RE: cows and deer
I hunted a farm owned by my cousins and about this time of year they would turn steers in on the rye. It pretty much ended the deer hunting. The steers will follow you to your stand and then hang around there. The deer aren't afraid of cattle, but will steer clear of them. If you have cattle on one side of the fence and no cattle on the other, the deer will definitely favor the side with no cattle.