Hello follow hunters. A month ago me and my buddy just set up 2 protein feeders and the Mobile cameras show deer walking right by it.(Huntsville) Any helpful tips to get them interested. Thanks!!! .....Griff

Did you "prime" the feeders? You can "prime" it by putting in 4 bags of corn to get them used to the protein feeder and then fill with protein. Worked well for me. Might want to try if you haven't already.

East texas and all the rain we have been getting recently I bet they just are not interested.

Deer aren't dumb, I believe they associate feeders and blinds in pressured areas with hunting and if native browse is abundant (which I would assume it is) they leave it alone. Many people experience the same thing with corn piling up under feeders. In wet times our feeders will have feed for months on end. In dry conditions they drain them in 3 weeks.

You could try mixing in some corn with the protein

As was mentioned already, mix corn in with it to get them started on it. Deer are cautious about eating something new to them. It can take a couple months or more for them to start eating it regularly.

Try Indian Corn.

Mine did the same when I started with the protein, then one day I had one small buck on camera eating the protein. After that I couldn't keep it full. Give it time and do what is mentioned above about adding corn first. With such a wet fall in my area the deer aren't touching my protein right now. During the heat of the summer and dead of winter they usually kill my protein.

They are eating very little protein at our place. Conditions are good. Be glad, because when it gets dry, they will eat you out of house and home.

Lmao! Or just regular corn

If its wet and green, I wouldn't expect hardly any activity with protein. When we first started a protein program on our ranch, it took the deer a whole year to finally get used to eating it. When it gets hot and dry during the summer, you will get the deer to slowly start learning to eat it. In the mean time.....expect to "clean out" the wet/moldy stuff and keep it flowing fresh.

What others have said...too much natural protein still out there.

We've been feeding protein for a few years and put it back out Jan. 15 this year...barely touched so far. NRCS agent was out last week and said the amount of natural browse still out was "crazy insane".

To green right now in most areas so they do not need it. If they have never eaten it before then they will not go to it. Bucks post rut are using it some on my place even as green as it is right now.
I would have started with 2 bags of corn only in each feeder. Once they have eaten that, then mix in half bag of protein and 1.5 bags of corn per feeder. Then once that is gone continue to mix more protein till you have them eating protein only. Put a corn feeder right next to it also. I would never fill a feeder full of protein when trying to start deer on protein unless they have eaten it in the past. If you feeders are full I would take out as much feed as I could and mix in a bag or two of corn on top of the protein.

I like to hand broadcast a full bag of the feed in the area when I am starting a new feeder

Just checked my protein feeder yesterday, Very little eaten in this last month. They were killing it earlier this year. Just that time of the year, be patient, they will find it when they're ready.

Thank yall for the tips and shared experiences.

To "The Griff," what is your goal for using the protien? Is there a lack of natural protein on your hunting area? I encourage you to read some articles on wildlife management. There are many online.

They know where it is at. They will eat when they get hungry for it. You can count on it.

I’ve seen deer take 3 years before eating at a protein feeder regularly in south Texas.