Even though we have a couple of more weeks left in the season, I'm already planning on next year and what I can do to improve it. I've never fed protein because of the cost. I've been thinking about feeding a corn and protein mix, but I have several questions.

1. Can I use a normal corn feeder to throw this mix
2. If not, how often do you have to fill up a protein feeder?
3. If I do use a regular corn feeder, do I need to adjust the height of the spinner?

Any other tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Don't mix. Use two different feeders.

Most folks will tell you not to use a spin or broadcast feeder because the protein will clog it up and you won't be able to throw enough protein to really be of any benefit.

Use some type of free choice feeder where the deer can set up shop and get their fill regularly. Good luck.

Number one rule is don't bother filling a free choice feeder with protein if there are cows in the pasture! They will eat if all before you get out of the pasture!

There are some brands of protein that will feed through a feeder. I usually start with a mix to get them into eating it on one place I hunt that doesn't have any protein going on. Once they're on it you can switch to all protein. I'm not doing the feeding to make them bigger or anything, just to help them until the spring green-up starts in late February or March. We'll start feeding protein again in July through the first half of September or late August as well.

You should probably drop your spinner plate another half an inch to an inch to ensure the feed will cycle through. I also increase the throwing time from a couple of seconds up to something like 5-7 seconds. Means you'll have to re-fill more often but is does help keep some of the young one's alive as well as help any of the bucks recover a bit. Like Math said though, if cattle are present you'll need to fence it in, pig tight and high enough to keep them out.

Actually, March, April and May are good months to feed protein because the last trimester is when the fawn embryos grow the most. Healthy embroys translated to better fawns when they hit the ground, which will normally increase recruitment. I say normally because if you have lots of predators, they'll be eating healthy fawns. The only time, imo, when you might not want/have to feed protein is once the bucks are hard antlered.

Protein in spin feeders quite often leads to early motor burn up.

I've spincast a mix of corn and protein as more an attractant and I did seem to get more deer on camera when doing this...From a nutritional value, spincasting it with corn won't do a whole bunch. You will also likely see an uptick in turkey spincasting protein with corn. Problem with spincasting it is that once it gets any wet on the ground, the deer won't touch it. So, you will get some waste doing this unless the deer are cleaning it up daily.

For protein feeding to be economically effective, it must be fed free choice in a manner in which ALL the herd is able to feed. Limited feeding benefits the dominant animals.

Thanks for all the information. Looks like I will be buying a gravity feeder and just spend the extra money to feed straight protein.

Some feeders allow you to switch out the mechanism so at times through the year you can feed protein from the tubes and then you can switch it back to the corn spreader when that time comes

Look at the Bossbuck line of feeders. Most water resistant feeders I found on the market. They were so good, that when I was feeding deer I sold those feeders also.

https://bossbuck.com/

Not trying to be a smart [censored], but do you guys relay think using a spin cast feeder with protein and corn really helps? In the long run you are just throwing money away b/c you will only throw about maybe 1/2 a pound a day of protein and that does nothing with a lot of deer on the place. If your going to do it right get a free choice feeder I recommend #1000-#2000 feeder that way you are not filling it every week depending on deer population of your trying to grow horns they need food,water and age. Hope you guys had a good season and happy new year!

You're right. This, like may other topics has been gone over numerous times. But we constantly get new folks. If you are seriously going to feed, actually you are supplementing, what nature does or does not provide, it takes commitment, consistency, and cash. Lots of cash. Feeding now and then over one summer is not going to take a 120 something and turn him into a 150 by year's end. If you commit to it, quite killing young deer, work your buck to doe ratio as best you can, you will see incremental improvements. It will take from 3 to 6 years to actually see substative changes in the deer on your place. If you can get the neighbors onboard.

Trust me.........my feeding program works like none other. I see deer all the time at my feeder.