My lease is wanting to raise the cost of our lease by $250 a person to cover the cost of protein. Now I throw horn corn year round out of my spinner. The question I guess I have is that we are on 900 acres most of the protein feeders are on the out skirts of the property. It seems we are feeding everyone else's deer. The 1st year I took an small buck that was missing a back leg. Last year the wife took a nine point that was nothing huge. I am just not seeing the benefits to feeding protein on a small open area. Maybe if we move and fed protein in the center of the property we could hold our deer better. I can understand a protein management on a larger place that would hold the deer. What does the GS say? Am I over thinking this? It is not really the money but I hate being forced into following the pack when I am not seeing the benefits on our place.
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How long have you been feeding protein? To my knowledge it takes 3-5 years to see the benefits of feeding Protein. We feed January - September and it seems like most of ours are centerally located (not on the out skirts of the lease and with water near by.) -
If you feed the outskirts, you will always be feeding other places' deer. The same could be said for small acreage and while 900 is great, a deers core is larger than that, specifically bucks during times of the year. But you will be attracting them from elsewhere. Will it hold them there, yeah sometimes, but at least they'll know where you are at. The neighbors could benefit from your feeding, but then so could you. It is give and take, risk vs. reward scenario.Comment
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I am a firm believer in supplemental protein feeding, no matter what size of a place. I am on 400 acre low fence with the landowner and I being the only hunters, its a year to year lease and I am the only one who feeds the protein, no help from land owner. I have a feeder that is in the very middle of the property and it doesn't get hunted and I feed free choice Purina Antler max 20. Yes, your feeding deer that walk on your neighbor's place but your also feeding the deer on your place. I believe it does take a couple of years to see results from a protein program and that feed program needs to be done correctly and not half way and cutting corners. If you cut corners your not going to get good results. This means that the cheapest protein is not always the best!?!? The one thing that I seen in your post that I would immediately change is move the protein feeders to a more central location on your lease and have them set up in a nonhunting location(don't hunt the protein feeders) with low traffic and good cover near by. I also have a water station built next to the protein feeder.Comment
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Thought I'd add something. Feeding corn year round is fine, but corn is mostly carbohydrates and little to no protein. Carbs equal energy, not body or antler mass. Kinda like us eating a candy bar or granola bar. I got this lease going on three years ago and I do spin corn out of two feeders year round just to keep the deer interested and conditioned to the feeders and attracted to my lease, plus my protein. The landowner doesn't feed until season and he only throws corn and "plants" oats. "Plants" oats is a whole other thread about food plots, and no I don't think my landowner does his plots correctly, working on educating him. So, the land owner last year tells me he is seeing more deer than he has in the last several years?? This was the second year I was on the lease and feeding? This year the landowner tells me again he is seeing more deer than he has seen in several years and I shot a buck that the landowner couldn't believe how big he was body size. Told me it was the biggest bodied deer he has seen shot off his place since he bought it in 1982. This is the third year of year round corn and protein feeding. Also, the hunting pressure was greatly reduced(three hunters and landowner on lease before me now just me and landowner) and deer were allowed to walk and get a little older. Yes I know neighbors are reaping the benefits of my efforts but the landowners comments and what I have seen over the last three years my efforts are improving the deer herd and the hunting.Comment
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$ 250.00 will not buy much protein.Comment
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I know that is X 9 $2250. Thanks for the input just seeing what others think helps.Originally posted by Team Roper View PostComment
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Feeding in the middle or the edge of your property...not much difference, imo.
You are losing those bucks either way come the rut.
That's low fence 101.
But here's what you gain (assuming neighbors aren't feeding protein).
All the bucks (yours and theirs) will be bachelored-up at the start of bow season and they will be frequenting the primary food source for the area.
Odds are, that's your protein feeders.
Feed heavy, make your pasture an off-season sanctuary and you get first crack at them in bowseason.
For an extra $250...I'd do it.Comment
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If its 9 (just guessing) lease members X 250, based on my price that I pay for protein, using a 300lbs feeder per 200 acre(4 feeders) I figured you could fill all four feeders 9.3 times. On my lease that would translate to 4-5 months.
I see your hunting in Mills county, great genetics in that area! I believe to get big antlers you need age, nutrition(protein and good natural forbs), and good genetics!Comment
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I was typing when you posted, my post might give you an idea what you might be able to feed.Originally posted by brutus View PostComment
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Thanks for all the input. I guess I am not going to fight it so much and try to change their way of thinking and centralize the protein station. I will see what they say as they all want to have a protein feeder in their feeder pen 150 yard off of another bordering property. Once again thanks for the input.Comment
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That still is not much protein. Our protein bill last year for 1900 acres was a little over $ 9000.00Originally posted by brutus View PostComment
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Agree all lease members will feed protein during ____ months. I would be suspect about feeding protein only WHERE THEY ARE HUNTING and foot the bill. Get yourself a protein feeder in your hunting area if they don't want to feed in a sanctuary. This WILL cost much more than 250 annually (for feed alone), but makes more sense to me if protein is going to be mandated.Originally posted by brutus View PostComment
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On 900 acres it really won't matter if your feeders are in the middle or outskirts to a large degree if there are 9 feeders. If you only had 2-3 feeders then I would definitely try to put them towards the center. Like said above more than likely the deer your feeding cover a 2-3 mile area in a yrs time. Keep feeding what you can, it will add to the attraction of your property and the area.Comment
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