Cattle and Elk

[jmez]

Elk feed right amongst the cows where we hunt in MT. Don't even pay attention to them.

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[NMframed]

I run cattle on BLM from May 1 to October 31. I have two wells that pump into large stock tanks and multiple springs that we have piped into drinking tanks. This is in a non migratory area where the elk are there all year. On a drought year like we’ve had this year, all the earth tanks/ponds are dry. I check water every couple days and the elk typically use all the same water sources as my cows. I always have hunters stop and visit when they see me on horseback or a lot of times I’ll stop them and tell them where I’ve seen some game if I myself don’t have a tag for that unit. We always rotate pastures and never let anything get grazed down to the dirt. We got some pretty heavy rains last week and I’m sure the pasture that we moved out of about a month ago should start coming back with a lot of young tender grass that the elk will really be using. I’ve heard a lot of hunter cus the cattle because they eat all the feed and run game off but I can tell you that most ranchers are also wildlife conservationists and do everything we can to keep the wildlife around. Without the ranchers a lot of the water sources wouldn’t be there(wells, man made dirts tanks, established springs) and the wildlife would suffer a lot more on dry years.

just my .02

 

[Poser]

For aesthetic reasons, I would avoid cattle in the backcountry. Diarrhea land mines aren’t my favorite.

 

[Bubba94]

I run cattle on BLM from May 1 to October 31. I have two wells that pump into large stock tanks and multiple springs that we have piped into drinking tanks. This is in a non migratory area where the elk are there all year. On a drought year like we’ve had this year, all the earth tanks/ponds are dry. I check water every couple days and the elk typically use all the same water sources as my cows. I always have hunters stop and visit when they see me on horseback or a lot of times I’ll stop them and tell them where I’ve seen some game if I myself don’t have a tag for that unit. We always rotate pastures and never let anything get grazed down to the dirt. We got some pretty heavy rains last week and I’m sure the pasture that we moved out of about a month ago should start coming back with a lot of young tender grass that the elk will really be using. I’ve heard a lot of hunter cus the cattle because they eat all the feed and run game off but I can tell you that most ranchers are also wildlife conservationists and do everything we can to keep the wildlife around. Without the ranchers a lot of the water sources wouldn’t be there(wells, man made dirts tanks, established springs) and the wildlife would suffer a lot more on dry years.

just my .02

Thank you for your insight! It is nice to be able to hear from someone who runs cattle on BLM/ Forest Service land as there are obviously some differing opinions on the subject. My grandpa was a rancher in Utah before he died and I agree that many of the improvements you guys make benefit other animals aside from just cattle.

 

[Bubba94]

For aesthetic reasons, I would avoid cattle in the backcountry. Diarrhea land mines aren’t my favorite.

Scat happens . For real though, that does makes for a slower hike.

 

[Poser]

Scat happens . For real though, that does makes for a slower hike.

I was on a bike trip in the high country and threw down my bivy sack in the dark. The next morning, I realized i was a sleeping on a semi fresh cow patty and had no choice but to roll up my bivy sack like a shit burrito.