We hunt about 150 acres in East Texas (off of the Neches River) and Im wondering if food plots or protein feeders are even worth it to improve the deer herd. It seems that every hunter around us shoots at anything with an antler. What are your thoughts?

I'm in Tyler County and usually plant some small plots near my feeders if we get some rain!!! I have been running 50/50 with corn and protein through my feeders!!!

ye the lack of rain has made u suffer

On a 150 acres, save the protein money and go clover food plots if we start getting rain. You wont be sorry.

Clover is a great fall food plot in East Texas.

BTW - I hunt East Texas, West Texas (Sterling County), and North Central Texas (Baylor County). I can tell you that I have not found anywhere in Texas where 1 1/2 year old bucks would not be shot at! I honestly don't know how it is only East Texas that has that reputation.

When I hunt Baylor County, I take my deer into Seymour to Bayco's to get processed. It makes me sick to my stomach to see the pile of young bucks piled up by their back door every evening during deer season.

BTW - I think the acorn crop may be down this year because of the drought so food plots will be a great setup to hunt in East Texas this year - assuming we get some rain to grow the plots!

First off, a perennial food plot once established will give you more bang for the buck than feeding protein. On 150 acres the best you can hope for is to give them something to eat and maybe they will hang around a little longer. If everybody around you is shooting anything with horns or, in the AR counties, anything that is 13 inches then you aren't going to be able to manage anything on 150 acres- deer just wander too much. A buck's home range is in the neighborhood of 640 acres.

I have the same problem where I hunt. (Liberty County) Except our land is even smaller. 30 acres. I planted a food plot last year and it got little to no attn. It was mostly rye grass though. If we ever get some rain, I plan on planting a clover plot.

Good luck out there.

How does the clover do under the pine trees?

pine straw chokes it off... on 150, best bet is to continue feeding protein and corn year round and plant fall plots for nutrition, not as an attractant (which just means wait for the ground moisture that SHOULD come mid/late Oct-first Nov...winter wheat, rye, AWP).. when neighbors shoot anything, it's usually best to be very selective and leave the pressure off the deer. When rut ends those bucks that babysit the protein feeders remember exactly where that sure-thing meal came from with no harrassment.