Whitetail Feeding

[WVTXn]

Any recommendations for local whitetail herd management feeding? We've been doing cracked corn for about a year and a half. Haven't seen much difference in quality of deer thus far. M/F ratios do seem better but I doubt that's due to feeding. The extra bucks are small spikes. Rough year so far. Can count the front ribs on most deer. We've tried mineral blocks but the deer won't lick mineral blocks, they like white salt blocks only. Haven't tried the smaller flavored blocks and dont like the idea of wasting money on a small block. We just tried a bag of Record Rack Sportsman 20. The deer like it just fine. Neighbors have apple trees. Other neighbors feed as well, although im not certain what they feed. I suspect corn. Any other recommendations for long term feeding?

Thanks

 

[EastTNHunter]

If you’re having to supplemental feed deer in the summer then you either need to work on habitat improvement or you need to reduce numbers. Seeing their ribs this time of year is not at all uncommon, but that is due to a thin coat and not starvation. Supplemental feeding will congregate them more than needed and increase risk of disease

 

[Nm252525]

Most people putting out corn etc are just trying to get deer in front of cameras. Putting out feed in hopes of growing deer you are wasting money that’d be better spent on habitat improvement projects.

 

[JV842]

Most people putting out corn etc are just trying to get deer in front of cameras. Putting out feed in hopes of growing deer you are wasting money that’d be better spent on habitat improvement projects.

Don’t know about that….we feed cotton seed on one ranch n just corn on another; only a mile away from each other, same kind of flora, same water supplies, same farmed fields they also feed on, low fence….the cotton seed fed are in much better shape and better antler growth.

 

[npaden]

Corn is like candy to deer. They are just going to burn it off. You would have to feed a LOT of corn to make a difference nutritionally. Feedlots do use a lot of corn to finish steers but plenty of other stuff as well.

If you want to actually help the deer nutritionally some type of protein feed is more helpful than corn. With that said to make a difference you are going to have to feed a LOT of that too. It gets pretty expensive. And depending on the pattern, you might be just feeding the deer that end up on someone else's property during hunting season.

When I used to feed protein it was the late July early August period that the deer ate it the most followed by the late December through probably mid March time frame when they also ate it a bunch. I was spending $$ feeding it as well as lots of time making the 200 mile round trip and not sure I really noticed anything other than my pocketbook getting lighter.

 

[JV842]

I burn through about 100lbs of cotton a week, from mid February through August; high in protein and minerals, improves lactation in the does but it does drop testosterone levels so I cut it off in mid August.
Not cheap but fun watching the difference.
As said above, corn is candy and an basically an attractant

 

[D_Walt]

You’re not going to make any difference with corn. It takes several years for a supplemental feed program to start showing results, and if you’re not feeding enough of it to be available to all your deer all the time you’re pretty much wasting your money.

 

[FairWeather]

I’ve wondered about salted peanuts. I don’t imagine it’s economical to do large scale like you’re talking, but they’d have plenty of salt & protein so I’d think might do pretty good to attract deer into the area.

 

[F250]

Illegal to feed deer in some states even if it is not a baiting situation. Check your regs.

 

[WVTXn]

Great insight. Thanks fellas.

 

[wytex]

Minerals and protein to actually help the herd.
Good luck, even though baiting is illegal in some states supplementing their diet without hunting over it may be legal.
Trace mineral blocks from feed stores are cheap but help, cotton seed is a great protein source if you can get it.
Food plots are more expensive to get started but may be a long term solution instead of buying food every year.