I have a 1000 lb free choice feeder I just filled up with protein. I put up 8 hog panels (16' long x 3' high) secured with tposts around the feeder. The past 3 nights I've watched different deer walk right up to the outside of the pen, look like they want to jump in, but never do. Any advice?

I'm thinking of making the pen even bigger (it's currently 32' x 32') and also raising them up 12" so they can duck underneath.

First of all a feed pen can never be too big. Second it's going to take them some getting used to before they decide to jump in and investigate

Do you have cattle you're trying to keep out of the protein?

plowboy1065 said:

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Do you have cattle you're trying to keep out of the protein?

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Yes sir

As I posted earlier, if you can make it bigger it certainly helps. We used to have smaller feed pens and the cattle would jump/tear up a pen trying to get to the feed. Once we made them a lot larger it solved most of the problem but still run a string of barbed wire above the hog panels. Give it a week or so, the deer will find the protein and will frequent it to supplement their diets

One string of barbed wire along the top will keep the cattle away? Our cattle haven't found it yet, but I'm assuming they will soon and might try to knock down or jump the panels

I started with a string of barbed wire but when I rebuilt my pen and made it about 3 times the original size I used a solar panel fence charger I had. Barbed wire works well on all the other feed pens we have. Our biologist suggest to take a piece of wire, zip tie, etc and make a dip in the wire on each of the sides of the pen. You'll soon notice that this is where you will see all the deer tracks coming and going

plowboy1065 said:

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Our biologist suggest to take a piece of wire, zip tie, etc and make a dip in the wire on each of the sides of the pen. You'll soon notice that this is where you will see all the deer tracks coming and going

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I'm not following what you mean here?

If you don't need to keep hogs out, raising only a panel per side will solve your problem. Deer (even bucks) prefer to go under a fence rather than jump it. And for future pens, you can economize with 3-4 strands of taught barbed wire to turn cattle.

Pick a point about halfway between your posts. Push down on your top strand of barbed wire and tie it to the top of your cattle panel at the halfway point. It should create a shallow "V" between the 2 posts. In theory it should create an easier "path" for deer to cross.

I gotchya thanks

A lot good stuff posted above me.

All our pens are 48x48 or bigger that have protein feeders (most with corn feeder as well). 32x32 is fine but it will take a while to adjust to it and some deer really won't feel comfortable.

You also have to understand that the deer are still adjusting to the feeder being there. When I have changed our feeders in the past, I have watched deer walk to the edge of the pen and stare at the new feeder and circle the pen for 15 minutes before jumping in. They just knew something was new and different.

Is it next to a working corn feeder? If not throw a bag of corn in the pen to get them going.

SteveBott said:

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Is it next to a working corn feeder? If not throw a bag of corn in the pen to get them going.

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I did this, no luck yet.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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A lot good stuff posted above me.

All our pens are 48x48 or bigger that have protein feeders (most with corn feeder as well). 32x32 is fine but it will take a while to adjust to it and some deer really won't feel comfortable.

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I'm going to try 48x48 and see if that makes a difference. Is yours circular or square?
Also, what's the purpose of having a corn feeder with your protein feeder? Wouldn't they come either with or without corn?

Most of ours are square but a few are circular.

The topography of our lease doesn't really allow for multiple feed pens that are 48x48, mainly due to rock and diving roosts through them. So instead of separating our protein feeders from our corn feeders, our pens are dual purpose.

Some, including several biologists, will strongly argue against doing this but we really don't have a choice. The theory is that you want your protein feeder with zero pressure and in thick cover for ALL deer to utilize it. We just don't have that luxury.

My best advise OP, and I'm a pure amateur, is wait a month.

Give the situation some time. If they ain't jumping a month from now, got issues.

We have the same setup as you OP (x 3) on our place in Hood County (near Glen Rose). We set them up 3 years ago in relatively dense cover, 32'x32'x3', no hunting pressure and no corn feeders. Based on game cam pics, nothing jumped in the pens for approx 3 weeks, then it was on after that and they have been heavily used since. Give it time if the feeder is brand new, but regardless, don't pressure it and they'll almost certainly get comfortable with it at some point. We did also use bolt cutters to cut a few small top sections off the cattle panels to make them 30" high for the smaller deer to be able to jump in easier. Haven't had any issues with the cows disturbing them either.

