Deer aren't interested in protein

[Dusty Britches]

I bought some deer protein from Producers Co-op and mixed it with my corn 50-50. The deer come in for the corn but don't seem to eat any of the protein.

I get lots of does and a spike, and about once every week or two a mature buck.

Any reason why?

[texasdeerhunter]

If it is a new feed pen, a mature buck won't feel comfortable eating out of it. It's new and they probably don't like it. We have mature bucks eat at our protein feeders, but our feeders have been out there for years, and they have been there since the mature bucks were born, so they feel more comfortable. Keep the feed out, give it some time. It make take a few years for bucks to start regularly using it.

[Dusty Britches]

Oh, ok. The mature bucks are coming in after dark when they do come. I avoid the area as much as possible, checking it only at noon when the weather, moon, etc. is right. I am thinking about building a covered free feed for the protein. It would be a small wood structure that is just big enough for a 50-100 pound bag of protein. I guess the raccoons would love that, uh?

[tmstuk]

I put in a water guzzler near one of my protein feeders and have pics of bucks going back and forth between the water and protein. This doesn't help getting them comfortable eating the protein but may help getting them to eat more once they do get comfortable (if there is no water source nearby).

[Bullseye07]

I was just thinking of trying this myself. Did you just mix it in your normal corn feeder? How did you get it completely mixed?

[Bazo]

When did you put it out? It took my deer about a month to really decide to come in and eat. But right now they are hardly touching it. In the spring and summer they were eating about 200-250 pounds every 6 days or so. Right now my feeder is only down maybe 30-40 pounds in the last month to month and a half. They are coming in for the corn more often it seems like. But I have acorns all over the place too.

[Bazo]

You might also try putting some EverCalm on the feeder legs if it's fairly new. I do that when I put out new feeders to try and help calm things down.

[gingib]

they are hammering my plots now and don't want protein either

That will turn around soon

[texashunter56]

If you are feeding from the spin feeder it will take them time to start eating it if they have plenty of other things to eat. I would take and place mixed piles of the corn/protein at the corn feeder.

[Dusty Britches]

I was just thinking of trying this myself. Did you just mix it in your normal corn feeder? How did you get it completely mixed?

We mixed it one bucket at a time then put it in the feeder, then mixed it more with a shovel.

The feeder has been there for many years but last summer I got sick and tired of seeing hogs gobble everything up so I put up a pen that is 17 panels around. I only had 2 hog panels and the rest were the 52" cattle panels. The 2 hog panels are in 2 spots, one that is closest to where the enter and exit the area and the other had to be set to allow a clear gun shot from the gun blind. Much to my surprise, that's the one they use 85-90% of the time.

They were coming in good on the corn but once again things seem to have changed. I think my neighbor planted a food plot of oats and they are coming up good now so I think the deer are hitting it hard right now. I'm going to start planting food plots, too this spring.

[westexhunter75]

I would take some bolt cutters and cut the 52" pens down to the same height as the hog panels. That will make it seem like less of a trap.

We have mature bucks coming in the day to eat protein. But that wasn't until we made big pens where they felt more at ease. They will get more used to it in time. Seems like getting them started always takes some time. We had a harder time getting our does on it.

[lovemylegacy]

DB, it took about a year for our deer to start eating protein with any regularity. Give them time

[Dusty Britches]

When I get some extra cash, I plan to replace those cattle panels with hog panels.

The pen is absolutely huge and for the first time in 10 years I have multiple photos of deer bedding down and they are inside the pen. I have a 30 minute photo series of a large 3.5 year old buck bedded while other bucks graze around him. I'm sure they feel comfortable but not enough to routinely hang out.

I think in the spring I'd like to plant a food plot inside the pen, but I have no idea what to plant. I guess I'll go start another thread.

[Bazo]

When I get some extra cash, I plan to replace those cattle panels with hog panels.

The pen is absolutely huge and for the first time in 10 years I have multiple photos of deer bedding down and they are inside the pen. I have a 30 minute photo series of a large 3.5 year old buck bedded while other bucks graze around him. I'm sure they feel comfortable but not enough to routinely hang out.

I think in the spring I'd like to plant a food plot inside the pen, but I have no idea what to plant. I guess I'll go start another thread.

This is like my set up too. I have thought about trying an actual food plot. What I have been doing and seems to work fine is the throw and grow stuff. It always grows well and the deer tear it up.