Supplemental Feeding Question

WTNUT

5 year old buck +
Life goes in cycles. Approximately 20 years ago, I had no plots and could only supplemental feed. I used a mix of roasted soybeans and corn. I fed October through February via several 1 ton gravity feeders.

When I started plots of all things one can plant, I stopped the supplemental feeding.

Last month a friend from South Carolina “almost” convinced me to add supplemental feeding to my management plan again. He feeds three times a year, February, April and May. By the time May feeding is finished his deer are on soybeans.

If you plot and supplement, I would love to hear what you think of our plan and what you suggest.

Merry Christmas to all.


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I feed record rack mixed with corn from feb thru sept at least
 
Can’t say which one but I had a neighbor supplemental feed last winter. It snowed in November then rained, then froze and repeated that cycle until March.

He got most of the sheds but, I’ll be honest, the deer came out fatter in the spring. At least it seemed that way.
 
I do a lot of both. Even with extensive food plots and habitat mgt. deer hammer the supplemental feed at certain times of the year. In La. I feed 18% protein pellets in free choice gravity feeders from February { or whenever gets cold } to the end of August. When green up hits early March thru early April consumption slows down but doesn't stop. By May consumption is high again with most deer hitting the feeders every day en route to lush food plots. I stop at the end of August because acorns are starting to hit the ground and consumption ceases. But during that time I have covered late pregnancy, birthing, and most of nursing as well as rut recovery and all of new antler growth.

I'm convinced pellets add ...A) nutrients either unavailable or limited that even the best habitat doesn't have...and B) I believe pellets add 10-15% to antler growth across all age classes. However over and over again I have seen where it takes 3-4 yrs. to start seeing the full benefit but then benefits continue accruing....maybe forever???


Best of the holidays to all. Been a wonderful Christmas with family and I'm off to the ranch till the end of January to play in the brush.
 
I do a lot of both. Even with extensive food plots and habitat mgt. deer hammer the supplemental feed at certain times of the year. In La. I feed 18% protein pellets in free choice gravity feeders from February { or whenever gets cold } to the end of August. When green up hits early March thru early April consumption slows down but doesn't stop. By May consumption is high again with most deer hitting the feeders every day en route to lush food plots. I stop at the end of August because acorns are starting to hit the ground and consumption ceases. But during that time I have covered late pregnancy, birthing, and most of nursing as well as rut recovery and all of new antler growth.

I'm convinced pellets add ...A) nutrients either unavailable or limited that even the best habitat doesn't have...and B) I believe pellets add 10-15% to antler growth across all age classes. However over and over again I have seen where it takes 3-4 yrs. to start seeing the full benefit but then benefits continue accruing....maybe forever???


Best of the holidays to all. Been a wonderful Christmas with family and I'm off to the ranch till the end of January to play in the brush.

Thanks Baker. I recall some of your photos you have it going on no doubt!


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Would be interested in knowing how much land is included in your management plan, what percentage of it is in food plots and similar questions for how the neighboring landowners are managing their property?

I don't hunt the property I own, but we leased a tract of land closer to home in a county that is known to have above average deer. We worked with the neighboring landowners/hunt clubs and most agreed to a management plan incorporating food plots where we could, supplemental feeding and trigger management. Of course some were not interested, did not allow hunting, etc..., but it allowed us to somewhat manage a larger area. We did start noticing heavier weights after the first year, and after the 3rd year, we really noticed an improvement in the heard and better age class deer. While we did see a small increase in antler growth, the real benefit was healthier/heavier and older age class deer due to trigger management.

Unfortunately pigs moved into the area during the 5th year and the landowners/lessors put the kibosh on the supplemental feeding due to the damage the pigs caused.
 
I do a lot of both. Even with extensive food plots and habitat mgt. deer hammer the supplemental feed at certain times of the year. In La. I feed 18% protein pellets in free choice gravity feeders from February { or whenever gets cold } to the end of August. When green up hits early March thru early April consumption slows down but doesn't stop. By May consumption is high again with most deer hitting the feeders every day en route to lush food plots. I stop at the end of August because acorns are starting to hit the ground and consumption ceases. But during that time I have covered late pregnancy, birthing, and most of nursing as well as rut recovery and all of new antler growth.

