Feed corn year round???

We have a large lease in NW Tx and all feeders/stands are community property and we share equally in the corn costs and for paying a member to keep them filled and maintained. We have always kept all feeders throwing even during the offseason. During the offseason and especially the Spring we turn them way down. For what its worth, we do not hunt over them in the offseason and we do not feed protein. Our thinking has always been that the corn doesn't offer much nutritional value but we thought it was worth it to keep the deer used to coming to the same place at same time for a little food.
QUESTION......To save a little money we are considering turning the corn feeders off during the Spring months and I would like to know yalls opinion. Thanks in advance.

I run mine year round but I turn it way back. We live here and it doesn't take much effort to keep it going. There's always a few "corn head does" that hang around no matter how good the natural forage is.

we keep 5-6 corn feeders going during the offseason out of around 25-30 feeders. As you know we also are feeding cottonseed and protein - The corn is just an attempt to try to keep our deer from wandering off our property

Our lease (1000 acres Sterling County) rules state that feeders will run even in the off season. We do cut them back.

tlk-with all the protein and cottonseed yall feed and the way you manage your natural habitat I don't think you have to worry much about your deer running off:)

For yall that do post how yall handle this I would appreciate it if you offer your reasoning for why or why not.

yep, all feeders at 3 different places sling year around. but reduced time Feb. thru Aug.

Our place out near Ozona, might be the only thing they have to eat during certain parts of the year, and like to keep them coming to those locations. all feeders are penned.

east Texas, probably feeding mostly hogs at the unpenned feeders.

central Texas, year around, my ranch is on a wildlife improvement management exemption and that's part of my annual plan I have to submit to the county.

I have always fed corn year round to keep the deer hanging around and accustomed to coming to the feeders. I also enjoy watching deer grow through the year via game cameras and this is the best way to do it. There is a cost associated but that can be mitigated by feeding once a day and for a few seconds only. It comes down to a personal choice and how much you want to spend so if you can’t fill them all, keep a few running.

Year round corn, after turkey season will cut back on the amount fed. In September will crank up the amount of corn feeders again. May start with cottonseed this year.

Why you no protein?

we feed corn year around too in addition to cottonseed and mineral. it adds to the cost, but it gives the deer a little extra food, and more importantly keeps them coming by where the cottonseed and mineral is. I was going to back them all off a bit, but with the range conditions, I'm just keeping them going at the regular rate. We do all our corn as a community buy in too, so keeping the feeders all going year around adds cost, but it's nothing compared to the corn that's fed on the roads during deer season.

I know some people say corn has no nutritional value, but I don't buy that. It has carbs, which is energy. Animals know what they need to eat, and deer wouldn't trip over themselves coming to corn if it had "zero" nutritional value.

I feed year-round too, but shut off half the feeders and turn down the volume of corn. Reason is to keep the deer familiar and hanging around my property.

Also, an added benefit (if you have game cams) is it gives you a chance to see deer from surrounding areas that might pass by your property. Last year, before the season, there was a monster buck that showed up. Only got a single, nice picture of him under the feeder. Gave my father and I hope during deer season that he'd show up and make for a nice trophy. Naturally, we haven't seen him since. It is encouraging to know we have at least one monster in the area. Never would've seen him if we hadn't been feeding outside of deer season.

I run my feeders year round

The county CAD accepts corn as part of your plan? I've only seen minimum 16% protein listed under "provide supplemental food".

only corn we throw are the feeders near protein stations.. and we throw for 1 second 3 times a day...Use the money on protein or something that actually are beneficial to the deers health....

On the last place I hunted where feeders were okay to use I always stopped running them once the Spring green up began to eliminate the attraction to feral hogs.

As some have admitted here, the primary reason why people keep them going during the off season is to make them feel deer will stay on their property, which is probably true to so extent. However, any biologist will tell you that natural browse is what deer prefer most when it's available.

If I was going to feed year round, it would only be from feeders that hogs can't reach and would include a mixture or corn and protein.

I feed year round, but turn it down to feed 3 seconds AM and 2 seconds PM. I do it for two reasons....keep as many deer close to my property as possible and for killing hogs.

OP here to add a little based on comments so far. We have always fed corn year round but are considering stopping just from Spring green up till about July. I like to get offseason pics but during this time frame they wont have much horn to evaluate. Even though there is some nutritional value in corn I feel we turn them down so low during this time frame that they are getting a small amount and depending on range conditions its really not much added food for them. I don't worry much about keeping our deer away from our neighbors cause we are a big place and we are our neighbors often times. A lot of our neighbors are big ranches that do not hunt(or feed). We have feeders spaced out at an average of about 425 acres each. Theres some pretty big gaps between feeders so the thought of keeping them going would be mostly keeping them used to where they are. In our situation I really feel the decision to stop/pause is probably splitting hairs but I was just curious if yall might throw something out I hadn't thought of.

