Is it too late to be putting out protein or minerals? Does protein and minerals attract deer better than corn?

probably too late for horns but will help on body/health. corn is number one attractant

This is the time bucks start hitting the best feed hard to get ready for rut... anytime you can feed protein it definitely wont hurt

Would using protein in the feeder be better than corn or would a mixture be good?

i would not stop using corn and if its a spin feeder just be careeful going too heavy on the pellets, cleaning wet pellets out of a feeder isnt fun and might cost you a motor.

It's never too late especially in thinking long term for your herd. Better to get em on it as soon as you can.

Keep both out year-round. Free choice feeders for your protein is a better option.

Never too late but it takes a while to results if you're just starting it. I started 5 years ago and didn't see much change until year 3. Got to keep it going even if it looks like they aren't eating it. They will come back from time to time and get what they need. If you can find a local blend they take to it faster. I tried 3 different name brands but the deer on my place prefered the one I get made at the local co-op.

I bought a two of the 330# All season free choice feeders. They dont clog and have seemed to hold up well. If you just put protein in a corn feeder it will clog when it gets moisture, However, I mix corn bag for bag in my corn feeders that I run year round.

Remember Protien Pellets aren't the only source of protien. Roasted Soybean have a good protient count and can be mixed and thrown with corn out of a spin feeder without clogging. Straight roasted soybean will run fine from a spin feeder too. I did it one time and no issues, but it was hard to find and expensive.

If not for the cost/hard-to-find factors, I would run it in my spin feeders all the time as a mix with corn.

While free-choice protien feeders give the most benefit - they become problematic if they aren't large enough capacity and you can't make it to lease every week. My lease outside Abilene had deer completely emptying a 300lb protien feeder in a less than a week. I responded by setting up two 300lb feeders - and both were empty in a week.

And a feeder standing empty for a few weeks is useless for protien.

Not wishing to get a 3000lb or 5000lb feeder - and the fact that I am so remote that I have to fill manually - I opted for a timed trough feeder by Lamco. With a little experimenting and adjustments - and good game cam recordings - I am able to adjust my feeder to drop a few pounds right at the time the does and/or bucks make the rounds - have them eat everything that is dropped with just a little leftover - and reduce wastage. With an 800lb Lamco, I can get it to last almost 60 days throwing 6-7 pounds twice a day. This seems to be enough for my regular visitors with everyone getting their fair share. To try to offset not being free choice, all you can eat - I run 20% and/or 22% pellets. They may get a little less total amount than free-choice, but get more per bite.

Because I noticed on cam that does/young bucks come first, and the older, bigger bucks tend to show up later to dinner (at least in my area) - At breakfast/dinner, I drop 3 pounds first - let the does eat it up - which takes about 30 minutes at most, then drop another 4 pounds. The bucks come in and push the does off for the second drop, and then guard it fiercely. After they eat and move off, the does come back to finish off any that is left.

Although when that feeder goes off, they come a running, and I can hear them pushing and shoving and banging into that feeder for the first few minutes. With 6ft troughs on all side, I literally have deer lined up feeding. BTW, the feeder goes off at 8:00pm, and 3 minutes later this is what it looks like with more coming in.

IMO, it is never too late to start feeding protein, it won't do much (if anything) for their racks this year, but will make for a healthier heard! If this is your place, or a place you intend on hunting for a few years, I would definitely start getting them protein as soon as you can and keep it available year round!!! It not only helps antler growth, and the overall health of the heard, but promotes heard growth.

We feed a game mix with corn, protein, and bird seed year round; I believe the mixture is approx. 40/40/20 respectively. I can't remember the name of the brand off the top of my head, but we use good old 55 gal. drum feeders with regular timers and haven't ever had any issues with moisture and clogging like we used to when we would mix bag for bag corn and protein...not fun to clean out if it has been sitting for a few weeks (or longer)!!!! I always think about putting out a self-feeding protein feeders, but the same problem as above, I can't get out often enough to keep them filled consistently. I will also throw out a protein block from time to time for shits and grins.

Never too late for free choice protein.

Never to late to feed. Those fawns that get on feed now will be the deer you will be hunting in the future.

Still have protein up on my land and deer are hitting it hard. When I started I dumped a bag of corn around it to draw them in, once they found the feeders they never stopped eating.

Ton of great info so far. I don't yet have a free choice protein feeder up here yet, but we feed daily in the back yard, in conjunction with my feeder mixed 50/50. So far this year, the deer haven't slacked of hardly at all from feed, did a bit in March, but picked up again with the "chillens" started getting mobile.

My thoughts are the same as the rest of the guy's as far as protein goes, if they need it and can get it, then you have a stronger herd overall, or at least in better condition. IMO, it is as important for the rest of the herd, not just the bucks.

Thank you for all the comments and help

Nice having a son in law that is a Kansas corn and soybean farmer. Get my corn and beans cheap and feed both year round. Soybeans in a free choice feeder and corn in the spin feeder. Deer love it year round on my place. Only restriction is the amount I can haul to TX from KS. Gotta start taking my trailer with me to haul more. Never to late to start feeding protein as others have said.

in our experience deer do favor the protein feed over corn at least to some extent, its more nutritious. but...protein feeding is a waste of time and money if its only going to be done sporadically. its never too late to start, but once you start you need to keep going. and you need to really watch your deer numbers. keep your doe numbers down.