Has anyone had any luck using alfalfa hay or pellets in east tx? I've heard it works in other parts of state but never hear about it used around here.

Yes with hay but it takes some good quality hay along with patience and some dry times to get them on it.

Or drive around the west side of Roswell late in the evening and shoot mulies in the alfalfa fields. Last fall we saw about 25 in one field feeding on fresh cut alfalfa.

Useing now and in past. No real increase in deer desire for me. Pellets sure smell sweet though.

Didn't work in Eastland county.

We have been feeding alfalfa hay and pellets for two years now in northern San Jacinto County. Hay is placed in milk crates tied to trees and are emptied in a couple of days if it doesn't get wet and mold. Pellets are placed in pipe feeders and last longer but must be kept dry or they will swell up and turn to mush. Ir took a little while for them to get on it the first year but this year they got right on it. We only feed alfalfa June-November. I am not sure yet if it is really helping the herd by increasing body or rack size but from the look of the deer scat pellets their anus must be getting bigger. Big deer poop = Big deer ??

Built a hay feeder for one of my pens and filled. Deer never touched it.

That is what is so weird. Some people say their deer wouldn't touch it while others have success. We have deer and pigs on camera and video with their head buried in a milk crates eating it like there is no tomorrow. And this is throughout the time they have plenty to eat... not like late winter when their options are limited.

I'm alot further west than you are, but whiteys eat it here well; We've got Axis Deer out here though and they love the heck out of it. Tends to attract a ton of rabbits too.

The only way to know is to try it. My deer ignore it.

Mine won't hardly eat it.

It seems to be an "acquired" taste, you have to let the deer have plenty of time to get used to alfalfa.

Used it in the panhandle when it was dry ( no wheat ) and it worked on mule deer and aoudad.

We took it and sprinkled corn under and into the flake and on top of it and they would end up eating it once try figured out that they could.

I had used some alfalfa feeders in my feeder pens. Cows tore up my pens (hog paneling) to get to the alfalfa. Soon after, I "donated" the alfalfa feeders to a friend with horses. <grin>

Used it (bales) in Kansas during the drought of 2011 with little interest.

Best advice on Alfalfa here.
Give'm time.
Later in the year it gets. The more they will, "nudge on it".
Good thread.

Don that's funny I don't care who you are! Lol. Is that in a breeder pen? That fella has a yearling body and a big rack for his size....

Thanks for yals input as I'm going to experiment with it. My buddy from a big ranch turned me on to cotton seed cake for deer. I tried it a couple years ago and my deer liked it but I gave some to let my neighbor a few miles down the road try and his deer never touched it..go figure

No breeder pen. This was a couple of years ago when it got really dry and I had to cut tree limbs and feed alfalfa to try to keep them semi healthy. When you go out and feed them everyday they start to get used to you.

Used alfalfa out by Canton couple yrs ago,acording to my trail pics, they didnt touch it, it just blew away over time

It was $16.75 a bale in Junction a couple weeks ago so I'll pass until the green grass is gone. Have a couple mangers that hold three bales and the WT Bucks love it late in the season.

Cows like it

Sugars pop we grow and sell alfalfa in Stanton tx and have been since '98 our square bales are $10 each out of the barn. $16.75 is to much just looks like someone is out to get some folks.

It's worked for me the white tails love it in the hill country. But only when it's fresh. If it gets wet have to get rid of it they don't like the moldy smell at all. I have a feed pen electrified to keeps cows out of it. And they Jump in and eat alfalfa a lot. I only out. 1/3 of a bail at a time out its expensive round here $16.75 a bail. The fresher the alfalfa the better.