Crooked Crow
Member
What's your thoughts on keeping corn and pellets available all year where legal?
Supplemental Feeding
- Thread starter Crooked Crow
- Start date
dogdoc
Well-Known Member
I use to run a small amount of corn in the off season but when the hogs showed up in stopped the corn. My deer can't keep up with my plots so I don't spend extra money on protein pellets. However, I believe supplemental feeding can really help a deer herd pull through a tough winter and also give a boost on fawning and antler production.
I started supplemental feeding on one of the properties I manage. It's a cool property but difficult to manage. It's 121 acres in size of which half is hardwood. When the acorns are dropping there is enough food to feed a million deer, but at other times of the year food is scarce.
I used to feed corn, but this year I switched to a 20% protein pellet. I've only had it out for about a month, but I intend to keep it out during the stress periods from here on out. I'm not sure if it will make a difference, but I figure it's healthier than corn.
I used to feed corn, but this year I switched to a 20% protein pellet. I've only had it out for about a month, but I intend to keep it out during the stress periods from here on out. I'm not sure if it will make a difference, but I figure it's healthier than corn.
Crimson n' Camo
Active Member
I think it CAN make a difference if you can do it on a large enough scale…..have the $$$ to do it…..and plan on doing it long term. The effects of feeding deer like that aren’t truly shown until the second and third generations.
W33kender
Active Member
I got to chat with a guy whose SC club does it large scale for years now. He said the hardest thing for some potential club members is passing up a 120+ class buck that isnt 5.5 years old, their harvest goal. If they are routinely growing deer that big still that young, i bet its all the protein in their feeders.
outdoorstom
Active Member
Like mentioned, it's illegal here. Lots of brassicas will help them through the winter.
Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
I think your time and money are better spent making each acre of your property into better native habitat. Augmenting nature has long-term benefits that supplemental feeding can only provide if you keep pouring $$$ into the process.
First question to answer is what are your goals for supplemental feeding ? { All this is about supplementation with 18% protein pellets }
Second question to answer is what does the rest of your habitat and mgt. program look like? Start supplemental feeding after all other aspects of your program are solidly in place.
Third question to answer is are you managing enough property to take advantage of any results from supplemental feeding. Or said differently, will it bother you if the buck you fed all summer gets shot on another property? Or all the bucks you fed get shot on another property?
Fourth question to ask is are the bucks you are hunting allowed to reach the mature age classes? Supplemental feeding benefits are best realized in mature deer. No reason to feed youngsters then shoot them.
Fifth question to ask is are you willing to wait at least 3 years before you see any benefit. Having been down this road numerous times I can assure you there will be almost no visible benefit to protein supplementation till at least 3 years. Then the benefits begin accruing and continue to improve for years.
Sixth question to ask is are you willing to feed on a scale that impacts the entire herd you are managing. Feeder density [ feeder per acre ] correlates directly to success. Ancillary question to this is are you willing to feed at least from Feb.-August if not all year. Benefits marginalize quickly if less than that.
Seventh question to answer is are you in a position to keep feeders filled, maintain the spouts when they get contaminated from rain, and manage routine maintenance associated with feeding?
All that said a solid feeding program can add 10-15% quality to you herd and over time even those benefits continue to improve. There are other benefits as well if you want to take the conversation further.
Regarding corn. I keep a couple feeders around my house going year round just to watch the deer cause I like seeing them. Personal choice but don't expect any nutritional advantages.
Second question to answer is what does the rest of your habitat and mgt. program look like? Start supplemental feeding after all other aspects of your program are solidly in place.
Third question to answer is are you managing enough property to take advantage of any results from supplemental feeding. Or said differently, will it bother you if the buck you fed all summer gets shot on another property? Or all the bucks you fed get shot on another property?
Fourth question to ask is are the bucks you are hunting allowed to reach the mature age classes? Supplemental feeding benefits are best realized in mature deer. No reason to feed youngsters then shoot them.
Fifth question to ask is are you willing to wait at least 3 years before you see any benefit. Having been down this road numerous times I can assure you there will be almost no visible benefit to protein supplementation till at least 3 years. Then the benefits begin accruing and continue to improve for years.
Sixth question to ask is are you willing to feed on a scale that impacts the entire herd you are managing. Feeder density [ feeder per acre ] correlates directly to success. Ancillary question to this is are you willing to feed at least from Feb.-August if not all year. Benefits marginalize quickly if less than that.
