If you have sheep on your property, you may be wondering how it will affect deer hunting in your area. Since deer are afraid of nearly everything, a question you may be asking is “do sheep scare deer away?“
Sheep don’t scare deer away, but it’s not common to find the two in the same area. Deer are timid, preferring not to be around other groups of animals. However, if food sources for the deer are limited and your property has an abundance of crops and food, then it may come onto your land near the sheep.
Are you curious to know if sheep scare deer away? You’re in the right spot. Today, we’re going to discuss if deer are frightened by sheep and how it will affect deer hunting in your area. Keep reading to learn more.
Are Deer Afraid of Sheep?
Sheep are relatively calm and not a predator, so deer aren’t scared of them. That being said, deer can be frightened by them. This is because deer have very alert hearing, which helps them avoid predators. If there is a group of sheep, the deer may be afraid to approach the property.
Now, deer aren’t afraid of sheep, but they aren’t fond of them either. It’s not the personality that is offputting to the deer, rather than the smell of the urine. Foe won’t go near an area where there is sheep urine. Even if you move the sheep, the odor will still be present for a while. The deer won’t return to the area for at least a couple of weeks.
Some deer can adapt well to being on the same field as sheep. However, that will depend on the size of the field, how many sheep are present, and what food sources are available.
How to Deter Sheep So They Don’t Scare Deer Away
If there are sheep on your property, it’s likely that you have them there for a reason. You don’t have to get rid of your sheep just for the sake of deer hunting. It may help to reevaluate where your deer roam. Deer will come from the woods, so make sure the sheep aren’t near the wooded section of your property.
It may help to build a fence to contain sheep in one section of your property. This is helpful for attracting deer back to the area because the sheep urine won’t be in the area where the deer are coming from.
How to Attract Deer if You Have Sheep
If you have sheep, it doesn’t mean that deer will never come around again. Some deer can get along well in the same field as sheep. After all, neither of the two animals bothers the other. If deer were frightened off by sheep on your property, here are some things you can do to get them to come back.
- Place deer feeders on your land. Deer and sheep have different diets, so the sheep food won’t attract them.
- Plant a food plot. Deer enjoy feeding on a variety of crops and plants. Some of the crops most likely to attract deer include peas, corn, alfalfa, apples, oats, and turnip. They also enjoy nuts and acorns.
- Allow the foliage between your property and the woods to grow out. Overgrown shrubs and long grass are more likely to attract deer.
- Make sure there is a water source on your land for the deer. They will use this for drinking and bathing.
- Place salt and mineral blocks around your land.
- Use scents that will attract deer, like deer urine.
Keep in mind that if the sheep are a new addition to your property, it may take time for any deer in the area to adjust. They may be frightened off for a couple of weeks. Since deer are always on the search for food, using more than one of the ideas mentioned above can help you attract deer back sooner.
We recommend using a deer attractant like this one from Amazon. There’s no mixing required with this formula. Simply place it on the ground to help attract deer.
Final Thoughts
Do sheep scare deer away? Deer aren’t afraid of sheep. However, there are several reasons why they may avoid a property that has sheep on it. To begin with, most deer don’t like the smell of sheep urine, so that can keep deer from approaching the property.
Deer have very sensitive hearing, so if there are several sheep on the field, the noises may frighten the deer away. Even though sheep aren’t predators, the sounds they make can keep deer away.
Additionally, deer may not be attracted to your property when sheep are around because they eat different types of food. A good way to get more deer to come to a property with sheep on it is to use deer feeders. When there are food sources available that deer want, they will be more likely to come to the area.