Timed vs free choice?

[hammer63]

How long have you been doing this? Do you see mature(older) bucks during the daylight hours?

Been doing this since 2012. We've had excellent results seeing mature deer in the daylight. Actually, mature deer don't even bother much with coming in the dark because they know there won't be feed. But they are there when the feeder dumps.

[HC Sniper]

Free choice vs timed is all about your budget. Free choice is best if you can afford it. If not, then go timed. Something is better than nothing. It is supplemental feeding. It is an extra food choice for them to choose if they are not getting what they want or not enough of their first choice. Like I said at the first, it is all about money and what you can afford. Personally, I can afford to feed 1000 lbs a week.

[SabreKiller]

What brand are most of you guys feeding. I am wanting to just add protein to my corn feeders.

I'm adding Record Rack to my spin feeder every time I fill up. I've got a TJ Outdoors 600 lb stand and fill and my ratio is 50:50 corn and Record Rack.

I'm considering buying a gravity feed tube from Academy like the Game Winner brand or a Boss Buck and adding it to an old 55 gallon feeder I have. I'll fill it with protein and feed free choice.

The only problem I have is I'm the only one on the lease who will do it.

[Sackett]

We've obviously been using the Hammer longer than anyone. Since 2012 to be exact. We hunt a 20K LF ranch and our designated pasture for the last 7 years is +/- 300 acres. We feed 2000# per month (double the ranch requirement) and probably have the best B&C average on the ranch for those years, consistently taking old deer with our bows. We draw 'em in and grow 'em big, year in and year out.

2017 buck

[ATTACH]888747[/ATTACH]

Hey! WTH do you know about Timed Protein Feeding?

I need to speak with you when you get a chance, shoot me your #. 832-six 5 one-9686

[88 Bound]

I'm adding Record Rack to my spin feeder every time I fill up. I've got a TJ Outdoors 600 lb stand and fill and my ratio is 50:50 corn and Record Rack.

I'm considering buying a gravity feed tube from Academy like the Game Winner brand or a Boss Buck and adding it to an old 55 gallon feeder I have. I'll fill it with protein and feed free choice.

The only problem I have is I'm the only one on the lease who will do it.

I hunt not far North of you and in our particular area of the ranch, we are the only ones feeding it as well for most of the year, deer season included. We have considerably more quality bucks that stay in our area because of it. It is more expensive but it will pay off.

[Texas8point]

Some benefits to timed feeders IMO are:

You can train the deer to eat when you want them to. Preferably daylight hours.
Setting them to feed in the mornings will help reduce loss to raccoons.
You can control how much you feed and can budget accordingly.


Not everyone can afford to let deer eat as much as they want anytime they want. Some supplementary feed is better than none at all.

This is my thoughts (and budget) exactly

[goldtip5575]

OP I think you are on the right track. Again for those with DEEP pockets that can feed free choice year round, they will always say Free Choice is the way to go, and I'm personally happy for those guys that have an unlimited budget. For others like myself that like to hunt and try to help the deer health and herd growth as much as my budget will allow, I follow the plan you originally outlined. Feed Free Choice during the stress period and early horn growth, then taper over to a more regulated schedule as the season approaches that makes the protein available closer to and up into the hunting hours. I personally use the "Hammer" Feeding system and prefer it over the Spinner models because it gives you the flexibility you mention in your original post. You can Set it for Free Choice (leaving it open indefintely), or set it to open and close for the schedule that best fits your hunting and feeding strategy. Most of all Hammer63 is a great guy to deal with. Best of luck in your move to the "Hammer" systems.

[bloodtrailer28]

Free choice year round here. Don't see any downside to feeding it year round as much as they want besides the money.

[Ron]

I've tried to get our guys to feed protein, but they say that the coons will eat it all. I may be able to convince them if we went with the timed feeder. I'm going to do it regardless of what everyone else does.

[Smart]

The purpose of protein is to supplement their diet so they can receive the most nutrition possible, why restrict that? There are several threads on this subject if you look around, but I am not a believer in timed protein feeders. Only benefit is if you are on a budget and want to make your feed last longer, but on the flip side how much are they actually benefiting from this?

Protein can serve as an attractant as well.

Protein would turn into just that, an attractant, for me during the season. Feeding free choice protein while you are hunting would seem like setting yourself up for failure or avoidance.

[canny]

Protein can serve as an attractant as well.

Protein would turn into just that, an attractant, for me during the season. Feeding free choice protein while you are hunting would seem like setting yourself up for failure or avoidance.

That’s why I don’t hunt near protein feeders. They are safe zones. I see a lot of guys put them in their feed pens along with the corn feeders that they hunt over. I put them near bedding areas or travel routes but never within a couple hundred yards of a deer stand


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[686]

Timed vs free choice?

I’ve tried both ways and I’m a timed protein guy. The bucks will stand around waiting for the valve to open, and I can keep my feed budget under control. It is definitely an attractant, and I hunt over it and a corn spinner in the same setup. (That way if one is empty, maybe the other won’t be if I haven’t been out to check in a few weeks)

I have two of these setups on ~200 ac and we average about 50-60# per day of protein consumption, open 20 minutes morning and evening.





I built some 3000# units to replace my #1300 unit, using the hammer system, now we can take bulk delivery strait to the feeders:

[686]

One other thing, I was seeing a lot of coons on my trail cams running free choice, now I don’t see any. And I have a lot less nighttime trail cam photos to look through because the deer don’t come to the feeder at night. I’m never going back to free choice.