Deer Feeders and growing antler inches

[Brian662]

The Live from the Stand thread got me thinking about this topic and it's just a curiosity because feeding isn't legal in the states where I hunt. It seems very popular in other states including the mecca - Iowa.

Do you guys feed for nutritional reasons on your herd, or do you feed to grow bigger racks? Both? Herd inventory? Other reasons?

I'll be honest in that I'm glad I can't supplemental feed due to the time and expense. I don't have the pressure I'm sure some do, of feeding, because the neighbor is doing it (similar to bait) so I better do it.

Have you noticed significant health advantages to your herd from feeding?

 

[T-Max]

I don't think I have the ability to effect (affect?) overall herd health by feeding. Its an open system, and it would be terribly expensive. I feed for two reasons. The first reason is the feeder I keep in the back yard. Its fun to watch deer from the house and my boy gets excited every morning to go check out the window. I run that one from October 1st to March 31st usually. Mostly corn with whatever protein pellets I can find on sale mixed in. The only other feeder I ran was last year. I was attempting to keep the deer from going onto the neighbor's before dark. We have a fence sitting outfitter next door and I hoped I could provide enough draw to keep the deer on my place until they were safe. I felt dirty hunting the field it was in though. I purposely put it out of bow range so I wouldn't be tempted. I saw a lot of cool action from the blind too, but it just felt wrong. It did seem effective though and I think they rarely hunted there last season due to the limited activity on their place. It was expensive though, and I probably won't do it again.

 

[SwampCat]

I feed a lot. I run three spin feeders with corn year round. My bucks rarely visit them. I run them to keep my doe groups imprinted on my place, to help keep my does off my neighbors, and to hog hunt. I feed protein from June into Dec. i cant positively say it increases antler size - but we never used to have a 150” deer and now we have a few - and we never killed a 200 lb deer, and now we do. I believe the protein helps with overall herd health - does, fawns, and bucks. I also use it defensively to help keep my bucks off my neighbors’ land - as the corn does nothing for that unless you dont use a spin feeder.

Our state is the only one I know that still allows baiting during season in cwd zones. Our g&f believes the baiting helps hunters kill deer, thus reducing the deer density - no doubt, they are correct. I have numerous 15 acre neighbors who likely would not see a deer on their property without bait. I am not confident most of them would quit baiting if it were outlawed. if baiting was outlawed , it is likely our deer population would increase to the point you would hit a deer with your vehicle every few months. Our state does not allow supplemental feeding outside season in cwd zones. I am not yet in a cwd zone.

 

[Turkish]

Deer Lab had some really good episodes about this early on. What I learned was that one shouldn’t expect a measurable impact unless they’re feeding an exorbitant amount both in terms of mass of feed and in number of feeders per unit area. The impact per unit cost is much greater with habitat improvement. The impact per unit time probably favors feeding. There’s zero doubt it helps attract animals. Easy to see why it’s so popular.

 

[omicron1792]

I disagree with some of the scientists. When you see the same deer over and over and you know they are eating your feed I think you definitely help those deer grow larger racks.

Does it change genetics? Probably not. But it prob helps to have healthier and bigger does and fawns which then helps the next generation.

 

[BenA]

I disagree with some of the scientists. When you see the same deer over and over and you know they are eating your feed I think you definitely help those deer grow larger racks.

Does it change genetics? Probably not. But it prob helps to have healthier and bigger does and fawns which then helps the next generation.

But what percentage of their diet is compromised of your feed?

 

[omicron1792]

I feel like you’re getting into the weeds. I’m not sure that question answers anything.

Again I will say most biologist are against feeding, so most of their studies put a slant toward not feeding.

From my personal experience, my experience, interpreting studies, including all of the studies related to this topic, from having close interaction with my buddy who breeds trophy deer, I just think the answer is much more complex than saying don’t feed deer it doesn’t help.

It’s similar to saying that someone with cardiovascular disease shouldn’t take a statin because they can’t control their diet 100% the time. I don’t think anyone would agree with that. Just because I can’t control 100% of what my dear does or eat does not mean I cannot supplement them and get incremental gains in their genetic expression.

 

[BenA]

I feel like you’re getting into the weeds. I’m not sure that question answers anything.

Again I will say most biologist are against feeding, so most of their studies put a slant toward not feeding.

From my personal experience, my experience, interpreting studies, including all of the studies related to this topic, from having close interaction with my buddy who breeds trophy deer, I just think the answer is much more complex than saying don’t feed deer it doesn’t help.