We run ours in the Hill Country from early to mid September through the season. They were empty by mid January. We have run them longer in years past and do not see fewer deer now that we run them less.

We used to feed corn year round but found a food plot or protein feeder got more attention. We will keep one feeder going just to see what shows up. The more mature deer are at the protein feeder.

Turn feeders way down after the season and then up again at or about Arpil1st to increase the possibility of finding more sheds and then back down May 1st.

Two seconds or so during the off season and always at night.

Start the feeders in September let them run until empty starting in late January. All the neighbors feed year around, our place is pasture, they have very little pasture, the deer spend most of the time in our pasture. Neighbors are over run with hogs, we haven't seen any on our place.

Small low fence lease is the main reason. May need to change my thinking.

None of my leases are big enough for a true management plan to be enacted (we don't feed protein) but I do keep my feeders running all year with a reduced run time during the off season. I have found that if you turn them off during the off season it takes forever for them to come back to the feeders. Instead of feeding twice a day I just have them run in the mornings- hopefully this will get them used to coming during the daylight.

Thanks to all so far for the feedback. I especially like what Russ said. The idea that it takes them awhile to get back to them is the line of thinking that has me hesitating to turn off. I remember some of Russ' posts and his situation is a good big different than mine but this is something that could apply anywhere.

I think it depends on the location as far as how long the deer take to get on the corn. My feeders ran out at the end of December, filled everything yesterday and within an hour deer were back in a couple pens. By the evening basically every feeder had deer at them. Definitely not normal traffic yet but it won’t take more than a week to have them back at it.

I like to turn the corn off when weather allows me to plant food plots. Higher protein that keeps replenishing itself and is a one time deal. Plant a few acres of Iron & Clay cowpeas in various spots and hope to get a rain or two on them till frost kills them. Corn is next to nothing as far as a good nutrient.

yep ... but I do not have deer listed as part of my plan ... turkey and songbirds ... so I usually put in 250 lbs corn and 50 lbs milo per filling. The biologist recommended not including deer as that throws more requirements into the mix

You sly devil. Good to know!

I need to remember that.

I run 2 feeders CORN ONLY. 2 seconds in the morning and 2 seconds in the evening. No protein or plots or anything else. WHY??? Only 40 acres surrounded by deer leases in Harrison County. I feed corn just to try and keep a deer or 2 coming around. I know they do not live on my property and deer travel. I am lucky to see deer. The last buck I killed was 3 seasons ago and the only reason I was able to take that deer was he chased a doe off the neighbors property onto mine.

With that being said, I am looking for some advice. The timber was thinned 2 years ago and much of my hardwood bottom was destroyed by a tornado. It has all grown up horribly bad in thick briars and brush. I do mow the pipeline for rifle hunting and I have a couple of ladder stands for bow hunting. Should I mow the pipeline as wide as I can or should I only mow a couple of strips?

Not many options for bow hunting except maintained trails with hand corn. The brush is so thick I can't get anywhere else.

Thanks,
Lance

I'm no biologist, but we did own 120 acres out of San Augustine since 1899 until just a couple of years ago. The neighbor told me how I'd cut the timber wrong, but he was always hemming and hawing about being able to hunt it. (I'm sure he did.) It was all grown up with brush. The wildlife loved it. Your 40 might become a sanctuary. Others will chime in. I bet you could try a food plot. Good luck!

Thanks. That would be awesome. How do you cut timber wrong?

By not following his advice exactly; who to use, when to cut, etc., etc. "The woods are full of them." Everybody has an angle over there...especially any "part-time preacher."

leave each side edge of pipeline in natural grass, put in food plot down middle of pipeline. Before new spring growth try to get in the thick brush area and find primary trails and start opening up with a machete if that is only possibility. Somewhere within the thick brush you may find a small honeyhall for another bow stand or even rifle. Small brushy acres is Harrison county surrounded by pressured land can be very good. Just put up a corn feeder and you'll be covered up in hogs too

We fill do a final fill on our feeders in December and then when they empty, they stay empty until September. Deer never have any issue "finding" them. That may have a lot to do with feeders are place in well scouted areas where there is a lot of deer activity to begin with. And I firmly believe the feeder not going year round is what has kept hogs off our property so far....

Sounds like you may have unintentionally created some prime bedding area

Thanks. I hope so.

"Feed corn year round???"

More food for wild hogs.

ever seen a feeder pen?

Ever seen a wild hog inside of a feeder pen?

not in any of mine.

Not if you know how to build them correctly.