sit. Across the road, literally within a couple hundred yards have never been skunked and avg over 5 deer per sit...hmmmmm
 
MNbuckhunter said:
Well we have had 26 sits in pastured timber and have been skunked 13 times...50%. Avg about 1.2 deer/sit. Across the road, literally within a couple hundred yards have never been skunked and avg over 5 deer per sit...hmmmmm
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Just curious, is it possible they are baiting across the road? Can't speak for WI deer but I've seen deer eating with cows in southern IA, at least when there's snow on the ground.
 
MNbuckhunter said:
Well we have had 26 sits in pastured timber and have been skunked 13 times...50%. Avg about 1.2 deer/sit. Across the road, literally within a couple hundred yards have never been skunked and avg over 5 deer per sit...hmmmmm
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Is it possible that the habitat and food for the deer is just that much better on the other side of the road? I've hunted timbers that deer just don't care for, especially when there is another section of timber that has everything they need.
 
I hunt a property that has a big chunck of it that is in a government timber program that has always been my #1 spot. Great area that deer always bedded in. this year because of the drought they were allowed to let the cattle in it to use as pasture... Now no deer! Have never been skunked there until this year. The only positive is that now its loaded with turkey! The cattle have been out for about 1.5 weeks so hopefully the deer will start to make their way back.
 
I have hunted some cattle farms that always had alot of deer, but that is only because it still was better than everything around it that also had cattle. Cows eat EVERYTHING and destroy the understory of the timber leaving nothing but thermal cover in the valleys, during late winter. If given a choice deer will avoid areas with cows, but in Iowa thats not always an option for them.
 
6x6 said:
I have hunted some cattle farms that always had alot of deer, but that is only because it still was better than everything around it that also had cattle. Cows eat EVERYTHING and destroy the understory of the timber leaving nothing but thermal cover in the valleys, during late winter. If given a choice deer will avoid areas with cows, but in Iowa thats not always an option for them.
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Very well put. This can explain why opinions of cows vary so much from person to person. I appreciate the insight.
 
the property I just shot my first buck on Sunday and have seen a TON of large mature bucks have maybe 100 head of cattle on them and I have seen regularly the deer out feeding with the cows. I am not sure if really affects them too much
 
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