Corn or Protein as an attractant

Which do deer prefer, or I should say, bring the deer to the feeder more. Corn or protein if you could only feed one?

For me it depends on the time of the season...early in archery up till a couple of weeks before the rut the bucks and does here want the protein. Rut till post rut they will eat corn over protein but still visit the protein feeders at night. The other factors would be rainfall or lack of it, mast crop, food plots and what the neighbors are doing as far as feeding. If I had neighbors only feeding corn and lots of it..I would feed a lot of corn. I feed both here year round though. Hunting over a protein is not recommended but it is done regularly and how you hunt the feeder pen is what makes a difference for me.

I've had a few people tell me that protein is more habit forming if fed year round due to the nutrition factor, but corn is like candy to them. The issue with many places is that everyone nearby feeds corn, so one corn feeder is like all the others within their range unless you somehow make it different to attract them to your location. i.e. - feed more, feed earlier, etc.

If i can do only 1 it would be corn. There are times of the year when natural browse is right and they won't use either but always come back to corn when its gone.

Rice Bran

Steve, in your last sentence, you said hunting over protein is not recommended. Why is that? Thanks Daniel

Not speaking for STX, but somes think deer should be allowed to enter protein feed stations without any possibility of disruption. Encourage to utilize it I guess you would say.