Deer not using protein feeder

[No-Tox]

I put out a protein feeder up before last season and filled it with Double Down. I didn't have a single picture of anything hitting it (including racoons). I dumped it out last weekend and put in West Feed 20% protein to see if that would be more attractive.
Has anyone ever put out protein feeder and not ever have anything touch it? The height of the feeder is okay and it sits right next to the corn feeder.

[Antlers86]

Took a year at my place. Once they hit it though they don’t stop until late season.

[Bish]

Have not touched mine, been out since July.

God Bless
Bish

[Johnny Dangerr]

You should start with 2 bags of corn to 1 bag of protein and slowly wean them on to straight protein......

[mrpetera]

Same thing happened to me last year. I dumped it out this year and put in a corn and soybean mix, and they've been using it heavily.

[MillsJake]

We put up a protein feeder and started feeding antler max and in two days it was covered up in deer and they love it

[Mexico]

Took over a place down south that had never been fed. Took them 3 months before they'd eat it... almost wish I had the same problem now.

[Low Fence]

Originally Posted by Johnny Dangerr

You should start with 2 bags of corn to 1 bag of protein and slowly wean them on to straight protein......

What I had to do. Now they will eat whatever I put in it

[russ_wit91084]

Same problem late summer... too much natural protein in our area.

[Drycreek3189]

They don’t eat it well here at home either. May be the kind of protein, but I don’t much care on this 80 acres, it’s just up to comply with the tax exemption. I have fatassed coons though.

[hchntr]

Not possible with double down
I’m kidding of course


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[Farmdog]

Yep, enjoy the feed bill

[deerwatcher51]

Mine continue to hammer the protein. Put out another two tons this week.

[nativeaustin]

I dumped a pile of protein by one of my feeders. The deer ate all the corn except what what landed on the protein pile.

[No-Tox]

Originally Posted by Farmdog

Yep, enjoy the feed bill

There is the silver lining if they end up not taking to it.

[bfree]

Mix some corn in it and spread some corn around it. We all moved to a protein trough and they eat it like crazy.

[7m STW]

I’ve seen some places they would never touch it regardless of what you did and then you others like my place and they literally eat anything you put out. Some deer are just finicky and picky.

[HYDRO_69]

We did the same thing years ago. Mixed corn in with the protein. The coons and porcipines dug all the corn out. Thank goodness the deer started eating the protein, but it took a year and a lot of frustration. Afterwards like other folks have mentioned the feed bill went up a lot when they took to it.

[cj_sandman]

I mixed 2:1 protein to apple corn and they’ve been tearing it up

[TSUBryanG]

Had the same issue at our place. As mentioned by the others, I dumped the straight protein and did the next batch mixed 50/50 with corn. Still took them 5-6 months but once they figured it out they have been hammering it hard. Best of luck


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[antonlsu]

Originally Posted by Johnny Dangerr

You should start with 2 bags of corn to 1 bag of protein and slowly wean them on to straight protein......

This...

Once they take to it, prepare to spend some money... We went from a 300lb feeder filling up bi-weekly, to them emptying a 1000lb feeder in a week.

Will say this, consumption sky rocketed when we switched to Double Down.

[dirtymikesboys]

My first protein feeder was filled with double...they didnt touch it at all so after about a month I emptied it and put MG protein apple flavor 20% and they tore it up that next day. Might have been the attractant but i havnt tried anything else since.

[Bear82]

Does the property have deer? I did hunt a MLD lease in Evant that had only 10 deer on 1000 acres. I put feeders with corn and protein out in January. In November I started cleaning all the protein out. 100 pounds was eaten out of 4,000 pounds put out. The cows enjoyed that extra feed. Every other place I hunt I was able to start the deer right away eating.

[lovemylegacy]

Originally Posted by No-Tox

I put out a protein feeder up before last season and filled it with Double Down. I didn't have a single picture of anything hitting it (including racoons). I dumped it out last weekend and put in West Feed 20% protein to see if that would be more attractive.
Has anyone ever put out protein feeder and not ever have anything touch it? The height of the feeder is okay and it sits right next to the corn feeder.