Seventh question to answer is are you in a position to keep feeders filled, maintain the spouts when they get contaminated from rain, and manage routine maintenance associated with feeding?
All that said a solid feeding program can add 10-15% quality to you herd and over time even those benefits continue to improve. There are other benefits as well if you want to take the conversation further.
Regarding corn. I keep a couple feeders around my house going year round just to watch the deer cause I like seeing them. Personal choice but don't expect any nutritional advantages.
kyhunter87
New Member
I only feed to help get trail cam pics and get my fiancé on deer early in the year. There's no way I can afford to supply enough corn or protein pellets to substantially alter the health of my herd. I agree with what others have said that your money is better spent creating edge habitat, clear cutting and hinge cutting. You'll provide more protein creating natural browse than you could ever provide with corn and pellets.
Crooked Crow
Member
.Crooked Crow's initial... goal was to help the over browsing problem occurring on the property and to supplement feed during the winter months. The decision was made to feed throughout the entire year. I am entering into my third season with the feeding program. There are noticeable visual differences in the fawn sizes this spring. However, It's done little to help with the over browsing problem, and may have actually made it worse.
Supplemental feeding is the least efficient option for dealing with overpopulation. I go back to my second question and note that it is best to have a herd mgt. under control before implementing pellets. The most efficient method for dealing with overpopulation is to buy more bullets. Second would be to make significant improvements in the habitat including expansion of food plots. Either reduce the herd or increase carrying capacity.
As you have noticed supplemental feeding will improve fawn recruitment which seems to be counter to the outcome you need now.
As you have noticed supplemental feeding will improve fawn recruitment which seems to be counter to the outcome you need now.
DocHolladay
Well-Known Member
We use supplemental feeding at our lease. We are leading timber company property and out of almost 500 acres, we have just about 2 acres that we are allowed to plant. The rest is hardwoods and pines. We have a feeder for every 100 acres and can only keep them full from the time deer season ends until 14 days before we decide to hunt. We usually stop putting food in them around the first of Sept. If we aren't going to hunt a particular area, we will start using the feeders again, but it is rare that we won't hunt an area. I wish we could feed year round, but we aren't allowed to bait during the season. We hav been doing this coming up on the 3 year mark and have noticed a difference in how healthy the deer look compared to when we first leased the property.
Crooked Crow
Member
State regulations mandate... tag allocations. There's not much that can be done to increase harvest rates. My 70 acres is surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of acres of corn and beans. Security and thermal cover is the habitat most lacking throughout the region. I've manipulated the native habitat to what I believe is its maximum capacity to create the best cover possible. I also have two plots on the property that become the major food sources late in the year. When the row crops are harvested in the fall my property is saturated with deer. It's open to anyone that wants to hunt it, but the deer population exceeds it's capacity. I'm open to suggestions but killing more deer probably isn't an option.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
my opinion is that the feeding and plots and the like is causing the deer to stay or even draw more deer to you once those ag crops are harvested. This means that those deer will stay until the lack of food forces them to move....and some still may not move. If the habitat needs a break then you have to intentionally alter the forces at play on it. Plots and supplemental feed only make up a part of a deers diet, so the rest has to come from somewhere.... You say you can't kill more deer and you can't do more improvements, so the only thing left is to cause the deer to move away on their own.....that means you have to remove one of the primary habitat needs and in this case it sounds like removing the food may be the easiest. If you can get more hunters that will help, and decreasing the sense of safety during the fall and winter would help as well, but those may be far more difficult to do. I would suggest protecting as much browse as you can as well, and if at all possible doing whatever you can to increase the level of browse....either thru planting or the use of a chainsaw.
The lowest hole in the habitat bucket determines the habitats carrying capacity.....you need to intentionally put a lower/bigger or more hole in the bucket it sounds like!
The lowest hole in the habitat bucket determines the habitats carrying capacity.....you need to intentionally put a lower/bigger or more hole in the bucket it sounds like!
Ohanaman
Member
I feed rice bran in small quantities close to food plots and hunting blinds. Not so much for supplement but rather for camera opportunities. The bran has around 12% protein so its better than just throwing out attractant. I too have enough crop fields to offer a good amount of food for the deer well into Jan.
