Anyone feed protein?

I think I'm going to give this a try. I have two separate areas of my land that I hunt. Putting out two protein feeders isn't going to happen and putting 1 in the middle isn't an option either. So i'm going to just pick a spot and go with it. I'm in an area where deer feeders are allowed, do I set this protein feeder up next to the corn feeder?
By August would I stop with the protein and switch back over to corn? What does that transition look like?
 
I run feeders in the winter, I feed corn and soybeans if I can get them cheap enough. My property is in east central MN, so the snow buries whatever plot crops are even left by sometime in December.

I feed at what I consider to be "supplement" levels just to give the deer an extra boost. I'm trying to preserve health and life in my herd, not maximize size/weight. I don't want deer totally dependent on my feeders all the time, but if the winters get really harsh as they did 3 and 4 years ago, I will go into full-on feeding mode and give the deer as much as it takes to make sure I don't have a die-off or does that are so stressed that they abort. Considering my overall investment in my property, an extra 100 bushels of corn is worth it if it prevents a big potential die off.

I would agree with the previous poster(s) who said go big enough. My feeders are 3 bushel which sounded big at the time, but it's not big enough. Also you have to consider how you're going to store your feed supply. I bought 55 gallon steel drums so I can have the elevator bulk load up to 8 drums at a time in the back of a pickup truck and then I unload them with the tractor loader. This is a pretty good setup as I can store a lot of feed outside, but still dry and rodent-proof. Handling stacks of feed sacks would be a big PITA.

Grouse
 
I bought metal trash cans and i store all my bags of feed inside with straps and blocks on top to keep the coons out of my barn lol
 
Grouse where in east central MN? I grew up in NE Iowa and lived in Rochester, MN for a few years.

I would have to subscribe to the metal trash can idea. That's a great idea. lol


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Mitch said:
Grouse where in east central MN? I grew up in NE Iowa and lived in Rochester, MN for a few years.
Click to expand...

My property is east of Hinckley, MN, so about 90 miles north of the Twin Cities. Up there, our deer can suffer from any combination of both very cold temps AND snow depth that covers food sources.

Basically, I'm using protein feeding to prevent stress and unfortunately even starvation if it comes to that in the worst winters. I want my feeders in place and my deer using them so that if the winter turns harsh, I can ramp up feeding and keep the stress levels down and hopefully keep deer alive and does from aborting.

Rochester is a terrific part of the state, I grew up down by Wabasha and, of course, that SE quarter of the state has some big bucks for sure. I've heard hunting pressure is getting high in the Rochester area as that area's population has exploded and will continue to grow rapidly. 30,000 new jobs there in the next 10 years plus related-industry jobs. Wow.

I found a great source of removable-top 55 gallon steel drums with lever-lock seals. These are terrific "grain bins" because they seal tight and are very heavy duty and quick to access.

Grouse
 
Wanted to bump this to add a recent observation. I added a feeder to a location that I've used for years for a trail camera population survey. I put the post in the ground late December, then added the full gravity feeder in January.

Well...the deer did NOT like the feeder at all. They would not get anywhere close to it. Gradually they would creep up on it then appear to flee when they lost their nerve. I scattered corn on the ground and poured some liquid molasses but still no luck.

In late February finally ONE deer ate from the feeder. Now 2 weeks later multiple deer are eating from it. Before long I imagine every deer will eat from it. Moral of the story: be patient.
 
I saw the same thing and now they just walk up to it.I am going to start putting out mineral from grandpa rays also and i bet that with my light soils the mineral may help more than protein.These deer eat at the feeders but not all and not everyday.I have hundreds of acres of crops within 1/2 mile and 5 aces of food plots.I am guessing that my mature bucks visit it 3-4 times a week.
 
I want to say it was Grant Woods, but Im probably wrong, talked about deer and feeders in one of his recent videos. He starts off by pouring it on the ground and getting them used to the feed and smell of it. Then he puts the feeder in/up and leaves the food on the ground, then one day he quits putting it on the ground and starts using the feeder. they are used to the smell of the feed and will tend to use it quicker than if just installing a feeder with food in it. When we first put our feeders out, it took several weeks for the deer to start eating out of them but now, we can have picture within 30 minutes of filling them up. I posted these pictures in my last thread in the "Food Plots for Wildlife", but I am going to share them again here.
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When i first put my feeders up i covered the spouts in peanut butter, deer would come up and lick the feeders then i cut back slowly on it and they started ot eat the feed.
 
I think the spouts are too low. I'll try and raise it up and see if that fixes the problem.
 
I have been feeding 350-400 tons protein a yr for over 20 yrs. in two countries See my posts on attached thread above. Pm if more specific info needed. Feeders must be predator proof or waste is substantial. It is a long term program not a quick fix. It should be last thing investigated after all other herd and habitat elements are in place. to do any real good the scale and intensity must be adequate . Anything less may make you feel good but accomplishes little. An effective protein supplementation program isn't cheap and is the least efficient method for increasing nutrition.

All that said { with much more that could be said } an effective program over the long term if deer are allowed to fully mature can be quite powerful.
 
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