I recently (month ago) put out a cottonseed feeder I got from Tractor Supply. I placed it in my feeder pen that also has a corn feeder and protein feeder (large feeder pen). I have recently noticed less deer activity at the feeder pen. I was wondering if the recent change in the environment could have caused less activity because the deer see it as something new. Does it just take some time for the deer to get adjusted to the change?

My buddy put a cottonseed feeder in a pen with both corn and protein feeders. Did not bother the deer at all. In fact, the deer paid no attention to the cottonseed and never ate it.

Mix corn into the cotton seed. Might take a bunch to start with but the deer will adapt and eat the cottonseed eventually.

The new feeder shouldn’t bother them. Give it time. They’ll get on it.

that new feeder shouldn't bother them
add some Double Down Kill Pile into the Cottonseed they will eat it

One of the ranches I guided on had a semi load of cotton seed delivered for their sheep. It was a huge pile, maybe 5-6 feet high and about 10-12 feet long. Took about a day and I saw a semi decent buck pigging out on it from the very top of the pile. Feed it until about next August if ya can.

We feed it on our lease. I mixed corn with it when I filled the feeders. They were a little slow to get started on it. Now they will eat 10 bags in 30 days at one pen. We have it in 8 feed pens. Some feeders on east side of ranch weren't really touched for 5 months. Then they emptied them. That hunter had fortified cottonseed and noticed it was molding. The non fortified didn't mold for us. Between the protein and the cottonseed our deer got really fat.

Verde

The reduced activity probably has far more to do with the start of the rut and in my case a surge of new fall growth of forbs following the heavy rains.