East Texas Protein Feeder Question

I was talking to a buddy that lives near my hunting property about feeding protein to see what the result would be on the deer. Nobody I have talked with locally has ever tried it. His only concern was one I hadn't thought much about. Racoons. I have heck with the ring-tailed bandits messing with my corn feeder and eating everything the deer leave behind. I put a cage around the spinner on my corn feeder and they still work HARD to get at it. Is there any way to effectively demand feed protein without the coons tearing the feeder up and/or eating all the feed?
Thanks!!
Matt

Nope, other than to trap them off and kill them. They're kind of like hogs though where they'll retreat and come back with reinforcements when you least expect it. Crows will be a serious problem as well.

They love handouts once the word gets out....

The easy fix at keeping the crows from eating your feed during the off season is to set your feeder to go off well before daylight and well after sunset.

I've had good success keeping the coons out by using round-shaped, protective cages that equal the diameter of a 55 gallon drum feeder. It takes a good sized coon to reach the feeder while hanging on a cage that's as wide as the bottom of the barrel.

However, I did watch a large coon one evening while hog hunting that had learned he could reach in just far enough to knock a little feed off the spinner plate. Then he would climb down and eat what he had just knocked off the plate. Let's just say my .270 kept him from making a third trip back up to knock off a little more corn.

You aren't keeping them off free choice gravity feeders. For deer to have access, most things in the woods will also have access to it.

I'm beginning to see why others around me haven't done it. Thanks for the input guys!!

Doesn't hurt to give it a try..worst that can happen is something eats it.

I fed protein for 2 years in east TX. The hogs, coons, and crows loved me for it.

SniperRAB's buddies?

if you've got good trees and if you fence them off from cows and hogs...hang them, you'll keep the coons off. We hang them to where they are approx. 34-36" from the ground and it's been pretty effective. keep a camera on it and it will tell you if you're too low.


I don't have a single picture of a coon raiding this feeder....I do have plenty of them picking up scraps on the ground.

Give them time to figure it out and let the numbers get hungry and they willfind out how to get to any feeder. I have seen pics of some very creative raccoons getting onto feeders.

don't know for sure but maybe having the mechanical in the same pen takes some of the pressure off of the more difficult to reach feeder?

The feeder I just recently got hasn't had a single coon get to the ports... its been up about 5 months now... time will tell

When they figure out how to put on floaties or ride gators to it, they'll find it.

Wait till it gets very dry or freezes and you are still feeding. Then you will be texting SniperRAB for advice on coon eradication.

Oh I figure it's coming lol

I like the 365 supplement, deer seem to enjoy as well.