Cows move in Elk leave

[williaada]

Been in a location where people have been seeing elk pretty regularly. The rancher who has the BLM lease for grazing just moved cattle into the area few weeks ago. We have not seen the elk since and there is no fresh sign. Is this a common else where?

 

[Carnage2011]

Yes they don’t like to compete.

 

[COEngineer]

Randy said in a recent video that he has seen deer/elk tolerate cattle somewhat, and sheep not at all.

 

[rustednuts]

Research says they can tolerate each other but prefer not.

 

[BRI]

I believe on ranches and areas where elk are commonly there, the elk become accustomed and habituated to cattle. When it is on a public land allotment and cattle are moved in, my experience is the elk move off.

 

[Stone_Ice_1]

The elk on public land don't like to mix in within the cows in the exact spots the cows like to be in. In my experience the elk don't go far though, they just don't like to be in the preferred spots the cows hang out.

 

[rideold]

Interesting discussion. I've often wondered about this. It seems that I have a knack for picking areas to try that have tons of cattle in them during bow season. I spend more time finding cattle than I do anything else it seems. OnX needs to add a layer for "public land grazing allotments" so I can see where the cattle are going to be! Needless to say, I've never found elk amongst the cattle.

 

[mrcowboy]

Ditto to what Stone_Ice_1 stated. My experience in the NF where cattle are brought in, the elk move out. They seem to not like the cattle.

 

[buffybr]

I've seen it both ways.

One time when I lived in Colorado I was bow hunting in some aspen/scrub oak and I put a stalk on some animals feeding ahead of me. When I got close enough to see them, they were angus cattle and I stood up and said something like "Oh you stupid cows!" Immediately a half dozen or more elk also ran away through the brush.

Where I live now my house over looks a series of hay pastures that are surrounded with aspen trees and other brush so the pastures can't be seen from the road. Every year I see up to 185 (I counted them through my spotting scope) elk in those pastures. Some years they will even stay there through most of hunting season, but as soon as that landowner puts cattle in there, the elk leave.

 

[hank4elk]

They seem to tolerate them on the BLM & state lands near me as much as on the private. Which is considerable and a lot.
Not so much on the FS lands near me.

 

[swhunt21]

During my Second season archery elk hunt I realized that wherever there was fresh cattle sign, there was really old elk sign. Most of these areas were on BLM land and some on FS lands. Near all the water sources where cattle frequented there was little to no elk sign either. But, Glassing into large private land holdings I would see large herds of elk grazing within 100 yards of large cattle herds.
I would love to know if the presence of cattle is the determining factor, or is it hunters out in the woods pushing the elk away from these areas (whereas cattle do not seem as disturbed by human pressure all that much).
That being said; on a side note, interestingly enough during an early season mule deer hunt last year, the cattle would graze in the pastures just below the mule deer browse lines. Mule deer did not seem too concerned with the presence of the cattle.

 

[GrantK]

I don't think there is a hard and fast answer to this one, in one unit near me the elk disappear as soon as cattle move in, but in the majority of spots I hunt the elk are right in with the cattle, my biggest bull walked through a herd of cattle on his way to the call, and I've had to wait for elk to clear cattle to get a shot multiple times, I for sure wouldn't rule out an area because of cattle.

 

[Straight Arrow]

My experience tells me that presence of alfalfa for feed is the difference. Alfalfa is like candy to elk.

 

[diamond hitch]

Studies done in the 90s showed elk didn't like dry coarse grass but cows didn't care. When cows moved off in the fall the elk moved into the emerging green shoots. Often within a week if there had been a little rain. The cows filled the position of a fire.

Back to knowing the seasonal migration path. Remember this is called hunting not shooting. Happy Hunting!!

 

[Bob-WY]

We have found a spot with both elk and cattle, cameras in August will take 100+ pictures/week in a travel corridor, about 60% elk. Issue isn't that, but come mid-Sept, they are gone. We had the camera there for 10 days, got 1 5 point bull one night and some deer. Cattle are gone, but so are the elk.

 

[kwyeewyk]

In my observations seems affected by number/density of cows, and when they turn them out tends to move the elk out temporarily from the disturbance, but if there aren't so many cows that they're grubbing all the food I often see elk with cows.

 

[ntodwild]

In my observations seems affected by number/density of cows, and when they turn them out tends to move the elk out temporarily from the disturbance, but if there aren't so many cows that they're grubbing all the food I often see elk with cows.

In over a 20 year period bow hunting in the same general areas its not the cattle themselves that bother or move elk. Elk don't shy away from cattle or dislike them. They don't have any fear of cattle. What elk dislike is when the food source dries up or they have opportunities for better feed in a different location. I have hunted years where it's like clock work. Consistent elk travel, grazing and beds in a specific area (even with cattle present), come back a year later and the same area looks like a John Deer Tractor rolled through (grasses and feed clipped down like a golf course putting green) and not an elk in sight. I have never seen elk fear cattle but what I have seen is nutrition needs will definitely move elk regardless of cattle being present. This is why scouting an area during a specific time of year doesn't mean elk will be present during another time of year.

 

[belshawelk]

Cattle wont push them off unless its a small area. I have lots and lots of pictures Moo cows and elk together on camera. Unless the food source is gone they will all be there. Cows eat actually very little like elk, Its the damn horses that will ruin all feed sources.
I have pics of horses and elk also together. As long as there is food and water.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

I took this photo September 30th. I also seen this same bull go apeshit on an Angus that got a little to close to him back on September 15th.
But in this location the cattle don't seem to bother the elk at all.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Just depends. I just killed a bull that was hanging with cows. Elk in that particular area don't seem to mind.