Protein Feeding

We just moved to a new lease and hopefully we'll be on it for a while. We have year round access and cows are on the place year round. Lots of hogs in the neighborhood, too. There is an oat field on the lease that is a popular spot for anything that eats oats.

We've always fed corn from September-January. This year I am considering fencing in one feeder for protein and feeding beginning in March....that's the next time I can get up there. Let's assume the cows and hogs don't get past the fence. Will one protein feeder make a difference? What results can we expect?

Thanks.

not really.

unless your gonna go all out, then don't waste the money

I don't think that having one will do you much good. How big is your lease and do you know if any of your nieghbors are feeding protein? I have mine spaced out for one protein feeder to every 450 acres or close to it.

good ratio is one protein feeder per 300 acres.

water is most important with one water source per every 80-100 acres

We're on 115 acres that is divide in half by the county road. Don't know what the neighbors are doing...except hunting. There is plenty of water with a creek running through it and three small ponds.

save your money.

feeding just 115acres is pissing in the wind if your neighbors arn't on a feeding program.

With the size of the tract plus the fact that it is divided in half, I do not think you would be accomplishing anything.

You would accomplish one thing if you fed from now through august. Better fawn survival via healthier does. A good protein feeding program helps the overall deer population in tough feed times. Yes your neighbors might kill that big buck you have been feeding but if your deer herd is a little heathier because of your efforts you will see improvemnets also. Try to get your neighbors to work with you on a program.

I agree with huntwest, feed what you can afford,set up game cameras on feed stations, shoot mature deer, you will see improvements in time.

Assuming does will even eat at it regularly.

One feeder on a tract with no other supplemental feeders in the area is a wasted effort is wasted effort, plain and simple.

I've seen it firsthand

I agree with 'huntwest'. We protein feed on our little 240 acre place and in three years we are seeing better bucks but, as important to us, healthier looking does and fawns. For us, its worth it. JMHO.

If I may ask a question here. Forgive my ignorance.
lol. What do you folks consider "protein"? Range Cubes, horsemule/feed.? I am feeding corn still., but interested in
the protein feeding idea.
Thank you.

Usually a 1/8" pellet that is formulated for deer. It has the minerals that deer need that are not found in goat or horse feed.

Well it may not help the overall heard much but from Jan. through Sept. last year we fed a 50/50 mix of corn and record rack protein. During that time frame we had numerous pics of some nice bucks on our game cams. We went to straight corn the first of October and the older bucks just plain quit showing up at the feeders. No one bow hunts on our place so it wasn't hunting pressure that moved them off of the feeders.
May just be a freak coincidence but when we quit the protein the older bucks quit using the feeders.

i started feeding a 1/3 protein(record rack)/corn mix 2 weeks ago on my very small piece of land and have had every deer on the property there every day. my neighbor to the south has a 1 acre food plot and feeds protein during the summer.

being that it is such a small place i will probably just stick with a protein/corn mix. and after reading the above post, the record rack is only about $2-3 more per bag and with the small amount i will be using, i may keep the protein going through the season.

Well, it's sure not going to hurt anything...I'll set it up with a camera and see what happens.

Great. I like your attitude. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Probably the rut got em thinking about other things besides eating.

A lot will depend on what your neighbors are doing or are not doing. What it will do over time if you keep feeding is increase fawn survival as stated above. With the road splitting the ranch I would consider one feeder on each side of the road. The key will be to feed for at least 4 yrs to see if you are seeing results. If you increase fawn survival and numbers you will increase buck numbers over time. I have seen a ranch that was 700 acres in size split by a highway and a county road into 3 pastures with the largest being 300 acres. They fed for 9 months on that pasture the first year. What they noticed that year was more bucks survived the season. Each year after this was better than the year before. The 3rd year of feeding were able to kill a 4 yr old buck LF in heavily hunted area of Kendall County that year that was around 130 gross. This was on a place that a 2 yr old 110 was considered a huge buck. Only 3 yrs later they were able to kill a 6x6 typical 5 yr old that went 152 gross with inside spread of 22". They went from having 4 bucks with forks or better on 700 acres in any year before feed that survived the hunting season to having 39 branch antlered bucks after the 4th season on feed. Key to any management program is fawn survival more fawns means 50% will be bucks for the future.

Chaser42..you might as well give protein a try for a few years...someone else close may be feeding protein or they could be feeding in cattle food plots etc. Some is better than none and atleast you can learn something from it.

I deffinintly think it will help you...keeping your deer fed and healthy is a great tool to growing and attracting better deer... and that feeder is about the easiest way to do it... i feed on a 40 acre place and see good results..am i growing bigger deer? maybe a few in the long run but im deffinintly gaining alot of deer that usualy wouldnt do anything but pass through the place...my doe all have fawns and are able to produce better for them durring fawn growth...also being able to hold more doe than usual will increase your chance of bringing more bucks in durring the rut

O yeah and having easy feed avalible for post rut bucks is very important this is when most of your buck kill will take place expesially with a hard january

Well i am on a 380 acre place in Childress County.. Planning on feeding protein starting in March. I also feed corn year around. I know its a small place but in that part of TX the deer need all the nutrition that they can get...

you can mix record rack protein in a corn broadcast feeder?

Dont use record rack...Much better results with Antler King or Nutra Deer. On those you dont even have to mix with corn when you introduce...Coming from first hand experience...

record rack is an excellent feed

of course it works best when put in a all seasons feeder....

Got 200lbs of Purina, Deer Protein from Howard County Feed today. Mixed it in with 300lbs Cleaned Corn. Filled one feeder, on my 20acres, just chummed out the rest on the ground.
Have a good feeling about this!

you want to make it about a 70/30 protein:corn ratio

if you put too much corn the deer will pick the protein out and just eat the corn.

Why do I want to put corn at all? Will they not eat the protein without it?

No they will eat it...on a new place i just put a little under the feeder to get them there thats all it takes. I like record rack to...all the name brands will be about the same. I would actualy shut off the corn feeders while you feed protein

some deer will go after it, some won't

we mixed it when we first started feeding way back when and after the first couple times phased out the corn.

I put it in mine. 50% corn and 50% record rack. Fed just fine with no problems at all.

If you use record rack you will have to use corn when starting because they don't like it as much. Its like having to season a steak when it comes off the grill. You shouldn't have to. So, when using Nutra Deer or Antler King you do not have to mix corn because they like it much better than a lot of other brands.

oh yes because all deer in every ranch in texas prefers antler king to record rack

Well it may not help the overall heard much but from Jan. through Sept. last year we fed a 50/50 mix of corn and record rack protein. During that time frame we had numerous pics of some nice bucks on our game cams. We went to straight corn the first of October and the older bucks just plain quit showing up at the feeders. No one bow hunts on our place so it wasn't hunting pressure that moved them off of the feeders.
May just be a freak coincidence but when we quit the protein the older bucks quit using the feeders.

Pure and simple.... The bucks went hard horn. Once this happens they scatter to establish their own breeding areas.