I'm convinced pellets add ...A) nutrients either unavailable or limited that even the best habitat doesn't have...and B) I believe pellets add 10-15% to antler growth across all age classes. However over and over again I have seen where it takes 3-4 yrs. to start seeing the full benefit but then benefits continue accruing....maybe forever???


Best of the holidays to all. Been a wonderful Christmas with family and I'm off to the ranch till the end of January to play in the brush.
I’m going to have to try the protein pellets I’ve always used corn but I’m sure the higher protein would do much more for developing fetuses and antler growth.
 
Would be interested in knowing how much land is included in your management plan, what percentage of it is in food plots and similar questions for how the neighboring landowners are managing their property?

I don't hunt the property I own, but we leased a tract of land closer to home in a county that is known to have above average deer. We worked with the neighboring landowners/hunt clubs and most agreed to a management plan incorporating food plots where we could, supplemental feeding and trigger management. Of course some were not interested, did not allow hunting, etc..., but it allowed us to somewhat manage a larger area. We did start noticing heavier weights after the first year, and after the 3rd year, we really noticed an improvement in the heard and better age class deer. While we did see a small increase in antler growth, the real benefit was healthier/heavier and older age class deer due to trigger management.

Unfortunately pigs moved into the area during the 5th year and the landowners/lessors put the kibosh on the supplemental feeding due to the damage the pigs caused.
Fence your feed locations will stop a lot of you hog problems
 
Would be interested in knowing how much land is included in your management plan, what percentage of it is in food plots and similar questions for how the neighboring landowners are managing their property?

I don't hunt the property I own, but we leased a tract of land closer to home in a county that is known to have above average deer. We worked with the neighboring landowners/hunt clubs and most agreed to a management plan incorporating food plots where we could, supplemental feeding and trigger management. Of course some were not interested, did not allow hunting, etc..., but it allowed us to somewhat manage a larger area. We did start noticing heavier weights after the first year, and after the 3rd year, we really noticed an improvement in the heard and better age class deer. While we did see a small increase in antler growth, the real benefit was healthier/heavier and older age class deer due to trigger management.

Unfortunately pigs moved into the area during the 5th year and the landowners/lessors put the kibosh on the supplemental feeding due to the damage the pigs caused.

To answer your question. I own and manage about 3,500 acres. I am going to supplemental feed on the core 1,500 acres. My neighbors are a mixed bag. One half do some plots, but everyone baits. It is legal in our state. I am personally against it, but I am against a lot of things these days ha ha.

My farm is about 75-80 percent hardwoods, 10 percent food plots and 10 percent fields that are cut every couple years.




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I do a lot of both. Even with extensive food plots and habitat mgt. deer hammer the supplemental feed at certain times of the year. In La. I feed 18% protein pellets in free choice gravity feeders from February { or whenever gets cold } to the end of August. When green up hits early March thru early April consumption slows down but doesn't stop. By May consumption is high again with most deer hitting the feeders every day en route to lush food plots. I stop at the end of August because acorns are starting to hit the ground and consumption ceases. But during that time I have covered late pregnancy, birthing, and most of nursing as well as rut recovery and all of new antler growth.

I'm convinced pellets add ...A) nutrients either unavailable or limited that even the best habitat doesn't have...and B) I believe pellets add 10-15% to antler growth across all age classes. However over and over again I have seen where it takes 3-4 yrs. to start seeing the full benefit but then benefits continue accruing....maybe forever???


Best of the holidays to all. Been a wonderful Christmas with family and I'm off to the ranch till the end of January to play in the brush.
About how many pounds of protein pellets are you going through in a year?
 
About how many pounds of protein pellets are you going through in a year?
I’m at ranch. When I get home I’ll research what I feed at farm

Would guess around 300 tons at ranch….an adult dose
 
Fence your feed locations will stop a lot of you hog problems
We did, and some of the hunt clubs did as well, but the landowners we leased from stepped in and made us remove all feeders. Most of the leases were through one family, so that wiped out over half of the property on the feeding program. Shortly after that the others stopped feeding as well.
To answer your question. I own and manage about 3,500 acres. I am going to supplemental feed on the core 1,500 acres. My neighbors are a mixed bag. One half do some plots, but everyone baits. It is legal in our state. I am personally against it, but I am against a lot of things these days ha ha.

