Protein Feed for WT's ?

[Reality Czech]

I have been baiting my game cams with shelled corn for years

One gallon pail in the evening, 7 days a week
The WT's will hit it minutes after I give the pail a noisy shake(dinner bell) and I leave

I would like to start feeding them something that's better for them than junk food corn

I will be going to the feed store this week and the question is what should I ask for that is commonly available?

Last few days only young bucks have been showing up
I guess all the pregnant does are hanging close to their birthing areas
That is what they did in previous years

Notice the time stamp in the pics

[KWeber]

cottonseed...it'll have some lint on it, but they dont care...go easy at first, acct it runs about 41% protien

[KWeber]

a corn/pea mix is good, too

[BretE]

In 3…2…1….

[DEXTER]

I started to say it but didn't want to be that guy lol

[Texashookset 2]

Lol

[FREON]

Double Down

[DEXTER]

Leave it to Freon to be THAT guy

[WhiteBassFisher]

DD only!! They'll explode ... they'll pop.... they'll stack on inches!!! They will grow so fast it is impossible to keep up with. It's what we (those making a fortune on it) feed 'em.

Now that is out of my system. I didn't realize how high of protein that cotton seed has. Aren't there several major brands of protein feed that should work? Should corn be mixed in the protein at first until the deer learn about the protein? Purina is probably very respected, but the name may cost a premium. Lyssy & Eckel is well known. Sportman's Choice is another.

It seems that employees of good feed suppliers would help you if you trust them. There are so many managed deer ranches feeding protein that these ranch owners or hunters have had time to compare pros and cons. What brand of protein is used most in that area? As example, I saw a picture of a hunter (I knew the hunter) and his buck at the Sombrerito Ranchwith MANY pallets of Sportsman's choice in the background.


Probably the cost would enter into for most people. There has to be a point of diminishing returns. In all honesty though, I don't know squat about it; I just had to write that first paragraph.

[KWeber]

RC hand feeds... so a pelletized feed would result in waste.. (pellets not eaten, left to get wet, spoil...)
a bucket of cottonseed ( only enough to be consumed right away) or a bucket of corn/pea or bean mix I think would serve him better...
and any pea/bean will do... cowpeas, blackeyes, soybeans ( mo money there) what ever is cheapest

[Shooter]

I have real good results with Wendlands. They will eat 50lbs a day. I've fed both and DD. I'll stay with the Wendlands for over all health. I know the DD guys but I.. personally like the Wendlands mix more than the DD. One of my subcontractors is a distributer DD but I can buy Wendlands cheaper. Wendlands is in Temple TX. They will custom mix for you.

[WhiteBassFisher]

I don't know how many acres you are working on, but I have noticed that you seem to have what I call better than average bucks.

[Shooter]

We hunt 500. Not all mine but have rights. Most of our hunting is done on 200 acres. I can hunt hundreds of acres of the land that I manage but 200 is more than enough for what we need. We eat no beef. All deer and hog. Grow our own vegetables. It's a good life stile.

[Reality Czech]

cottonseed...it'll have some lint on it, but they dont care...go easy at first, acct it runs about 41% protien

As a cotton grower I should have remembered that, Doh!

My farmer owns the 100 acres on my south border, his son hunts there some
I ask him about it

No hurry, it's been a wet Spring, plenty of forage for them now
Fawns should be showing up any day now.

[Buckweet]

Been using antler max 20% , get at united ag. Does are all over it now. They appear to be dropping offspring now. Lots of fawns.

[Mrsh978]

Cottonseed

[dwilliams35]

I've never been around it enough to have heard much of an issue, but anybody ever see anything about the gossypol poisoning/sterilization issues with cottonseed? I've always heard you just need to get them off it a month or two before the rut to avoid it..

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4033412/

[Reality Czech]

Good info DW
I will do more study before I add cotton seed to their diet

Even if I do it will be in limited amounts, at 41% protein it will be diluted with corn

The WT's here always munch on the cotton I grow here, haven't seen any adverse effects so far

[Chuck Richey]

Have read it will only cause issues on pen raised/kept animals. With wild deer they have enough natural forage to keep this from being an issue.

[Reality Czech]

That would be great news

[KWeber]

cottonseed is also toxic to hogs...
which is why pigs are fed soybean (40% protien)

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/toxicology/gossypol-poisoning/gossypol-poisoning-in-animals#Etiology_v3354315

[Texashookset 2]

This…to include controlled areas like neighborhoods that are over run with hand fed pets everywhere.

[FREON]

Don't forget your Double Down Custom Minerals to go along with your Double Down Feed-( I would recommend their Pen and pasture over their original feed)

[BretE]

Don't forget your Double Down Custom Minerals to go along with your Double Down Feed-( I would recommend their Pen and pasture over their original feed)

But do you know what boat he just bought?….and if so, what’d he do with the latest Viking?…..