[img]http://right notch [/img] look at the difference of this deer from last year. I credit this mostly to the protein feed . He is 3.5 yrs old. If the neighbors don't get him this year, it will be interesting what he looks like next year.
Deer on the left in the first pic looks more 4 yr old or older in that one pic. You have more pics of both deer in the first and second photo to judge from? If it is the same deer he made a jump, but age jumps in wet years will do the same.
This is him on the left, in the horned pictures. I seen him all nearly every set last year, and he is at the protien nearly every day this year. I identified him by a notch in his right ear. Call him right notch. As you can tell. I have hell posting pictures. And I am just snapping them on my phone off my pc
This is him on the left, in the horned pictures. I seen him all nearly every set last year, and he is at the protien nearly every day this year. I identified him by a notch in his right ear. Call him right notch. As you can tell. I have hell posting pictures. And I am just snapping them on my phone off my pc
I saw that notch in the first photo in your original post of him from last year. That is why I asked for more pics to see that notch this year. I would have called him at least a 3 yr old last year on my place. He did make a good jump.
I think the deer is at least 4 this year. Last year from the photos, he looks three to me. But they're not that great of photos and we all know how hard it is to age deer from just a couple photos. One word of caution on protein. It's called "supplemental" feed for a reason.
We feed protein year-round and have for many years. We've only had 6.75 inches of rain this year at our place in Webb County. And none of it fell at the "right" time. We are bone dry and it shows in the few bucks I've gotten photos of thus far. One 5 year old looks to have made a small jump from last year. Everyone else is off 10%-15% in antler development and their body condition is less than ideal.
I've said it before and I'll say it to my grave. You can feed all the protein you can afford and it will certainly help (maybe a bunch) in dry years, but nothing can replace new-growth forbes, and timely rainfall, for the overall health of the deer herd and big antlered bucks.
Good luck and hope you have a great season and grow some good bucks for years to come.
I sat in the stands at least 35 days last season, and this buck was out in the grain field ir at a feeder at least 80% of the time, easily identified by his horns and a notch in his right ear. Besides his body, he was not very wary. That's why I deducted he was 2.5 last year. This year, he has been at protien feed nearly every day sometimes twice a day. We have a lot of rain, over 25" the end of june. I have got 2 cuttings of coastal hay already, and almost 3, but I turned the cows in it. This is my third year of feeding protein, and I keep pretty good track of the deer using it. This year I have fed 3 times more than the last 2. That buck, and a couple others, just made such a jump, and the more protein being ate, I just assumed it was the protien. Also have about 8 does using it regularly.
Don't get me wrong but I don't think he will ever be a whole lot better than he is now. Antlers too narrow and looks to be missing a brow tine. And as always this is just my opinion so take it as that.
I think you are probably right. He is missing an eye guard, and was a 7 point last year also. Might let my granddaughter shoot him this year, see what he looks like when he sheds his velvet. Might be close to the AR restrictions?
Last edited by MWTX270; 08/05/1910:36 PM. Reason: Added text
follow up-- Right notch is at least 4 this year, maybe 5. And I believe he has regressed a little from last year. We decided to give him 1 more year last year, this year he dont get a pass.[
This post is the exact reason studies have been done to test the benefit of supplemental free choice protein feed on deer, and the majority of the results came from wet year to dry year, disease present or not, and overall stress on the herd issues rather than the protein.
Don’t get me wrong, protein can help, and studies have shown it can help quite a bit and especially make a difference over generations, but for someone to say “this year made this huge jump this year and it was because of the protein...” is almost, important word here “almost”, always not related to the protein consumption. Age, timely rain and good native browse play such a leading role in jumps over protein consumption, especially if protein was just started the year before or a coupe years before.
The funny thing is most people don’t equate protein feeding and their own management decisions as part and parcel To the jumps. In the past when you aren’t feeding protein and don’t have any kind of “management mind set“ you see a buck and maybe shoot it maybe not, but if the antlers were decent, many times it was smoking gun. Now, we start a management mind set and bucks that would have normally been shot start to walk and get years on their legs....and we attribute their gains to the “thing” we are doing that costs money (because we all want our money’s worth right?) so we say it was the protein, But it was really just letting them age that made such a difference. It’s an anti-American thing though, because just letting them walk doesn’t cost a dime so we feel we wasted our money on all that feed....so we mentally attribute it to the protein.
That 25 inches of rain had a whole bunch to do with it. Fouz is right, when I was guiding we fed, but our biggest gains were with a wet Winter and tons of forbs in the late Winter and early Spring.
Hudbone, it's about keeping them going good and strong, but yes, you do feel good when you see the gains. Checking the protein bills, not so much.
I believe that age is the largest percentage in a buck obtaining his full potential. But he must also have the necessary nutrients. This buck i have watched for 3 years. Is a truly management buck. I only have the one protein feeder, and 3 corn feeders. I feed year round. The other 2 spun cast feeders are not fenced, and the hogs help themselves. I still believe that the protein has to help the overall health of the deer heard, does and bucks.
I agree with several of you that protein can be helpful but mostly in dry years. That is why it is called supplemental feed.
If forced to choose I would take food plots over protein every time.
Here is my theory. I have seen literally hundreds of thousands of camera pictures over the last 13 years off our lease. We set our cameras on taking a picture every 5 minutes. Typically we get one picture of bucks and when the camera takes the second pic 5 minutes later there is no buck to be seen. So even if a deer eats the protein how much protein can he actually ingest in that short of a time? Even if he hits the feeder twice per day he is not ingesting that much.
Food plots on the other hand (and natural browse) are grazed on by deer for hours. So from my viewpoint the protein is helpful but certainly not the main factor in growing big deer.
tlk, you are correct. Habitat management is some of the best work we can do for deer, that includes bedding cover, fawning cover, and food sources whether food plots or natural browse.
Some of the best habit we can do for deer is just letting them age.
Not everyone has the same resources and ability, so every one will be different.
I heard a prominent biologist on the radio awhile back - he was talking about fawn survival being better this season due to the spring rains most of Texas got and that the high grass was a key to fawns surviving by being able to hide.
What was news to me was that he said the number one predator of fawns is pigs. I assumed it was coyotes but he said the pigs can take alot of fawn out
It is really getting dry in my area and they are hitting feeders harder also here. I had 4"+ of rain in May,4"+ in June and 4"+ in July. Not much rain in the last 3+ weeks now and 100+ temps everyday.