My farm is about 75-80 percent hardwoods, 10 percent food plots and 10 percent fields that are cut every couple years.

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You definitely have enough property to implement a supplemental feeding program. We were feeding buck muscle and antler max due to convenience and being able to negotiate a better bulk rate through a local supplier close to the property. If I recall correctly, as a group covering +/- 4200 acres we fed roughly 14 tons per year.
 
You guys that are running gravity feeders what brand is you favorite feeder? keeps pellets dry, least overspill onto ground, least raccoon issues? We have a dealer for these in my local community and they do look like a good design but I have no experience with them. Worth a try?

 
I have some of the 300lb and 500lb all season feeders. There ok. I have few boss buck feeders and like them better but are harder to fill. Best feeders imo are steel outdoors.

I prefer 500 lb feeders over bigger capacity ones cause I want higher turnover in feed. Avoids molds or feed baking in hot summer.

Watch spouts on all models after rains as moisture can migrate up spouts clogging them plus cause mold.

Coons and non target specie waste is a difficult problem to get around and no feeder perfect.
 
I sent an email to Steel Outdoors see if they have any dealers somewhere within a couple hour drive of me.
 
I like the Outback feeders also
 
Anybody use a truck mounted cube feeder like you do with cattle? Drop the spout and drive a certain distance dropping pellets onto the ground. I've seen shows where guys use a spreader to put corn out, this would be similar.
 
Anybody use a truck mounted cube feeder like you do with cattle? Drop the spout and drive a certain distance dropping pellets onto the ground. I've seen shows where guys use a spreader to put corn out, this would be similar.
I’ve never done it that way but sure it would work just fine as long as you didn’t dump more than can be utilized before it goes bad. I’m personally looking at a gravity feeders that keep it dry and away from at least raccoons. I have a dozen or so raccoons that practically sleep on the feed pile until it’s gone behind the house. I’ve fooled with trapping and snaring them some but if I can avoid the issue altogether and let them live, I’d be happier. I don’t begrudge the little beasties life just a free meal at my expense. I’ve even had neighborhood dogs eating out of my deer bait piles. Someone tell me just how hungry a dog has to be to eat corn, could see their ribs on the game camera photos. I was an unhappy landowner that year. We don’t really have hogs at least on us but I know a little community a little northwest of us that does have some. State Hog Hunter is supposed to be killing them but it’s a two edge sword kill to many piggies lose his gravy train, kill to few lose his gravy train.
 
I’ve never done it that way but sure it would work just fine as long as you didn’t dump more than can be utilized before it goes bad. I’m personally looking at a gravity feeders that keep it dry and away from at least raccoons. I have a dozen or so raccoons that practically sleep on the feed pile until it’s gone behind the house. I’ve fooled with trapping and snaring them some but if I can avoid the issue altogether and let them live, I’d be happier. I don’t begrudge the little beasties life just a free meal at my expense. I’ve even had neighborhood dogs eating out of my deer bait piles. Someone tell me just how hungry a dog has to be to eat corn, could see their ribs on the game camera photos. I was an unhappy landowner that year. We don’t really have hogs at least on us but I know a little community a little northwest of us that does have some. State Hog Hunter is supposed to be killing them but it’s a two edge sword kill to many piggies lose his gravy train, kill to few lose his gravy train.
No such thing as killing too many hogs in my neighborhood
 
Anybody use a truck mounted cube feeder like you do with cattle? Drop the spout and drive a certain distance dropping pellets onto the ground. I've seen shows where guys use a spreader to put corn out, this would be similar.
Workable idea for corn especially in drier environments but I don't like it for pellets unless they all get consumed overnight. Spoilage, non target predation and simply not getting enough feed out to make a difference are the first things that come to mind. I want a feeder that keeps the pellets dry and allows easy feeding for as much as wanted.
 
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