It’s similar to saying that someone with cardiovascular disease shouldn’t take a statin because they can’t control their diet 100% the time. I don’t think anyone would agree with that. Just because I can’t control 100% of what my dear does or eat does not mean I cannot supplement them and get incremental gains in their genetic expression.

All I'm saying is feeding like giving a person a plate of raw broccoli every night going to allow them to express their genetic potential if the other 80% or more of their diet is junk?

 

[H20fwler]

I keep trace mineral blocks out and feed shelled corn year-round, I don't think it necessarily gives them great nutrition, but it puts fat on them, keeps them in the area and helps them some through winter.
I think all the habitat stuff I do planting hard and soft mast/browse/food plots/good cover/watering holes helps them way more nutritionally.

 

[SwampCat]

I have eight bucks feeding at one location. I put out 50 lbs of 18% protein, and they eat all 50 lbs within 12 hours.

But what percentage of their diet is compromised of your feed?

I dont know. They are basically eating maybe six lbs a day. How much high quality food does a buck eat a day. How many lbs of digestible food outside of what I feed them would they normally eat? In four months - they might eat close to a 1000 lbs of my high protein feed with 12% fat - each. Does that add an inch of antler - I dont know. It does add weight - I know that. It does keep them on my property a lot of the time - I know that. 3/4’s of those bucks will stay around my property after bachelor breakup - I know that. Right now, I have four 130-150” bucks spending hours on my property. If anyone would have hunted them during the three day early season, they were all there for the taking in daylight - I know that. I am accomplishing my goals.

 

[H20fwler]

I have eight bucks feeding at one location. I put out 50 lbs of 18% protein, and they eat all 50 lbs within 12 hours.

I get does/fawns/bucks and all kinds of other wildlife..they will eat 400-500 pounds of shelled corn every two weeks in winter.

 

[Turkish]

I have eight bucks feeding at one location. I put out 50 lbs of 18% protein, and they eat all 50 lbs within 12 hours.

Is your point that this is a daily occurrence? As in, they don’t eat anything else?

 

[Baker]

I feed the highest quality 20% protein pellet I know of to grow the healthiest deer possible. A nice side benefit is that one expression of peak health is increased antler growth. I've been feeding protein pellets for 30+ years and have come to the conclusion that an effective feeding program can add 10-15% to antler growth. What an effective program is requires a bit of definition.

 

[SwampCat]

I have eight bucks feeding at one location. I put out 50 lbs of 18% protein, and they eat all 50 lbs within 12 hours.

Is your point that this is a daily occurrence? As in, they don’t eat anything else?

Haha - no, not at all. I already said above what I know. I questioned how much digestible natural food does a deer eat in a day. Have no Idea

 

[Baker]

Just for chuckles.....

 

[SwampCat]

Just for chuckles.....

View attachment 68864

yeah - I see the same thing with the deer that live in pine plantations and eat green briars

 

[SwampCat]

Most of the data I read says a deer needs to eat 6-8% of body weight each day. Nine or ten lbs for a 150 lb deer. Is that green briar and ash browse - or is that acorns and clover? How much of what an average deer eats in a day is digestible? How much digestible matter is in 5 lbs of supplied 18% protein, 12% fat, food. Does a deer “need” to eat 6-8% of its weight if the food source is highly digestible - like supplied protein feed? I dont know - but even the deer that are feeding on my supplied protein may spend a few minutes feeding on my clover.

Before we fed protein, the largest deer we weighed was 182 lbs. since we have been feeding protein, our mature deer weigh between 180 and 225. I cant say positively that it adds antler inches - but anecdotal experience would say it does.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I feed defensively. Won’t hunt anywhere near it. It’s 10000% to try to compete with my neighbors. As soon as they decide to hunt the corn piles start popping up like pimples. I despise it. Waste of time and money but I feel like I need to in an effort to save some deer. I’ve created this pavlovian mechanism on one of the most majestic animals on earth. But I’d rather see them eat scientifically created food out of my giant metal tube than laying dead in my neighbors truck.

 

[Catscratch]

Just for chuckles.....

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Oh my goodness!

And I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't know when to use "affect" or "effect".

 

[Baker]

yeah - I see the same thing with the deer that live in pine plantations and eat green briars

You perfectly make a point I'm trying to make on another thread on this site. In the Deep South it is all but impossible to grow large antlered bucks on native browse of green briar , dew berry and such.