Corn year round here
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Corn all year?
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Feed pen is large (70' diameter) so it contains a 550 pound corn feeder that throws once a day all year long and twice during season. In same pen is a 1,100 pound free choice protein feeder that contains 100% protein in Spring and Summer and then 50-50 corn protein other times. Sometimes the protein feeder runs dry for a few weeks before we can get back out to fill so I feel the corn thrower keeps the deer coming day after day. We always have many more deer that come for the protein.
On our other place we keep a spin feeder throwing corn year round with no feed pen and never any protein. It didn't take long for it to become the "hog feeder"....
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put hog panels all around and yes you will see big improvements. Deer have a "home range" which is relatively small area that they like to stay. They obviously travel, but they come back to that range a lot. By feeding year round and hopefully having water and shelter you are setting your place up to be a solid home base for deer.
Protein is not necessary for this to work, but once you have this kind of system protein will really help long term. Especially keeping the youngins alive and the mommas from having to try too hard to survive.
Last but not least you'll get young bucks that grow up on your place and make it their home range survive more years because they'll always circle back to your place and get a pass where as other nearby properties have a lesser chance to see them consistently.
To me for smaller acreage it's absolutely necessary to try and grow mature bucks. Just because you get the neighbors that just turn the feeders on during the season and shoot whatever. While they'll still get some of those bucks you'll just have a better survival rate by offering them a home that is "safe"
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