How do I train the deer on my property to eat cotton seed? I put it out several months ago but they are not touching it. Had a buddy tell me to dilute vanilla extract with water and spray it on the cottonseed to get them started on it. Anyone have any other suggestions? It's in a purpose built cottonseed feeder and I sure as heck don't have to worry about rain spoiling it given we haven't had any rain in months.

The deer and will go through $500 worth of Double Down in a few weeks and so I'm trying to introduce cotton seed to reduce my protein costs.

Mix in some soy beans or corn or crimp corn w molasses on the corn

We had similar when we first started. We sprinkled a little horse and mule feed ( that had a little molasses in it).... throughout the CS. If you pour cattle molasses or vanilla on it you will end up with 1000,s of ants.
And don't mix corn with it..., they will just pick through for the corn and still leave the CS. .... ask me how I know that.
Plus corn is bad for deer when it's hot.

I can tell you I tried mixing corn, mixing cmere deer, and probably 3-4 other things with no luck.

We finally got them turned on cotton seed by continuing to feed cotton seed in a few select locations later in the hunting season and before we put out regular protein.

Just leave it. They'll eat it!

I had a similar experience to others. I was feeding cottonseed and antlermax in the same pen. I f stopped feeding antlermax for a few weeks and they finally started hitting the cottonseed. They still eat more antlermax than cottonseed, but they definitely like the cottonseed.

When it's super hot and dry they eat more protein than cotton seed. When it cools a bit ours eat more cotton seed than protein. We feed both in the same pen.