I'm hunting on a small 300+ acre lease out in Mills County but am still planning on feeding protein. Planning on putting up a 1000 lb. free-choice feeder. For y'all that feed protein, do y'all feed year round or during the "growing" months??? May, June, July, August?? What types of protein do y'all feed?? Suggestions???

Purina Antler Max 20%

We feed February through the first of September. Gorman Milling's Red Chain Premium Deer Pellets are our preferred brand.

We feed 20% free choice post rut through shed of velvet. We have a little over 300 acres with a 3k lb feeder in the dead center of the place and a 300 lb feeder in the center of each quadrant of the property. The big one stays full for a long time. The little ones last about 2-2.5 weeks if conditions are bad and they are hitting it hard. If range conditions are good they don't eat much of it, and the little ones may last a couple months.

We started working this property with protein, so we don't have any info on how it was with/without, but in the bad years we have had the past couple seasons we had deer raise twins and never saw a rib except the ones that are so old they have to gum their feed into submission.

I feed a 20% protein sold at the same place it is bagged in Oklahoma for $6.50/50#bags.

JT-where are you buying it for that price in OK?

Please share the location. That's half of what I am paying. It might make it worth the drive.

Hear the crickets???

We feed the same brand/ mix. I feed 1 protein feeder per 250 acres. That gives you a chance to let all the deer in the area eat the protein. It really depends on your budget and your deer density. If your on a place that size I would focus more on feeding your resident deer and pull in your neighbors deer. The old rule on small ranches like your is- "the one who feeds the most wins" . Get the girls to stay on your ranch and the bucks will show up in December.

Good luck!

Growing months are actually the first 30 days after the rut. That is the critical period to get bucks back into good body condition to start to grow antlers. Late May till late June is very critical also. A buck can grow 45% of his total antler growth in that short period. So having it out a month before that time would be ideal. Even with all the rain and food plots on my place, the deer started to hit protein about 3 weeks ago now. I use and have used Lyssy and Eckels 20% deer protein for the past 12 yrs now. They have a store in Llano also now.

I started the first of January and will continue through September. I also put a 20% protein wormer in the protein feeder's the first of April and just did it again on the first of June. I will also recommend Lyssy and Eckel 20% Deer Protein.

Atoka, Oklahoma it is a lumber yard/feed store (Allen's maybe?) in between Atoka and Colgate.

I do the same and get it from the same place in GW.