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Deer hunting with cows
- Thread starter davans
- Start date
When you arrive to hunt just tell all cows to get on their knees and if anyone raises its head you’ll blow it clean off!
This place it just too close to pass up.
What about deer feeders. I’m pretty sure the cows will eat the corn. Maybe they will let me fence off a couple of spots for feeders.
Mineral licks would be out too.
Is there anything to plant or put in a feeder that would attract deer but not cows?
What about deer feeders. I’m pretty sure the cows will eat the corn. Maybe they will let me fence off a couple of spots for feeders.
Mineral licks would be out too.
Is there anything to plant or put in a feeder that would attract deer but not cows?
I leased a house on a 600 acre cow farm up in VA for several years. Best deer hunting I've ever done. Climbing deer stands are better than ladder stands for obvious reasons. This might sound gross but rubbing cow manure on your hunting clothing will make you disappear to their sense of smell. I can't tell you the number of deer I've walked right up on while covered in this #@%!. There were several afternoon hunts I bagged one before making it to my stand. I actually got to the point of forgoing the stand and just still hunting. It was my experience that you didn't even have to worry about making noise or staying down wind if you applied enough. After leaving that property I found out the hard way this isn't the case if there's no cows around. I didn't bait so no info there but it seemed to me the deer didn't hang out with the cows so where ever the cows were I always went somewhere else. Crawling was a very effective tactic when crossing open fields and round hay bails make excellent stands. Good luck
Shouldn't be a problem..just don't shoot a cow.
Raised and worked cows for a number of years. With that kind of closeness to the property, a lot gained from fence checking several times a week, you learn the deer habits. Deer do not eat hay, but will visit persimmon trees daily when fruit drops. Cows do not do this, not enough food.
Plus, deer trails are easy to identify.
I never had a cow interrupt a hunt, but I never baited either.
The statements about cow dung as a cover scent are spot on.
Hunting with cows is not a drawback, just different than bait hunting over corn or food plots.
Plus, deer trails are easy to identify.
I never had a cow interrupt a hunt, but I never baited either.
The statements about cow dung as a cover scent are spot on.
Hunting with cows is not a drawback, just different than bait hunting over corn or food plots.
This is similar to how our family farm was. My grandfather could literally drive into a pasture I was hunting and the deer would lift their head see it was him and go back to grazing. The cows would go to the feed trough. We had salt block for the cows but I'm sure the deer used them. We never baited the deer as it was illegal at the time so you can't help there.
The biggest issue is getting into your stand in the dark. All of a sudden you hear an animal approaching. Your heart begins to race and you realize it's a cow.
I had my cows in a pasture that I hunted. I found a good spot and put in a good ground blind. Opening morning I slipped into it. Thirty minutes later my cows found me and stuck their heads in.
Thanks guys. I think I’m going to give it a try. Might be able to fence off a few spots for feeders and a ground blind.
