Is June too late to start feeding protein to help horn growth for this year?

It is never too late to start supplemental feeding.
Feeding quality protein free choice is a long term deal, usually takes 2 -3 years to see antler size increase.

No. Horns grow all year.

Very true. They don't stop growing until the animal is dead. And I believe Pronghorns are the only animal that sheds part of them.

Feeding protein is a long term commitment...If you start feeding now make sure there are water sources to help...Deer can "burn" themselves on protein...Or start with a lower 16%.. You are not going to get any benefits antler wise right now...First thing you notice when feeding protein is weight gain...Anything you can do to help them through the winter rut and months will help with a healthier deer herd the next spring...There is alot more to it than just putting protein out.....

Antlers grow until the animal loses its velvet, horns grow until the animal dies, so I'll add another vote for feeding protein feeding even if you start in June. We just started in mid-May at our place.

Pronghorn grow their horns until about July or so , then shed them in Nov. and the new growth starts then.

At my place I have just now seen the deer starting to hammer the protein. I am sure they were hitting it earlier, but green was so abundant I don’t think they needed it all that much. Now that growth is up and nothing new is growing, I am seeing them hitting the protein hard.

I plan to plant soybeans very soon so hopefully they will have some new growth to chew on. Gonna need some rain tho.

Don’t link of feeding as this years bucks, think of feeding as a 6 year return. Your Greatest return is fawns that where raised on protein. Those fawns will traditionally have the highest utilization at maturity

They way I see it, deer are mature at 5+ so it takes 5 years for benefit of of protein. And actually you want bucks and does to be mature so that means 5 years of them on protein and then the fawns eating protein for 5 years. So 10 years total.

And I believe that you could have a certain Buck in a pen. Feed him all the protein and minerals he wants 24 hours a day. He will gain weight and look really good but his antlers will only be what in in his genetics. It takes the right genetics for both the Buck and Doe to produce an exceptional antlered Buck.

horns grow all year? Don't stop until the animal is dead? Pronghorns are the only animal that sheds part?
horns grow until the animal sheds its velvet , then the horns grow until the animal dies?


did all you guys flunk biology 101? every one of these statements are WRONG

deer shed their 'antlers' every year! They start to grow in velvet april-May then the velvet sheds off in the early fall. At that point the hardened antlers no longer grow!
They then drop the antlers somewhere between February-April.
typically antlers grow in size each year then tend to get smaller as the animal passes thru its prime age of 6-8.

to answer your question, deer antlers are still in velvet in June and growing, so …..no not too late.

I believe you are the one that flunked. Horns grow all year. Horns are not shed like antlers are. Cows, sheep, goats, Blackbuck etc. have horns. Deer, Elk. moose have antlers. They are shed every year. Antlers grow until the velvet is shed.

^^^ he's right you know

I pity the fool, Mr. T. You got played suckah!!

Your are never to late to start. It takes time for the deer to adjust to the feeders and the pelleted feed, unless they have been exposed. Deer will generally grow 45% of their finished antler growth in June...the tine length, mainbeams and NT points are the last to finish off. If it gets dry the does will benefit from it and it will help them raising the fawns. The deer raised on feed will benefit more than those exposed to it now..no different than getting a rain after a dry period. You are trying to fill in the voids till it rains or greens up. All it takes is the right buck and he can benefit even this year and more next year. Feeding year round can hold younger bucks closer to your property and can draw them back in post rut. Feeding protein can make for some great archery hunting in October as those bucks are packing in the feed for the upcoming rut.

Obi came back to the Force!!!

I swear, I learn something new on here all the time. I had no idea they did that.

One word of caution..I invested in a protein feeder..have wireless cameras set up..after about 4 months I shut it down..most bucks go nocturnal on free choice feeding..only small does and young bucks came in on the am feeding...

IME deer go nocturnal for 2 major reasons. 1 is due to them not living on the ranch/lease the feeder is on, so it takes them to long to get there. 2nd reason is due to heat this time of the year. Bucks, especially mature bucks, will usually only feed at night when you have free choice protein out in the summer months. Those same bucks will feed in the daylight come fall, when they live on the place or very close to the feeder. This time fo the year the mature bucks will normally feed from 11 pm till 4 am IME...that is over the last 30 yrs of looking at TC pics of them at the feeders on many ranches. They aren't leaving the comfort of their cool bedding area till they have to this time of the year. Most of them bed in an area where they have some browse to work on if they get up and move around before dark. They don't move to far from their beds till it gets cool and then are gone before daylight in the morning on my place. I have been feeding year round for the last 8 yrs now. See almost every buck I have at the protein feeders in the summer when hunting season rolls around. They really show up late season here at the protein feeders. Best hunting for me can be that time of the year. I hog hunted yesterday evening due to it be overcast and cooler for late June...mid 80's. I had 6 does and 5 bucks come out about 8:15 and fed till it go late. The bucks bedded down in a freshly shredded food plot to keep the bugs off them at about 8:45. The only reason the left is from me shooting a hog at 9pm.