Thaddeus Beauregard said:

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ttha_aggie_09 said:

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Except timed protein feeders are not that great and free choice is way more effective. Have you ever dug out 500lbs of protein out of one because it clogged up? I have on several occasions.

In addition, most people aren't going to just go out and buy a $750-1000 feeder if they already have a working one but a problem with raccoons.

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Those Lamco timed protein feeders start at $1K for just the 300# cap one and from there go to $1800 for the 1500# cap model. I guess a case can be made that they might recoup an ROI based on protein saved from coons, but it seems to me they just provide them with a handy trough to stand in as they eat smaller amounts at prescribed times of day. In addition, it looks to me like nothing protects the protein in the trough from rain, so it's free to clump up in the trough.

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Well I'll just tell you they work great and the deer get accustomed to it going off and are there to eat it. Only time is when the acorns drop and they will come off it for a bit. Just turn the timer down. Spending that amount of money on a feeder is really no big deal IMO.

Maybe for you, but the Missus would seriously consider going Lorena Bobbit on me if I droped a few grand on protein feeders when I already have them and just need to do some tweaking.

And with as much rain and moisture as we get, those troughs would either be filled with sour protien or it wouldn't be different than it is now where the coons keep the deer away.

I'm not under the impression I'll get rid of all of the coons or completely coon proof it. A certain percentage of corn and protein is sacrificed to the coons and cows on our place, it is what it is. But this is my current issue and if I can reduce the pain, I'm going to.

https://instagr.am/p/C_xwwEJuiFU

I think a tripod suspending the feeder might solve your problem. My feeders are hung from tripods where coons can't reach the timers or solar panels. Coons will clean up feed on the ground, but I don't have problems with them getting to the spinners or destroying solar panels. Other than that, tannerite and nails in the syrup bucket seems to be your answer.

I have no issues with my corn spinners, only the gravity protein feeders

Yes, but you could hang the protein feeders in the same manner…

Brazos1865 said:

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Yes, but you could hang the protein feeders in the same manner…

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You can't really (economically) hang the size feeders I use at my lease. I have 1250 and 2k capacity sizes. In addition, hanging them won't work because the feed spouts have to be at deer shoulder height or they can't eat it. The protein isn't slung on the ground by a spinner; it's presented in feed tubes the deer stick their noses into. Plus hanging a free choice gravity feeder won't do anything to deter coons, as already stated. You can imply strategies to make it more difficult for them to climb the legs, but all attempts I've used to try to do this ultimately didn't work. But again, the discussion is about how to stop coons from raiding gravity fed protein feeders, not corn feeders with spinners.

Brazos1865 said:

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Yes, but you could hang the protein feeders in the same manner…

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I don't think that would change anything really. Coons can still get to the spouts by climbing the legs just lik they do now, and I'm betting the deer would not like the swinging motion of the feeder at all while they are trying to eat.

Beyond that, once it started swinging some it would drop all kinds of protein on the ground and end up wasting probably as much.

A guy on another forum that I know has used slinky toys for years and has had really good results. As in almost no coons raiding the protein feeder. I can get 3 metal slinky toys for $12. Gonna give that a whirl because it's too cheap and easy to install not to give it a go.

docb said:

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Well I'll just tell you they work great and the deer get accustomed to it going off and are there to eat it. Only time is when the acorns drop and they will come off it for a bit. Just turn the timer down. Spending that amount of money on a feeder is really no big deal IMO.

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I don't understand why Lamco chose to use that trough design, completely unprotected from rain. They could have used a similar design like all other protein feeders that have shielded smaller troughs underneath the overhang of the hopper or tubes that don't permit rainfall on the pellets and still incorporate a timed release mechanism. It makes no sense to me, and I wouldn't buy that particular design for that reason alone. It may work ok most of the time but I don't want the pellets to get wet.

As for the cost of them being "no big deal," well, that's a very subjective thing. It is a big deal if you already have a bunch of protein feeders. It can certainly be a big deal in light of all the other expenses involved with the typical hunting lease. I bought my protein feeders used for $500 each from the previous guys getting off the lease property who didn't want to hassle with retrieving and having to store them somewhere, so why would I spend triple or quadruple that to replace perfectly serviceable feeders?

Time release protein feeders may reduce losses to coons, but they won't completely eliminate it. I like the timed release feature if it was used with a more sensible feed trough or tube design that protected the pellets from being rained on.

My protein feeders are not on a lease. They are on my ranch and have been running 24/7 for years. I guess a lease would not make sense for something like that.

We just coil a bit of barb wire on the legs. Never have an issue

schmellba99 said:

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Brazos1865 said:

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Yes, but you could hang the protein feeders in the same manner…

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I don't think that would change anything really. Coons can still get to the spouts by climbing the legs just lik they do now, and I'm betting the deer would not like the swinging motion of the feeder at all while they are trying to eat.

Beyond that, once it started swinging some it would drop all kinds of protein on the ground and end up wasting probably as much.

A guy on another forum that I know has used slinky toys for years and has had really good results. As in almost no coons raiding the protein feeder. I can get 3 metal slinky toys for $12. Gonna give that a whirl because it's too cheap and easy to install not to give it a go.

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So where do the slinky's go on the feeder? Maybe the legs?

Yes. Around the legs attached at the top and just hang down.