SteveBott said:

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My best advise OP, and I'm a pure amateur, is wait a month.

Give the situation some time. If they ain't jumping a month from now, got issues.

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No **** They are wild ass animals. You just put up a 3' tall pen with a feeder the size of Kyle Field in their natural habitat. Deer aren't going to be pouring in there within 24-48 hours with Dairy Queen blizzard straws to suck down your protein. Patience......

op_06 said:

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Pick a point about halfway between your posts. Push down on your top strand of barbed wire and tie it to the top of your cattle panel at the halfway point. It should create a shallow "V" between the 2 posts. In theory it should create an easier "path" for deer to cross.

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Yes, this is exactly what I was taking about

Patience. Build it and they will come. Your larger than any of our pens and we can't keep them out.....now. Took about 3 to 4 weeks, then BOOM, it was on.

Oh, and if you have hogs, don't raise it an inch or they will get in. They smell it and will go to it and eventually knock it over.

I haven't ever seen deer not jump in feed pens!! They will eventually!

OP, has protein been feed with regularity in the area? If not the deer will have to get used to the new set up and comfortable enough to jump in. 32' X 32' is not a bad size, but like another poster said you can never have it too big. Something else to think about is maybe where you've set up the feeder, I know everyone has their own opinions, but I always aim to put my protein pens in the brush and away from hunting areas. You want your deer to be in that pen as much as possible, so it's best to whatever will make them most comfortable and watch them grow.

Also, some brands of protein deer have seemed to get eaten much faster than others, double down and purina antler max they absolutely pound. I also mix in a bag or two of roasted soybeans the deer love them.

jrbaggie said:

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Oh, and if you have hogs, don't raise it an inch or they will get in. They smell it and will go to it and eventually knock it over.

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I HAD a 300 lb pig that would get in my pen and bump out a huge pile by hitting the legs he emptied in days a few times. A dirt nap soon followed..

The feeders have been there for years but they are not always full of protein (just depends on my wallet/when I'm at the ranch to fill them). Our ranch recently got cows, which is why I'm new to putting up these pens.

I'd give them a month, and then start worrying about set up then. Something to also think about is maybe adding a mineral lick or cotton seed to the pen. I set my pens up as a one stop shop. Prolly a little over kill on my part but oh well. Good luck!

Too late now, but mix some corn with protein. Or put corn on the ground around your protein feeder. There are times when the deer have plenty to eat and they will not eat protein. When they are hungry, they will come and you will have an astronomical feed bill. On our home place right now there are fresh forbs galore and deer are feasting on them day and night.

Cut up a couple of apples and throw them into the pen. The deer will be in there by tomorrow to get them.

dump 50 lbs of corn around just inside the pen, then under the protein holes.
That will get them in the pen, then they will figure out the protein.

Get your wallet ready, about May, your going to be buying/transporting a lot of protein.

But you will see results that get better every year.

Did you hang up enter and exit signs?

Actually it's best to mix some corn in with the protein on the first batch to get them accustomed to the taste of the feed.

MichaelJ90 said:

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OP, has protein been feed with regularity in the area? If not the deer will have to get used to the new set up and comfortable enough to jump in. 32' X 32' is not a bad size, but like another poster said you can never have it too big. Something else to think about is maybe where you've set up the feeder, I know everyone has their own opinions, but I always aim to put my protein pens in the brush and away from hunting areas. You want your deer to be in that pen as much as possible, so it's best to whatever will make them most comfortable and watch them grow.

Also, some brands of protein deer have seemed to get eaten much faster than others, double down and purina antler max they absolutely pound. I also mix in a bag or two of roasted soybeans the deer love them.

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i have been told that antler max is made the same way every time. other protein uses ingredients that are the cheapest and most readily available. that is why antler max is always more expensive.

side note - we have 3 protein feeders on our place and we can fill them up with the exact same thing and one will be empty in 2 days and the others 2 weeks. they seem to cycle which feeders they hit the hardest.

Update, saw one doe jump in tonight. 2 more were skeptical and didn't go, but at least one did.

Here's another pen I put up today on a different part of the ranch. Made this one larger at 48' x 48' and lifted one panel about 15" off the ground to allow the deer to go under.