If you have a place that has a lot of browse, it might take awhile. The way I got them to eat protein was I mixed corn and protein together with the biggest percentage being corn. Decreased corn each feeder fill up.

[TreeDaddy]

I had 3 protein feeders full for well over a year with zero action documented by trail cams

Once they start ,its hard to keep feeders full!

Always interested in experience of others as posted above

bill

PS: Don, my raccoons are fatasseder than yours......

bill

[jason86]

Mines been out for two weeks and not much has touched them I did 50/50 corn first few bags and then more protein after that. Just dumped a few bags of corn around the feeder this weekend, hoping they start using it soon.

[bmiller]

I mixed corn with protein as others have mentioned to get the deer used to
the feed. Original mix was corn and antlermax. Once I got them used to eating protein, I tried switching to various cheaper protein. They wouldn’t touch two other brands. Went back to antlermax and deer were eating again the next day. Maybe I have weird deer, but the other proteins sat for months with no activity except for coons. Week that I went back to antlermax they were back. I’m not saying that antlermax is the key, but it might be worth switching to a few different brands Until you find something they like. Then stick with it. Good luck and have fun.

[JWHunt]

You don’t have to put corn in it or anything else.

Put it in black rubber bowl on the ground not a tub but a black rubber bowl. Only like 4” sides

If you have been trying for a while you might put some corn on the ground so they will come to the area. You have to think like a deer!
They, would rather eat off the ground not stick their nose in a tube for something they have never eaten. As y’all all know deer are Leary of anything different. But when it is open on the ground in a bowl they will try it and then they will go looking for it because they have eaten it before with no pressure.

(I make deer feed for a living)

[JWHunt]

Originally Posted by bmiller

I mixed corn with protein as others have mentioned to get the deer used to
the feed. Original mix was corn and antlermax. Once I got them used to eating protein, I tried switching to various cheaper protein. They wouldn’t touch two other brands. Went back to antlermax and deer were eating again the next day. Maybe I have weird deer, but the other proteins sat for months with no activity except for coons. Week that I went back to antlermax they were back. I’m not saying that antlermax is the key, but it might be worth switching to a few different brands Until you find something they like. Then stick with it. Good luck and have fun.

It’s because they are use to the protein you were feeding. Put it on the ground when changing.And they will eat it.

[HYDRO_69]

At the current prices of 15.75 per 50lbs in our area. I'm fixing to find something cheaper or put our deer on a diet.

[sbushee]

We’ve been running three 2000 lb protein feeders for 5 years on our place. Have to fill them several times between now and sept.

[eliteweldingco]

Mine didn’t take to double down as others claim, switched back to antlermax

[No-Tox]

Originally Posted by JWHunt

You don’t have to put corn in it or anything else.



Put it in black rubber bowl on the ground not a tub but a black rubber bowl. Only like 4” sides



If you have been trying for a while you might put some corn on the ground so they will come to the area. You have to think like a deer!

They, would rather eat off the ground not stick their nose in a tube for something they have never eaten. As y’all all know deer are Leary of anything different. But when it is open on the ground in a bowl they will try it and then they will go looking for it because they have eaten it before with no pressure.



(I make deer feed for a living)

May just try that. Not sure if the deer will get to it before the raccoons eat it all of it is on the ground level.

[txbowman12]

Did 50/50 corn / antlermax starting in late december / january and they have been pounding it ever since.

I think the protein on the ground is a good idea, also think starting protein early while food is scarce helps them pick up on it faster. We still had corn feeders running and the deer used to getting food around the feeder pens, so a little change was easy for them.

[Bureau2]

Corn/protein plus 0 degrees a few weeks ago. They found it quick! Time to fill it back up. Thanks for the tips everyone!

[lovemylegacy]

Just recently put out a protein feeder back in January. Just pulled my camera....4000 pics, 20 something of one doe checking out the feeder, not eating. The rest of the pics? Coons