Don't hunt around the protein feeders. You want them using them as much as possible.

I have always used Antler Max by Purina. It is pretty expensive but my deer love it. I have been using for about 4 years now.

The first time I put it out I came back in a month and nothing happened. Came back a month later and still nothing. I thought protein was a bunch of bunk and didn't work. Came back in another month and feeder was empty. I have 4 300 lb protein feeders inside food pen along with 4 corn feeders. My deer can empty all protein feeders in a month when they are really hitting it. I put in 1 protein 1 corn, 2 protein 1 corn then 1 more protein. My deer love it and don't use corn feeders too much mostly protein.

I have seen a definite increase in body weight and antler size. It works for me and is worth the cost.

Protein is a waste of money without a management plan IMO

It is hard for me to put so much money and manage my feeders, when the deer can go to a neighboring lease or maybe even someone elses stand and they will take them for sure. I know it is necessary but it is tough. I am definately going to start on protein soon.

Buddy of mine missed a HUGE hog tonight..

Mixture correction: I put in 1/4 sack corn, then 1 sack protein, then 3/4 sack corn, then 2 sack protein, then 1 sack corn, then final sack of protein. Sorry for the mistake.

Do you think I should do it during season, or wait till its over? I don't want it to spook any off. They are already scarce as it is..

I feed corn and protein year round. Have my corn feeders set to feed for 1 second (with the 12V battery still throws a decent amount of corn out) which forces the deer to eat more of the protein. But like several others have said, feeding protein is useless without properly managing your deer.

I don't think it will do any good for this year to start feeding protein now. I think I would wait until after the season and then start your feeding and management program for next year and thereafter.

That's sort of what I was thinking as well.

IMO the sooner you start the better off you will be. The fawns that you get on feed now will be the deer you want to kill in 5-6 yrs. The does that gets bred now will stand a better chance of having a larger fetus from increased nutrition which can equate to bigger fawns which grow into larger deer. Getting deer on feed now allows bucks coming out of the rut to have the feed available and know what it is so that if the weathers turns dry and very cold they will have a better diet. If it stays wet then they know where it is when it gets dry. I would still incorporate food plots in my management plan if the soil conditions warrant it. But I would not really on them with the droughty season we have here in Texas. I can honestly say that protien makes a huge difference in deer. If it is pelletized or grown in a food plot.

Huge difference huh. How many inches can I expect to add to the average antlers if I start feeding? Does the amount matter? How much per deer per day?

We feed protein year round going on 3 years. We have seen a HUGE difference in mature deer. Body and rack size. We have it in a 60 foot pen so that the hogs cannot get to it. We DO NOT hunt this area of the ranch, which is located in the very center of our property.

It depends on your location, again. You have a management plan in place? Surveys? Harvest data? Longterm goals?

I will say that even when I have combined corn and protein pellets out of my spincast feeders, I have always had more deer than when feeding straight corn. For me, it has been more of just changing the mix for their tasting pallets as opposed to game managing. On 70 acres, not sure if I want to go all out protein at this time.

You mean to say you have to have all that in place before you feed protein??? What if I just stick a few 300lb free choice feeders out and keep em full...will it help?

i knew it wouldnt take long..lol

yep, if u can afford it, i think it works as much as an attractant as it does nutritionally.

is nutritionally a word?

I've been expecting it since the thread first went up

so which one is yin and which one is yang?

Don't know if it's coincidence or not, I've also seem to see larger bucks in the seasons I've combined the corn with protein out of the spincast feeders and certainly more does/yearlings for longer periods of time

Protein can be a very effective attractant, especially certain times of the year.

We feed it. Cant say what it does or doesnt do for the horns, because we started with literaly no bucks and fed every year. I know when it is dry as a popcorn fart and folks got deer dropping dead and no fawn survival and ribs pokin out of everywhere that deer hit the feed hard, never seen a rib bone, and the mommas never failed to rais some fawns.

This year and the next should show us the difference between the deer that were started under our feed and management and those that were born before. So far it looks like the ones born on our feed are going to be heavier.

matt