When do you feed protein?

I know this is probably a repeat question, but I was curious for those that don't feed year round, when do feed protein?

I have always mixed it 50/50 with corn, and have filled my protein feeders from the spring until late summer for the most part, but wondering if that is sufficient.

We feed year round if the deer require it. With the excellent habitat conditions on our place in NE Webb County the past two years, the deer just aren't consuming much supplemental feed.

At any rate we fill all of our free choice feeders in late December to help the deer recover from the rut. The sooner they rebuild their bodies, the healthier they will be going into spring/summer and antler growing/fawning season.

We refill feeders once/month as needed. If the deer quit eating it due to an abundance of preferred food sources, we don't refill.

Pretty much what fouzman said. We try to keep them feeding except during the season. For summers like the past few the rainfall has the native range in such great shape we would let them go empty for a time because the deer wouldn't be using it and the feed would likely soak up moisture and be ruined before it was eaten.

I just started feeding protein this spring. They have hammered it every since they figured out what it was. I think I'll keep feeding it all year if they are eating it.

I put it out for my guys from may till the end of october are when the feed runs out from the last fill .

Start feeding it as early as possible. I start the 1st of the year through september

We feed year round, but peak times for us are usually late Summer and late Winter. I've had more than one biologist tell me that post rut is the most critical time for it. The natural forage is usually at it's least then, and bucks are in poor body condition from the rut. The blueprint for the year's next set of antlers will be set long before he actually starts growing them so we try to help their body condition out as much as we can.

We feed year round from either free choice or timed feeders. I went to the timed feeder because they simply don't make a feeder big enough (except for a silo) for it to keep feed for over a month.

10 tons a month on 3200 acres and they'd still want more. I give em 20 lbs a month from my Lamco and that's all the greedy SOB's are gettin

I leave it out until they finish then refill it. Some years they hit it harder than others but its always available.

February-July, 6 Months

Similar to others, we feed free choice on from February to September on both low and high fence. On our high fence, we have 163 acres we plant in winter wheat which is 20% crude protein, so essentially, they have year round protein supplemented.

We feed 20% march to October. Have winter wheat and Oats planted during the winter.

As soon as the antlers drop, their bodies are needing as much supplement as possible. Feed thru August if possible and try to get them on Alfalfa that may help cut some of the cost and supply additional ruffage. Corn is really just a filler with very little nutritional value except its conversion to sugar.

I would not mix corn with the protein. I have done this and had some really bad problems arise in years that were very dry or had lots of acorns/mast crops. If you are trying to limit costs then get a timered protein feeder and limit feed straight protein. For the best result you want to feed immediately when the rut(starting late is to late for a rutted down buck) is over and into late summer or end of August.
I prefer to feed year round so that deer can get protein when they want it, not when I want the to. I prefer year round for several reason. One is that I can not tell you when the next stress/drought period will start or end. I prefer to keep protein out year round for the fawns so that they can get started on as early as they can. I have also found that feeding year round keeps deer closer to and on my property longer. During the Sept/Oct time period bucks will hit protein feeder very hard. I like to bowhunt close to protein feeders for this reason. The does will continue to use protein feeders since they can get in to feed anytime, unlike a corn feeder that concentrates all the deer in one spot at the same time. I like to protein feed during the rut since the feed holds the does around the protein feeders. All the bucks show up on corn and the does will not when in the pre-rut on my place. With the does around the protein feeders I can road feed and use the does to drag the bucks in. Feeding year round also helps when or if we get really bad weather during the rut or late season when bucks are worn down or beat up from the rut. I have seen deer empty feeders in a few days in an really cold weather when those same feeders were lasting a month. Deer be it bucks, does or fawns need protein everyday. If your habitat is in great shape they will not eat much of your supplement. If you are in a drought or cold weather storm then they will hit the feed when they need it. If you have deer numbers in CC and great habitat then you will not feed much if any during the year.
2 yrs ago I feed twice what I did last year since it rained twice as much last year as 2 yrs ago. This year I will feed about the same as last year, with about the same amount of deer in all 3 yrs.