cows and deer together?

[klbriggs]

What are the chances that deer will be in the area with cattle on my feeder? Wll they spook everything off and ruin my hunt?

[Bradical BH]

Most likely

[klbriggs]

cows and deer

2nd time this week they have come in

[Iansumrall]

Cows spook the deer every time I sit without fail. Then they come eat every bit of my hand corn then leave.

[WTJim]

Slingshot...

[huntmaster]

slingshots help cows decide to leave

[Archer156]

They have ruined more hunts than I can remember!

[klbriggs]

Yes they do. I had the ground scattered with corn and its going to be bare..
leaning toward heading out and regroup for later..

[gonzaleziam]

Another vote on slingshot.

[BigNick]

Ive had them come in, I get out of the blind and chase them away, go back in the blind and the deer show up 5 minutes later.

[klbriggs]

80 yards away!. If only I had one with me

[60 Deluxe]

Cows don't always run off the deer. My wife was sitting in a brush blind watching a feeder about a month ago. The deer showed up on schedule and the cows shortly thereafter. The cows started pestering my wife a bit, sniffing her and what not. She said at one time she thought that one of the old girls was going to crawl in her lap. So she stood up and was trying to shoo the cows away from her. She said that the deer watched the whole deal and never spooked.
I think that the deer get used to other animals and are not alarmed if the other animals are not alarmed. I have had does behind the house that have watched me step outside and see the dogs and cats come running to me. They watch me interact with the animals and do not spook. This has happened many times over the years. Let me step out of the house and no other animals are around and they will always run off forty to fifty yards then stop and watch me.

I guess that my point is animals are animals. If you are going to hand corn, the cows do not know that it isn't for them. There is no sharing or courtesy that I have seen in any animal other than a mother feeding her young. You have to consider whether or not you have trained the cattle to know that you are the food guy. The deer are not exactly assertive animals and can't match their hundred pounds to a twelve hundred pound cow so they quickly know the score when the cattle show up and go looking for groceries elsewhere. Perhaps you should consider bringing some range cubes for the cattle and feeding them a good distance away from where you intend to bait for deer. Or perhaps you should change to a more basic style of hunting that does not involve bait. I find that still hunting is the most fulfilling for me.

[klbriggs]

i hunt public land so i use bait as a advantage IMO. when I can check into the area. I have just seen more cows than deer.

[klbriggs]

Just a part of being an outdoors man!

[perfectstorm]

i hunt public land so i use bait as a advantage IMO. when I can check into the area. I have just seen more cows than deer.

You are having to deal with cows on public land?