Protein Questions

[big papa]

I am thinking about putting out protein on our lease and have a few questions that I would appreicate some help with. Does protein draw your deer and hogs better than corn? Also do you hunt your protein feeders? Do you use a free range protein feeder or do you use a spin cast like with corn? Do you mix the protein with corn before you put it in your feeder?

Thanks for the advice in advance.

[tvc184]

On our lease in east Texas, I think corn outdraws protein and sometimes by a lot. It is like protein is vegetables on a dinner plate and corn is ice cream. They go for the ice cream.

Spinning it isn't very good where we hunt because the protein pellets fall apart when they are on the damp ground for very long. The deer will eat the heck out of it from on demand or gravity feeders if you can get them coming to it.

I have seen some of our hunters mix protein and corn to get them started on protein but once they are coming to the gravity feeders, they quit with the corn and go straight pellets.

Not sure of how it works in other areas but that seems to be what it is on our lease.

[Johnny Dangerr]

Wow I wish 5 years ago I could of gotten the answer you are about to get.

Five years back we started our protein program. {15 thousand pounds per year} We put up pens and gravity feeders and nothing would touch the protein. It rotted and we dumped 5k pounds on the ground.
At about that time we discovered roasted soy beans and corn. It has a bit of protein and smells great. We started with 500 pounds in our 5 stations. The deer started hitting the stations, and most of my hunters started using the soy mix in their spin feeders. A year later we did a test run with the Lyse Eckel 21% protein and the deer ate it.
Now we use the soy mix in the spin feeders and L/E in the gravity units.
DEER WILL NOT EAT PROTEIN OFF THE GROUND
Good luck and by the way - everything loves the L/E. We are having to raise the pig panels this year due to the cows jumping into our stations. &%*# cows

[Johnny Dangerr]

AND NO NO NO we do not hunt our stations. Last year we added water to them.

[az2tx]

Wow I wish 5 years ago I could of gotten the answer you are about to get.

Five years back we started our protein program. {15 thousand pounds per year} We put up pens and gravity feeders and nothing would touch the protein. It rotted and we dumped 5k pounds on the ground.
At about that time we discovered roasted soy beans and corn. It has a bit of protein and smells great. We started with 500 pounds in our 5 stations. The deer started hitting the stations, and most of my hunters started using the soy mix in their spin feeders. A year later we did a test run with the Lyse Eckel 21% protein and the deer ate it.
Now we use the soy mix in the spin feeders and L/E in the gravity units.
DEER WILL NOT EAT PROTEIN OFF THE GROUND
Good luck and by the way - everything loves the L/E. We are having to raise the pig panels this year due to the cows jumping into our stations. &%*# cows

The L/E is Wheeler brand protein I think and you are right everything loves it. I switched to it a year ago and the consumption went up and so did the antlers

[Trinity Outfitters]

My experience has been that deer prefer natural forage first, so during the spring and fall when browse/forage/mast crops are fresh and abundant, the deer will not eat the protein. Our deer hit the protein hardest in winter through early spring, then again in summer when everything has burned up.

Gravity feeders work most efficiently and effectively for us, too (moisture causes pellets to swell/clog the spin feeders; deer don't much like protein off the ground; eliminate loss to varmints). Other protein sources work well mixed with pellets (soy beans, etc).

I would not recommend hunting over your protein feeders. You want these areas to be sanctuaries, so you can accomplish the objective of protein--growing big deer.

[bloodtrail]

Why feed protein to hogs? Once the deer get started on protein it will cost you enough. I would hate to see how much the hogs will eat.
there is times of the year that deer prefer protein over corn.
No you should not hunt over your protein.
We use free choice and timed feeders that drop protein into tray's.
Mix protein and corn to get them started.
You should set up protein close to water or have a water station nearby.
This is not written in stone the deer will let you know.

[predatorsniper]

I guess being in this W. Texas desert, the deer aren't nearly as picky. They have eaten any protein we have given them. We haven't tried L&E, but that's only because there isn't a dealer close to us. I've tried Angelo Pellets, Palmers, Antlermax and cottonseed pellets. They eat them all just the same.

We also hunt the protein/corn feeders that are in the pen. We bowhunt only and I haven't noticed any drop off in activity in the pens. I have game cam pics of mature bucks feeding in the pen less than an hour after a buck was harvested from it. If mature bucks don't stop eating corn off of the senderos even after buck after buck have been shot with rifles off of them, why would they stop coming to a feeder where only one or two bucks will be harvested quietly with a bow? They won't.....at least in our experiences. I leave them alone in the off-season and only go to the feed pen to check/fill feeders and refill the water stations. I don't think it matters, though. They don't associate the feed pen or feeders with danger of any kind. In fact, I think they feel more at ease inside the pen considering that they don't have to deal with hogs.

Good luck and keep us posted on your efforts!

predatorsniper

[big papa]

Thanks for the help guys.

[M16]

I prefer the extended tube type protein feeders. They were the most coon resistant.

[Wilderjack]

if there is natural forage the deer will always go to that first, but it will definitely help. Mix it 50/50 with corn at first to get them on it and then lessen the corn and finally going straight protein. Hunting a protein feeder, I don't think it really matters, but having said that you probably will not be feeding protein year round. It would be nice if it could be a "safe place" but that is really hard to do, if you can so it, so it. Also, add water buckets to your feeder stations. Think of it like you are eating popcorn, you would like something to drink wouldn't you so you can wash it down and eat more? I have been on ranches where we have hunted them and where we haven't. Also, it will probably take a while for the deer to get on it, it is a long term project. After about two or three years you will see a difference, but after six is when it should really happen. Some of your older bucks probably won't take to it, that is why it takes a while to get a mature buck that has been on it. In South TX when the mesquite beans dropped the deer never ate the protein, but otherwise they were on it. You need to build sizeable pins around the feeder, maybe 100ftx100 ft or bigger ro 80x80. we had small ones and they still got in there but I don;t think as much as if it were built bigger. Use free range/on-demand, you want them to get it when they want it. Turn on the corn feeder in Sept or so and stop feeding protein. It costs a lot of $$$ so make sure you have your lease/ranch for a while. I have not riend soy bean or peas, but I hear they work great. After they are hooked, they are hooked and it is great for your deer.

[Wilderjack]

it was a point earleir, pay close attention to what your deer are doing, they will tell you what they need, when they need it and what they like and don't like.