getting started on protein

[scott13279]

I'm sure this has been discussed.
Scenario. Bow hunting a 10k acre ranch in North Texas. Very BIG neighbors with limited hunting pressure. We currently run Lamco timed trough style feeders at all of our stand locations year round with corn and soy bean mix. All feeders are surrounded by hog panels to keep the pigs and cattle out. Consistently harvest deer in the 150-160 with the occasional 170+.

Questions for those of you that use tube style protein feeders. Do you fence them to keep cattle and pigs out? What feeder brand do you prefer? What protein? Very limited choices in North Texas. No one carries bulk protein. Best to place them in hunting area or in a secluded area with no hunting pressure? We have noticed that the BIG guys will not jump into our feeding areas to the Lamco. Can we really make an impact on our deer herd and how long till you started seeing results?

[scott.str]

We put them in between feeder locations to.make it almost a safe zone for them closer to water if possible. Any large style feeder would work so you don't have to fill it all the time. And you need to keep cows and pigs out. Cows will try to eat it if they can.

We have seen it make a difference on low fence areas with does and bucks but does take a few years and still need to follow your harvest plan as well.

[hammer63]

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[Top Of Texas]

I havent used tubes, first hand, but know plenty of guys that do and successfully.

When I was in S TX in the 90's, we had a bunch of Lamcos, loved them, but they did require watching to adjust throw duration. Had plenty of big old deer use them but takes a few years, and had large pens (hog panels) for space comfort.

We set them up in secluded areas well off main roads, but after hunting a buck nearby with no luck then getting daylight photos of him at the feeder just 400 yds away, we started hunting the feeders, in a very controlled and limited manner, and success greatly improved without any decrease in feeder use. To me, the big advantage of the Lamco is controlling feed output and throw time (during hunting light).

But again, I know plenty of guys with success using tubes.

We fed Purina and Moormans. These days I'd suggest whatever is handy and economical.

Potential for results is totally dependent on potential for best bucks to reach 6-7 yrs. If you're confident in that then yes. Noticeable results will be several years out from start date due to learning curve. Plus fawn crops during the drought, 2011-2012, were pitiful, so we'll be short on 5-6 yr olds this year. But fawn crops were good 2014-2016, which means lots of older aged bucks 2020-2025. If you get those cohorts comfy with feeder use now and keep them fed AND alive by laying off the best middle aged guys, then there is potential for some real whoppers in your future as those bucks reach 6-7 yrs.

[hammer63]

I havent used tubes, first hand, but know plenty of guys that do and successfully.

When I was in S TX in the 90's, we had a bunch of Lamcos, loved them, but they did require watching to adjust throw duration. Had plenty of big old deer use them but takes a few years, and had large pens (hog panels) for space comfort.

We set them up in secluded areas well off main roads, but after hunting a buck nearby with no luck then getting daylight photos of him at the feeder just 400 yds away, we started hunting the feeders, in a very controlled and limited manner, and success greatly improved without any decrease in feeder use. To me, the big advantage of the Lamco is controlling feed output and throw time (during hunting light).

But again, I know plenty of guys with success using tubes.

We fed Purina and Moormans. These days I'd suggest whatever is handy and economical.

Potential for results is totally dependent on potential for best bucks to reach 6-7 yrs. If you're confident in that then yes. Noticeable results will be several years out from start date due to learning curve. Plus fawn crops during the drought, 2011-2012, were pitiful, so we'll be short on 5-6 yr olds this year. But fawn crops were good 2014-2016, which means lots of older aged bucks 2020-2025. If you get those cohorts comfy with feeder use now and keep them fed AND alive by laying off the best middle aged guys, then there is potential for some real whoppers in your future as those bucks reach 6-7 yrs.

^^^^this^^^^

[BIG BONE]

getting started on protein

do you have a bulk bin?

What feed are you using?

L&E 20% has been good to us and there price to deliver is better than most (call Byron at L&E)

I want my deer to eat as much protein as possible so we dont use timers. all of our stations are surrounded by pens. i like (17-20) 16'x34" high pens so its gives them alot of space. everynight i have bucks or does sleeping in my pens. we use the outback 1000lbers but wish we would have got the 2 or 3 thousand pounders he makes. they cost alot but will last forever. We had pens up for years with no pig or cow issues and then i took down the pens and the hogs took over and the deer numbers went down drastically. didnt take me long to put the pens back up.

[160class]

We have feeders at blinds and also have feeders in the brush with no blinds on them, but we still hunt them on the Polaris or out of the top drive, like someone stated make your pens big so it helps the deer to be more comfortable.

As far as feeders, all our newer feeders are the AWS 2,000 pound free choice feeders. For us they have worked the best and I would recommend them to anyone and that's all we will buy from now on. Also, I would suggest spending the extra money on the feeders that have a ladder built on them, makes life so much easier and keeps from having to haul a ladder around or climbing up onto our feed wagon

[scott13279]

Currently only using corn/soybean mix in the Lamco timed trough feeders. All of our feed pens have a minimum of 12 hog panels. I just know I have sat in my stand and watched several bucks approach the feed pens but never jump in, also no pictures of them.

[texashunter56]

Do you have corn feeders in the pens with the Lamco's? Are you feeding the Lamco's year round? If so are you feeding in the daylight year round?
IME, to get mature bucks on feed you either need a dry year or raise them from fawn/yearling on eating out of the same pen. I would buy protein that you can find to start mixing in the Lamco's now to expose deer to it little by little. I would run a corn feeder after the season at night in the pens also. I would also start to feed the Lamco after the season or post rut after dark and before daylight to get the older bucks in the pens. Older bucks will feed more readily after dark due to hunting pressure(stress) and heat. The bigger the pen the better with two feeders in it and trying to get mature/numbers of bucks in the pens at the same time. When hunting season gets closer run the feeders at normal hunt feeding times.
You can hunt the pens with protein feeders but I would not try to shoot a deer inside the pen. I would road feed or hand corn areas away from the pen to kill all the deer on corn there. Also try to have one person drop most of the hunters off at stand and let them road feed the area. Have that person pick all the hunters up to run the deer off with a vehicle, that same vehicle that road fed the blind. It will help seeing more deer and ease the hunting pressure/stress.
Call L/E and ask them to price you a delivery of 5 tons or more bagged to get a price. See where they have a dealer close with bag and bulk to your lease.

[TXBRASS]

I agree with the consensus above. There are just some mature bucks (a lot in my opinion) that if they've never jumped in a feed pen or eaten from a protein feeder, aren't going to ever start.

A young buck that learns and becomes addicted will never stop, so it may take a few years of feeding to see a lot of mature bucks eating regularly.

Kinda the "can't teach an old dog new tricks" theory.....

[jabel]

If you guys are consistently taking 150-160" deer, I do not see any reason to add protein stations to your lease. The soy bean and corn mix sounds like it is doing just fine. I would add more soy beans to the mix like a 2:1 ratio.