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Protein feeder Height? #4088896 02/28/13 01:05 PM
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I am almost done with my protein feeder. I was wondering what a good height is to use? I thought I read you wanted your feeder tubes to be 40"-42" high. I am not sure if that is a good general height to use or if it depends on the area were you deer hunt.

Currently I am in Young County north of Graham.

Thank you
Steve

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: USMCatfish] #4088915 02/28/13 01:15 PM
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I prefer much lower so that younger deer can eat. I like 32" more or less for tube type feeders.


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Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: stxranchman] #4089151 02/28/13 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted By: stxranchman
I prefer much lower so that younger deer can eat. I like 32" more or less for tube type feeders.


I forgot to mention I throw 1/2 corn and 1/2 16% protein out of my spin feeder year round. For that reason, to feed the smaller deer.

That being said would you still put the feeder tube 32" off the ground?

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: USMCatfish] #4089203 02/28/13 02:57 PM
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It really depends on the size of your deer. I have mine set at 42" in South Central Oklahoma and the bucks and does reach it just fine. Best thing is that the hogs can't reach it (some of the 250lb plus boars figure out how to get on their tippy hooves and get a little). For some reason there different sub-species of deer or different genetics that stunt the growth of does in some areas of Texas. I have places in Grayson/Collin county where the does are nice sized (just like Oklahoma), but my place in Fannin has those small does that just don't get very big.

If you can't set it above 40" because of the size of your deer, the difference in 24" to 32" isn't going to matter much. At that height, you better put a pen around them because the hogs will drain them if they find them.

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: USMCatfish] #4089432 02/28/13 04:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: USMCatfish
Originally Posted By: stxranchman
I prefer much lower so that younger deer can eat. I like 32" more or less for tube type feeders.


I forgot to mention I throw 1/2 corn and 1/2 16% protein out of my spin feeder year round. For that reason, to feed the smaller deer.

That being said would you still put the feeder tube 32" off the ground?

If you do not have a feed pen and have hogs then it will need to be higher. But I would not feed protein if you have hogs. They will still show up when the spin feeder goes off and keep the deer away from your feeder just from hanging around even if they can't reach the spout. I prefer to feed at 24" height from a feeder with a flat plat at the bottom of the funnel but I have have a feed pen. You keep a feeder around hogs long enough they will destroy it over time. Most deer can reach to 34-36" fine.


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Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: stxranchman] #4089980 02/28/13 08:21 PM
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I have (13) 16ft hog panel tied together in the shape of a circle.

No hogs get in but I do have a problem with the racoons at my corn feeder. Even with a varmint cage they still are able to get a little bit of corn.

I will screw mending plates on the protein feeder tubes to prevent the racoons from pulling there selves up and hanging on the tubes themselves.

I guess I will start with 36" and if the racoons can get to the protein I will go up to 42" and then see what happens.

Thank you
Steve

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: USMCatfish] #4089996 02/28/13 08:28 PM
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Catfish, your fellow Young county hunter in Murray will be curious as to how it goes...I too have thrown a combination of corn and ProRack Plus out of spincast feeders. As has been said, the hogs really go for that combination but not so much after feeder pens. On my unpenned feeder, the turkey tear up that combination..I will be feeding FMC (Farmers Milling Company) 16% protein, gravity style in April. Will certainly be in a pen; can't wait to see if it pulls in more animals..

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: DQ Kid] #4090015 02/28/13 08:39 PM
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How do you keep the moisture from clogging up the feeders? My lease is in SE Tx and alot of humidity. Would I be better off to use an open type trough since my lease is a 4 hr drive?

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: DQ Kid] #4090071 02/28/13 09:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: DQ Kid
Catfish, your fellow Young county hunter in Murray will be curious as to how it goes...I too have thrown a combination of corn and ProRack Plus out of spincast feeders. As has been said, the hogs really go for that combination but not so much after feeder pens. On my unpenned feeder, the turkey tear up that combination..I will be feeding FMC (Farmers Milling Company) 16% protein, gravity style in April. Will certainly be in a pen; can't wait to see if it pulls in more animals..


Have you ever the FMC 16% protein? From what they said they make their own and it is very palatable for the deer.

That is the brand that I put in with my corn and the deer really like it. I could not make it to Graham before they closed to pick some of their protein up(come to find out that you can buy it over the phone and they will put your order on the dock for after hour pickup), so I bought some 16% protein at a local feed store here in Crowley and the deer will not eat it.

I will not do that again, it is like I wasted 4 bags of protein. Besides the people at FMC are really nice and very informative about wildlife in that area.

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: USMCatfish] #4090214 02/28/13 10:06 PM
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That's my understanding. FMC is also very happy that we are getting the word out here for them. At $11 per 50lb. for the 16% and $11.50 for the 20%, I will give it a try. The formulate it with a cottonseed blend which supposedly makes the deer really like it. I know that at my suggestion, 4Weight is now feeding it just south of me. I think he seems to like it too. The guys at FMC have a fairly substantial clientele that has made good inroads in upping genetics with it..

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: DQ Kid] #4090226 02/28/13 10:10 PM
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Catfish, the ProRack Plus at $8.99 from Academy is 18% for 40lbs., Wildgame Innovations. When I've mixed with the corn in the spincast, it seems to draw in more deer than when just feeding straight corn. I would say it's more attractant oriented with a molasses cover and supposedly some water resistance. Last year they didn't hit is as good as the prior 2 seasons. With corn what it's gotten to, I will continue to probably mix some in with my spincast corn plus the FMC gravity feeder. As was mentioned, I cannot feed it straight from spincast if metal barrelled, too much condensation in summer, I have to mix or feed straight in Polyurethane only with big lip covers. Works good that way and like I said, hogs and turkey love it too..

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: DQ Kid] #4090377 02/28/13 11:16 PM
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Coons will always find a way to get to a feeder to eat out of it no matter what height you use. Best thing to do is get some Duke Dog proof traps and work on reducing coon numbers. Use the search feature to check out some old protein feeder/coon problem threads for one that rtp on the forum here posted some pics of what he did to slow coons down on his tube style feeders. He said it helped with his coon problems a lot.


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Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: stxranchman] #4091117 03/01/13 03:17 AM
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Periodically I hit my feeders hard with the Duke traps.Clean out a bunch and the rest seem to move on for awhile. When they come back, I go back to trapping.



Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: aeb] #4091148 03/01/13 03:28 AM
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Where is the "like" button??? I love me some Duke Traps!

Gets the job done, period.

Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: aeb] #4091259 03/01/13 04:05 AM
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Originally Posted By: aeb
Periodically I hit my feeders hard with the Duke traps.Clean out a bunch and the rest seem to move on for awhile. When they come back, I go back to trapping.


I have caught about 40 coons since July with these. I started out with just 4 and then bought 6 more after the first of the year. My trapping runs in cycles like yours does. I have caught 2 possums and 1 skunk with them also. Best investment I have made that really does work.


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Re: Protein feeder Height? [Re: stxranchman] #4092093 03/01/13 04:51 PM
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I have been know to set a dozen of them 50 yards apart near a single feeder. One good night of trapping and I can pull them for 6 months. Best I have done was 10 coons in 16 traps around 4 feeders.

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