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If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
#7033201
01/10/18 09:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 175
jadkins
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 175 |
Best months? Jan. & Feb. Then again in July, August, September?
Opinions please.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7033204
01/10/18 09:13 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,605
fouzman
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,605 |
Feb with a high fat content.
May/Jun/July with a good 20% pellet, if that's all I could afford. This assumes habitat's in good shape come April. If not, I'd feed April/May/June. But, at a minimum, ideally I'd feed April-September.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7033853
01/11/18 04:49 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12,259
deerfeeder
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12,259 |
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7033999
01/11/18 01:36 PM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,813
Texican
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,813 |
Do any of you feed small acreage? Just wondering if it is worth it, or if it is a waste of money to feed <500 acres.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7034084
01/11/18 02:37 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091
Wacm
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091 |
It’s cheaper to let all bucks with any sort of potential make it to 7 years old. It takes a few years of holding off. It’s amazing how big deer can get if you leave em alone a few years.
If you find no deer are getting mature then you saved yourself lots of time and money. When you can let em walk and see them grow bigger every year it’s time to drop protein.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7034136
01/11/18 03:06 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185
hook_n_line
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185 |
Wacm makes a good point. I have a horror story about a place where deer couldn't grow up.
The South Tx place is fed cotton seed from January to August along with corn year round. On the Central Tx place is tricky and it depends on the weather. If it's a dry start to the year, (which I personally prefer) I put out protein. If it's a wet start to the year its food plots starting first week of February with radish or turnips. Then throw some peas and clover in around March.
Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7034195
01/11/18 03:42 PM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 482
Hunter Daddy
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 482 |
Right after the rut (Jan, Feb and early March) feed a high fat pellet. From March - Dec, feed a 20% protein pellet. Remember, does will benefit with the high protein through pregnancy. The fawns they drop are in excellent health and have excellent brain development which is crucial to evading even the best hunters!
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7034201
01/11/18 03:45 PM
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,307
BowsnRods
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,307 |
I feed starting in January and continue to the end of September. Very important I feel to get the Bucks especially their body weight and condition back as it was prior to rut to allow them to be as healthy as possible prior to the start of Antler development for the coming year, I do not agree with the start, stop, start method of the distribution of protein. Start and continue until the antler development is complete. I also feel it's good for the doe in producing healthy fawns. This is just my opinion. This practice has worked well for me. I start with 20% and finish with 20% protein.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: jadkins]
#7034276
01/11/18 04:30 PM
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 175
jadkins
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 175 |
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: Wacm]
#7035733
01/12/18 04:42 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 351
ImBillT
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 351 |
It’s cheaper to let all bucks with any sort of potential make it to 7 years old. It takes a few years of holding off. It’s amazing how big deer can get if you leave em alone a few years.
If you find no deer are getting mature then you saved yourself lots of time and money. When you can let em walk and see them grow bigger every year it’s time to drop protein. My buddies family has a high fence place and I have not yet seen a deer peak later than 6.5yrs old. Many peak at 5.5. Waiting until they’re seven may be a slight stretch.
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Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year...
[Re: ImBillT]
#7036508
01/13/18 08:07 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,841
DocHorton
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,841 |
It’s cheaper to let all bucks with any sort of potential make it to 7 years old. It takes a few years of holding off. It’s amazing how big deer can get if you leave em alone a few years.
If you find no deer are getting mature then you saved yourself lots of time and money. When you can let em walk and see them grow bigger every year it’s time to drop protein. My buddies family has a high fence place and I have not yet seen a deer peak later than 6.5yrs old. Many peak at 5.5. Waiting until they’re seven may be a slight stretch. It can happen. Here are pics of the same deer at 5.5, 6.5, 7.5. He was killed this year...he added 20-25" per year between 5.5 and 7.5. Top pic is 7.5, middle pic is 6.5, bottom pic is 5.5. He went from 10 pt to 12 pt to 14 pt. It's not necessarily the norm to gain that much, but most deer will be bigger at 6.5 than 5.5.
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