Hey everyone, I wanted to get some opinions on how cattle grazing affects elk in their habitat? I'm heading to the White River National Forest for an archery elk hunt in September and wanted to know should I stay away from areas that have grazing elk? Here in the midwest I see deer in the same fields with grazing cattle and didn't know if elk were similar. Thanks for in advance for your experiences.
Does grazing cattle affect elk in an area?
- Thread starter rackpack
- Start date
in September you should be just fine with the cattle and the elk. they are familiar with the other, if you got 500 head of cattle working on one hill side, id avoid that hill side. but a lot of the cattle will be spread out. ive stalked plenty of elk feeding amongst the cattle. if there is solid feed, the elk wont care what else is eating there. in October when the cattlemen are bringing out the cattle, it gets real loud. in sep you will prob run into large heards of sheep being pushed out but it shouldn't effect the elk. they've been putting up with eachother for years and years
John Bussard
New Member
Just be prepared to see a cowboy or two. Had one slip in on me once. Quite a shock when you think an elk is coming in.
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B&C Blacktails
Active Member
- Mar 1, 2015
- 237
- 0
Elk and beef. No. Beef like mellow terrain elk a little more steep and more nomadic. But feed in similar areas.
Deer and beef absolutely. Deer don't even like the same drainage shared with beef.
Additionally i always avoid beef. Loud and they stink. Plus who likes filtering that oily looking water.
Deer and beef absolutely. Deer don't even like the same drainage shared with beef.
Additionally i always avoid beef. Loud and they stink. Plus who likes filtering that oily looking water.
Slugz
Veteran member
RPack,
Don't even worry about it. I'm in 12/23/24 in the form of a trail camera or boots on the ground from Aug 15th till usually the end of first rifle and they have zero effect IMO. Hiding in a young Aspen patch I've had cow/calfs 50 yards to might right and elk 50 yards to my left on the opposite side. While in the middle of a herd of elk right prior them bedding down for the day my son put a hell of a stalk on a black bear.....only to be a small heifer( black angus).......same unit another year I catch a bunch of cattle mixed in with elk in a conga line headed to the big creek for water. My only experience and issue is the cattle are not very accustomed to human contact and may only have it 2 times a year or less.....being put out and being rounded up to be brought in.......usually once a year in late September I have to duck into thick timber to hide from some cattle that are following me......I think they think I'm the guy that's there to lead them to lower elevation for the winter.
Pay more attention the the sheep and where they are grazing as they usually wipe out the forage. Cowboys will usually be living in a modern Conestoga hard top wagon thing.....usually with in a mile or two of a hard pack road and or useable double track.
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CrossCreeks
Veteran member
I have hunted on the Grand Mesa and run across cows many times but they have not affected my hunts !
I have never seen cows have any negative effect on any big game. I've seen elk and cows water and feed in the same place at the same time. I have seen antelope walk through a herd of cows coming to a water hole. Deer tend to be a little more skittish at a waterhole where cows are present but will still use the water hole. Out on the hillside deer seem to pay little attention to cows.
QuazyQuinton
Active Member
I guess I haven't hunted a lot when the cows and elk are on the same area together. However, my experience is that if the cows have spent all summer eating down the forage on the national forest, come season the elk are probably concentrated down on the private where there is still something to eat. And the landowners are probably begging for more private land tags.
QQ
SGM
Active Member
I to hunt 12/23/24 and agree that the cows are not a major issue but those stinking grass magots (sheep) are another issue. They are loud, stink and have several dogs protecting them and barking. I have never seen elk within 1/4 mile of a sheep heard. If you see sheep go the opposite direction.
wy-tex
Veteran member
Tazhii
Member
have never had a problem with cattle grazing affecting the elk that is pretty well controlled wild horses are the biggest concern IMHO.
roknHS
Member
I move cattle around to different pastures on my place. All pastures are treed and usually have elk frequenting them until the cows show up.............then the elk leave. My elk don't like to be around cows. They don't leave the country but, they'll move off to a cow free area with good feed, water and cover. I think elk look at cows as trailer trash.
roknHS
Member
3 - 400 acres..........35 - 50 head of cows...........
When the cows are shipped off to winter pasture, the elk come back. Don't think I'm missing anything. Elk are convinced they are better than cows and want to be segregated. They're racist...........
When the cows are shipped off to winter pasture, the elk come back. Don't think I'm missing anything. Elk are convinced they are better than cows and want to be segregated. They're racist...........
that's funny
Not sure how much they would overlap in range there. Cattle and elk get along very well. I have seen an elk living in a feedlot. That being said, they both are primary grazers, so would choose much of the same forage. If an area is grazed hard, I would not expect elk to be feeding there. The exception is if the cattle moved on, plants were still growing, and enough has grown back for elk to graze on. in this situation it would be highly preferred forage for elk. The main segregation would probably be because elk want to be far away from roads and disturbances, and cows don't care or are attracted to disturbances. Also, because elk are shy they may naturally be attracted to areas with more vegetation and cover, which may mean the areas with lowest grazing pressure.
Vikingload
Member
The biggest impact I have seen with cows and elk in the same area, is really dependent upon how active the Cowboys are in checking on the cattle. If they are out there riding everyday twice a day, I usually see no elk. If they are just checking in every couple days I see elk around.
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xtreme
Very Active Member
I have a cattle operation on two pieces of ground in Arkansas. I haven't seen a deer on either place in over two years. Elk in the unit I play in in Colorado disappear when the cattle are moved to the summer pastures. The cattle graze from low to high removing any food for the elk. I hiked up to near Conejos Peak when I met a hiker coming down, without stopping he tells me you are twenty minutes from the top and there is nothing up there but sheep, sheep dogs, and sheep herders. I followed him out. All livestock disrupt elk, deer, and most other wildlife. When you consider a nonresident is paying $38,000. per elk in license alone you don't need the help of livestock.
its interesting to me all of the conflicting stories on how cattle effect elk. on most public land in Idaho if you are archery hunting, you will be hunting elk near cattle. just how the game goes. I will try an get some pics of them grazing together over the next couple of days. seeing deer and elk feeding amongst range cattle is a very common occurrence. I guess it has a lot to do with how large the elk population is in select areas. last year leading up to September when scouting, a bull we were interested in was always feeding every morning on same hillside with a few of his buddies, then across the hill there were always a bunch of cow elk with calves and younger bulls, right amongst the cattle. in September when the rut got going some of the bulls would chase the cattle off their playing field.