Who feeds protein?

Anyone feed protein year around? If so what do you feed and where do you get it? Results from it? Trying to decide if it’s worth the $$$

No real reason to feed protein during winter. They need carbs more at that time.

I tried it on a small scale and it did help the deer or at least the one that found it. As far as Money goes, you're pissing money away is all you're doing. If that's what you want to piss your money away on, then go ahead. I piss alot of money away on these overgreon goats but that's what I like to do.

We have been feeding for about 18 months. We have 8 cattle troughs we use. It took about 6 months to get them to eating it. We are feeding ton and 1/2 per month. We are using half protein and half roasted soybeans and corn mix.

We have seen a tremendous growth in antlers and body weight!
Is it worth it? Yes as long as you have friends with deep pockets that want to see exceptional antlers and a big increase in body weight.
We buy from Mosley feed at Thomaston.

My club has 22 trough feeders out. We fill them during the spring and all summer long up til Oct. We have them sitting on the edge of green fields. This keeps the deer coming to the same location all year long. Feeders in spring and summer, green fields in winter. We use 20% protien feed. The brand is Sportsman Choice. We keep a record of all deer killed which includes weight. After the first full year of using this feed we compared average weight of harvested deer to weight the year before and average weight per deer went up 20 lbs in one year. The second and third year we really begin to see the survival rate of fawns increase. Protein not only helps weight of deer and racks on bucks, it also really helps with milk from does. It is expense, but after eight years we know it is worth it.

i have been feeding on my 80 for 4 years now , this year we started on the rest of the 1000 acres we have. we have put out 8 boss buck feeders and are going to feed em year round. the last 4 years on my 80 the deer have increased body size and antlers .thats why the rest of the guys want the whole lease doin it...

What are y’all feeding them??

We have been using Sportsman Choice Deer and Elk 20 % protien feed. I get mine from Tractor Supply and a local Feed and Seed store. It is in a 50 lb. bag. Sports Authority also sells one with 18% protien. It is in a 40 lb. bag

Well i was useing 50lb bags of blackeyed peas until this past year went they became unavailable , now we feed em the bags of roasted corn and soy beans 50lb bags and cheaper by the pallet.

For those of you feeding protein in the spring/summer. How much do the deer eat protein v/s corn? I know this is relative to the amount of deer but I am trying to figure out if I want to spend the money on protein. Best I can tell I have around 25 deer living/visiting the property(200 acres) and I'm feeding 1200lbs of corn per month for 5 months out of the yea. 2 spin feeders and one gravity which they eat 600lbs a month from it alone. I only have 2 small(1 acre) plots and don't have plans to add any. This is family land I have been hunting for 38 years and overall happy with the deer numbers but in the last 5 or so years the antler size/mass has gone down hill. The genetics are not there to be raising booners but we have killed at least one Mature 120-130 class deer a year for several years 145 being the largest but lacking mass in relation to the spread/time length. anyway I am rambling Just wondering about the amount of protein the things will eat.

Corn does not contain the protein needed to optimize antler growth. We don't feed corn during the hunting season. The first day after hunting season ends, we fill our feeders with 75% corn and 25% protein pellets. The next time we fill we flip that to 25% corn and 75% protein. The next time we go 100% protein. Deer eat it just fine. We have a lot of quality native browse and we try to plant soybeans, so we stop filling the feeders around May once the green up has taken off. We start feeding again in September and then fill the feeders for the last time on November 1st.

A bonus for us, is that the hogs don't much bother the protein feed. Corn is a different story.

We have been doing the exact same as Stoney and see the same results. We have been doing this for about 5 years now. We have 2 feeders out in the woods and 3 in the food plots. The food plots are Biologic Non-Typical Clover and the deer graze on them all year. We have more deer, bigger deer, and some deer that are really fat. We see fawns that are big and healthy. Some deer get really protective of the feeders and they will actually guard them and run off other deer. We also have some fat coons and lots of rabbits. We do not shoot does (with guns) on the food plots.

We use redneck blind type gravity feeders for the protein (50% protein and 50% corn) during the spring to mid September and then move to just corn using broadcast feeders during hunting season.

That sounds good 1984dog - I may try corn / protein r roasted soy bean this summer - I like the no rifle shooting of does in fields

Sounds like y’all got it going on

1984dog, how many acres you doing that on?

125 acres. However, we do fave maybe 250 acres around us that are not hunted. We have maybe 4.5 acres of clover food plots and the deer wear them out. It is not unusual to see 4-9 deer in the food plot just before dark. Most of our land and adjacent land are pine trees..we have planted 200+ sawtooth oaks,, chinkapen (sp) and chestnuts around the edges of the food plots. Most of the oak trees are 5 years old and have yet to drop acorns. Our goal for a to make the food plots a buffet for the deer all year..

Corn does not put weight and size on a deer. Yes, corn is much cheaper, but what do you want to do -- corn will attract - protien feed will put on weight, put on mass, and help produce better milk. Feed protien feed in spring and summer to do the above and then feed corn in the hunting season to attract.