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If you can't / don't feed protein all year... #7033201 01/10/18 09:10 PM
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jadkins Offline OP
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Best months? Jan. & Feb. Then again in July, August, September?

Opinions please.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7033204 01/10/18 09:13 PM
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fouzman Offline
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Feb with a high fat content.

May/Jun/July with a good 20% pellet, if that's all I could afford. This assumes habitat's in good shape come April. If not, I'd feed April/May/June. But, at a minimum, ideally I'd feed April-September.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7033853 01/11/18 04:49 AM
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^^^^ Agree.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7033999 01/11/18 01:36 PM
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Do any of you feed small acreage? Just wondering if it is worth it, or if it is a waste of money to feed <500 acres.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7034084 01/11/18 02:37 PM
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It’s cheaper to let all bucks with any sort of potential make it to 7 years old. It takes a few years of holding off. It’s amazing how big deer can get if you leave em alone a few years.

If you find no deer are getting mature then you saved yourself lots of time and money. When you can let em walk and see them grow bigger every year it’s time to drop protein.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7034136 01/11/18 03:06 PM
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Wacm makes a good point. I have a horror story about a place where deer couldn't grow up.

The South Tx place is fed cotton seed from January to August along with corn year round. On the Central Tx place is tricky and it depends on the weather. If it's a dry start to the year, (which I personally prefer) I put out protein. If it's a wet start to the year its food plots starting first week of February with radish or turnips. Then throw some peas and clover in around March.


Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7034195 01/11/18 03:42 PM
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Right after the rut (Jan, Feb and early March) feed a high fat pellet. From March - Dec, feed a 20% protein pellet. Remember, does will benefit with the high protein through pregnancy. The fawns they drop are in excellent health and have excellent brain development which is crucial to evading even the best hunters!

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7034201 01/11/18 03:45 PM
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I feed starting in January and continue to the end of September. Very important I feel to get the Bucks especially their body weight and condition back as it was prior to rut to allow them to be as healthy as possible prior to the start of Antler development for the coming year, I do not agree with the start, stop, start method of the distribution of protein. Start and continue until the antler development is complete. I also feel it's good for the doe in producing healthy fawns. This is just my opinion. This practice has worked well for me. I start with 20% and finish with 20% protein.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: jadkins] #7034276 01/11/18 04:30 PM
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Thanks for the replies.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: Wacm] #7035733 01/12/18 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted By: Wacm
It’s cheaper to let all bucks with any sort of potential make it to 7 years old. It takes a few years of holding off. It’s amazing how big deer can get if you leave em alone a few years.

If you find no deer are getting mature then you saved yourself lots of time and money. When you can let em walk and see them grow bigger every year it’s time to drop protein.


My buddies family has a high fence place and I have not yet seen a deer peak later than 6.5yrs old. Many peak at 5.5. Waiting until they’re seven may be a slight stretch.

Re: If you can't / don't feed protein all year... [Re: ImBillT] #7036508 01/13/18 08:07 AM
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Originally Posted By: ImBillT
Originally Posted By: Wacm
It’s cheaper to let all bucks with any sort of potential make it to 7 years old. It takes a few years of holding off. It’s amazing how big deer can get if you leave em alone a few years.

If you find no deer are getting mature then you saved yourself lots of time and money. When you can let em walk and see them grow bigger every year it’s time to drop protein.


My buddies family has a high fence place and I have not yet seen a deer peak later than 6.5yrs old. Many peak at 5.5. Waiting until they’re seven may be a slight stretch.


It can happen. Here are pics of the same deer at 5.5, 6.5, 7.5. He was killed this year...he added 20-25" per year between 5.5 and 7.5. Top pic is 7.5, middle pic is 6.5, bottom pic is 5.5. He went from 10 pt to 12 pt to 14 pt. It's not necessarily the norm to gain that much, but most deer will be bigger at 6.5 than 5.5.




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