How does grazing cows affect your hunting area

[walks with deer]

ride red are you serious

[Ride Red]

ride red are you serious

About what I posted?
I’m always serious.

[walks with deer]

overgrazing allows room for the non grazed invasives to spread at a quicker rate..cows move alot of burdock and thistle around for sure.

[Dannybuoy]

As an ex-farmer, cattle do not eat these weeds. Not sure where you get your info from, but it is 100% wrong. As far as transferring seeds, burs etc on cattle hides; do they not attach to deer, elk, moose, bear etc??? Wild game travel many more miles than range cattle, so I’m thinking they play a big part in transfers also.

Not sure what you farmed but it wasn't cattle .... cows love thistles . You are right about a lot of seeds being transferred by sticking to hides etc .
As far as hunting where cows graze .... it's awesum because they mask your scent and any bush noise . I have walked up to numerous bucks at very close range when cows are in the area .

[happyhunter]

As an ex-farmer, cattle do not eat these weeds. Not sure where you get your info from, but it is 100% wrong. As far as transferring seeds, burs etc on cattle hides; do they not attach to deer, elk, moose, bear etc??? Wild game travel many more miles than range cattle, so I’m thinking they play a big part in transfers also.

Cattle are first moved from a place that is likely infested with invasives in the first place that get spread when they are moved to the range. So not the same scenario as deer, moose etc. Machinery, vehicles are probably worse offenders.

[labguy]

As an ex-farmer, cattle do not eat these weeds. Not sure where you get your info from, but it is 100% wrong. As far as transferring seeds, burs etc on cattle hides; do they not attach to deer, elk, moose, bear etc??? Wild game travel many more miles than range cattle, so I’m thinking they play a big part in transfers also.

Cattle are transported to varying ranges throughout this province by a transport when sold at auction or from private ranches.

I'd also suggest you re-think your statement that they not eat weeds. I live in ranch country and have cattle grazing on my property during the summer/fall. Here in the Okanagan this is a common method of transfer. Certainly they don't eat every kind of weed but they do eat some.

[adriaticum]

IMO cows negatively affect hunting in the short term because they eat the food that deer would otherwise eat.
Usually when I see cattle on trailcams, deer are soon gone from the area. They eventually return but in the short term they are gone.
Depending on the number of cattle they could have a short term detrimental effect to the environment because they trample everything and crap on everything.
But in the long term cattle are necessary for the soil.
Cow manure is the best fertilizer and after a year or two when them pies are fully baked they are what the soil needs.
So soil and grazers are interdependent.
There could not be one without the other.
Cows are enriching the soil on those mountains which would otherwise be much poorer.

Some people see deer close to cattle and think that deer are not affected by cattle, but it's a matter of timing.
When cows move into an area you might see them together but over time cattle will eat everything in that area and there will be no food left, so deer will have to move on.

It's also about how deer and cattle eat.
Deer are constantly on the move and they nip on grass here and there while they move.
Deer don't usually over graze an area unless they are in the city and feel protected from predators.
On the other hand cattle are more or less stationary and have no predators and only move on when they run out of food in the area.

Together forestry and cattle have a negative effect on deer in the short term.
Forestry destroys their homes and cattle eat their food.

3-4 years ago I saw plenty of 4 point mulies in my area and even missed one. There was a video on here about it.
Groups of 2 or 3 big bucks together all 4 point or better.
I haven't seen those deer since. But cattle have moved in.

That's my conclusion anyways.

[bearvalley]

Interesting bunch of babble........
Lol!
There have been a lot of studies published by “real professionals” that support the theory that properly grazed land can actually be a benefit to ungulates.
As for the noxious weeds.....sure a cow, other forms of livestock and wildlife will spread invasive plant species already within the local area....and in the odd situation where cattle are trucked in they can bring outside “noxious weeds” to the area.......but the same holds true with personal vehicles, atv’s and industrial equipment.
My take on this is the cow gets the bad rap because some “prima donna” outdoorsman doesn’t like a little cow shit on his boots.

[adriaticum]

Interesting bunch of babble........
Lol!
There have been a lot of studies published by “real professionals” that support the theory that properly grazed land can actually be a benefit to ungulates.
As for the noxious weeds.....sure a cow, other forms of livestock and wildlife will spread invasive plant species already within the local area....and in the odd situation where cattle are trucked in they can bring outside “noxious weeds” to the area.......but the same holds true with personal vehicles, atv’s and industrial equipment.
My take on this is the cow gets the bad rap because some “prima donna” outdoorsman doesn’t like a little cow shit on his boots.

In the long term, yes, cattle are good for the soil quality and in turn good for ungulates.
But in the short term, which this is about, cattle are bad for hunting and ungulates.
But what's worse is stripping entire mountains of trees.

[bearvalley]

In the long term, yes, cattle are good for the soil quality and in turn good for ungulates.
But in the short term, which this is about, cattle are bad for hunting and ungulates.
But what's worse is stripping entire mountains of trees.

”But in the short term, which this is about, cattle are bad for hunting and ungulates.”

That statement is laughable considering the amount of people that annually ask permission to hunt wildlife on privately owned ranchland each and every fall.
Doesn’t it strike you strange that guys will line up to hunt some ranchers fall pasture, looking for that big buck in amongst the cows.

Its been prove there are short term benefits as well.
For example, moderate grazing by livestock of ungulate winter range can improve the protein values of feed for overwintering wildlife.
Of course this does not hold true if the area is overgrazed.
For the most part cattle and deer feed on different browse, the same with moose. Elk and cattle will compete for the same feed.
The wrong tree is being barked up if some want to look at cattle as the cause of wildlife declines.
Livestock numbers in BC on range are at historical low numbers.

Maybe we need to look at the human footprint, lack of wildlife & predator management and industrial activity.

I agree with you that BC’s past logging/forestry practices have been nothing but a shit show when it comes to maintaining viable wildlife populations.