What feed do you use in your deer feeders?

[TEXASLAWMAN]

I'm wondering what everyone uses? I've used straight corn until last year. I started mixing in the blue bag waterproof protein pellets last year. Just not enough time to know if its making a difference yet?

 

[Colby]

We aren't using any protein till we get our herd back in check, if that's deer your talking about, we have 20 feeders going by deer season and we are given close to 50 doe tags a year. When you put the pencil to the paper there's really no point in us putting extra feed in when we have to kill that many out

 

[FrankT]

Corn, have not found the waterproof protein feed, but will try it when i do.

 

[ppapago]

Straight corn in feeders. Protein gets their own special feeder. It is usually not a good idea to mix protein into a corn feeder (water swell) as it can clog things up.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Here is what I've been mixing in its water and swell resistant made for spinning game feeders.

http://www.farmersco-opelevator.coop/images/E0153801/PurinaAntlerMaxWaterShieldDeerChow20.pdf

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

We aren't using any protein till we get our herd back in check, if that's deer your talking about, we have 20 feeders going by deer season and we are given close to 50 doe tags a year. When you put the pencil to the paper there's really no point in us putting extra feed in when we have to kill that many out

Dang Colby I'm coming to your place for chicken fried deer steaks!

 

[Ratdog68]

Dang Colby I'm coming to your place for chicken fried deer steaks!

Holy Cow !!! Me too !!! That's a fine haul.

 

[Afalex1]

I've always used straight corn. It is just the easiest thing to put in a spinning feeder.

Don't wear yourself out shooting that many does Colby. I have a Thompson center contender pistol in .35 Remington and .375 JDJ I want to try to take a deer with this year. Normally I am bow only for deer, but the pistol was my dad's and I want to try for a deer with it.

 

[pruhdlr]

Down here where the humidity is continuously >85%, 'bout all I use is dry corn. I have tried corn gluten and it tends to gum up the slinger because it absorbs the humidity. I do throw a little bit in my roll bbls though.

This past deer season I tried a small can slinger with soy beans. The deer didn't seem to favor them as well as dry corn and they are a little more expensive. At the CO-OP this past season, a bushel(56lbs) of dry corn was $8.50.

I have a friend that has a friend that works at a local peanut processing plant. The trucks pull in over a grating to dump their load of peanuts and what spills over the grates he sweeps up and keeps. They make their way to me and I sling them out by had for the deer/hogs. This past season I fed 14 bags at approx. 60-70lbs each.

I also get sweet potato culls from a farm just across the line in Ala. He sells a 1000lb box for $40. The deer and hogs absolutely love 'em.The ear corn is $60 per pick-up load.--- pruhdlr

 

[Harris hawker]

Well,
There were some concerns raised with this thread.
Just started mixing protein and corn into one feeder.
Been working great, the animals love it.
But this week we have been hit with rain hard.
So I am hoping the protein didnt quagulate.
Actually it has been a mix of bird seed for the quail, corn and protein mixed together.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Well,
There were some concerns raised with this thread.
Just started mixing protein and corn into one feeder.
Been working great, the animals love it.
But this week we have been hit with rain hard.
So I am hoping the protein didnt quagulate.
Actually it has been a mix of bird seed for the quail, corn and protein mixed together.

Harris I never had problems with the blue bag protein that's made for spinner feeders.

 

[Guess]

I use rattling antlers. I hate watching a feeder. If I was going to feed it would be corn and protien.

 

[FrankT]

During deer season I have never seen a quality say 150+" deer at a feeder during shooting hours. I think off the plot in the woods on active scrape lines and trail crossings put some, anything, deer attractant feed whatever and call them in is the way to go.

 

[pruhdlr]

Right now I have 3 feeders slinging. All dry corn. It is "down to" $6.50 per bushel(56lbs) at our local CO-OP. Word here is it will go down even more. It was $7.58 for 40lbs at the local WalMart yesterday.

I have also been promised peanuts as last year(post #9)from a local processor. The deer absolutely love the fat and protein content of these. Ear corn is available now at about $70. per p/u load and the sweet potato culls will be available within the next couple of weeks. Several of the people that have hunted with me have "donated" corn also so I will try to use that first. This is WalMart corn so I prefer NOT to put this in a slinger.

I will put up at least one more feeder for hogs before deer season. Now,they are satisfied with coming out on the plot to slam the roll bbl and to wallow in the water hole made with a small children's wader pool set into the ground. It will be hot here for another month but with all the rain we have had the hogs can find a wallow most everywhere.

Good Luck to all this deer season. --- pruhdlr

 

[DennisB]

I'm down to plain old corn. Much as I personally think that no pig should be able to resist that corn fermented with beer and red soda, if they are miles away, I'm sucking air. Also had too many times where a barrel/spinner clogged up with "rabbit feed." I'm also convinced that drawing in hogs is like fishing--no matter how sweet smelling, it don't matter if there's no hogs within a mile to smell it. All that said, I'm gonna keep at 'em!

 

[ZenArchery]

McDonalds chicken nuggets. It's 85% corn based material. Bwhahaha

 

[DennisB]

Spot on, Zen!! I do save (freeze, let thaw on the ride out) a lot of table scraps/freezer cleanout and put out in the feeder pen -- maybe not a draw when I'm on stand, but if nothing else I will thin out the coon population. Funny thing, I once drew in a pig to some leftover BBQ beans from an office party. Does that qualify as "green" hunting??

 

[Ratdog68]

McDonalds chicken nuggets. It's 85% corn based material. Bwhahaha

The other 15% is probably just recycled corn anyhow... loosely resembling chicken by-products.

 

[Ratdog68]

Funny thing, I once drew in a pig to some leftover BBQ beans from an office party. Does that qualify as "green" hunting??

ONLY if the pig voted "left".

 

[Chadillac]

Always used just plain deer corn from Academy or Walmart. Never tried using protein.