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Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
#2275708
04/28/11 03:15 AM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4
wstxoutdrs
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4 |
I am looking for a way to keep my deer heard healthly in West Texas. Food is limited except what I am feeding them and water is almost gone any ideas?
Aim small miss small or loose diner, and the wife gives you a divorce while you are buying the guy's around at the bar for being that guy!!!
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: wstxoutdrs]
#2275730
04/28/11 03:23 AM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 733
redriverpigger
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 733 |
I carry a gun because a cop is to heavy!
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: wstxoutdrs]
#2275746
04/28/11 03:24 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 9,051
MaggieMTx
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 9,051 |
invest in water guzzlers first...things have to have water over food to survive.
then just keep feeding, there are things out there they eat that you wouldn't think they eat but do.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: MaggieMTx]
#2275768
04/28/11 03:30 AM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4
wstxoutdrs
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4 |
What is a guzzle? like a cattle trough?
Aim small miss small or loose diner, and the wife gives you a divorce while you are buying the guy's around at the bar for being that guy!!!
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: wstxoutdrs]
#2275803
04/28/11 03:42 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 9,051
MaggieMTx
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 9,051 |
there are different designs & ways to set one up. some even have it where you can collect rain water. you can google images for "water guzzlers" for ideas. http://www.wildlifewaterguzzler.com/-Water Guzzlers provide an affordable way to satisfy Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) water requirements, and cost share eligibility -20% grade, rough-surface drinking trough designed with the help of National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) biologists to allow watering of both large game (deer, antelope, and elk) and small game (pheasant, quail, rodents) by allowing small game to enter and escape the trough without becoming trapped and contaminating water supply check out the rest of the features..good things for arid climates
Last edited by MaggieMTx; 04/28/11 03:44 AM.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: MaggieMTx]
#2276221
04/28/11 12:12 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,965
don k
THF Celebrity
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Posts: 14,965 |
invest in water guzzlers first...things have to have water over food to survive.
then just keep feeding, there are things out there they eat that you wouldn't think they eat but do. Don't you have to have rain for them to work? If it ever does rain they should have plenty to eat unless the place is already overstocked. Feed the deer alfalfa hay.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: don k]
#2276250
04/28/11 12:31 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,012
Kimber1911
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Posts: 3,012 |
There is no cheap way. It cost some money. Were feeding $25,000-$35,000 a month in food right now. But that's why my animals are fat and horns improve dramatically each year. To answer your question pray for rain to green everything up. With fuel going up so well everything else.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: redriverpigger]
#2276303
04/28/11 01:01 PM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 31,058
HWY_MAN
THF Celebrity
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 31,058 |
Yes! A Weatherby does kill them deader.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Kimber1911]
#2276306
04/28/11 01:02 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,896
DCS
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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Posts: 7,896 |
Were feeding $25,000-$35,000 a month in food right now. And, to think I was fretting over having to buy 15 bags of corn!
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: DCS]
#2276330
04/28/11 01:13 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,012
Kimber1911
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Well I have super to common exotics as well as high genetic whitetail. We have allot of money invested in them. We feed 2,000 pound square alfalfa bails, 20 % protein,corn and soy bean in the spin cast feeders and plant food plots we water with our water truck. Takes allot to keep the animals healthy
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Kimber1911]
#2276383
04/28/11 01:41 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 200
Diverdown
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 200 |
We burn the thorns off of prickley pear during drought years and they love it
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Diverdown]
#2276444
04/28/11 02:06 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,947
Curtis
THF Trophy Hunter
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,947 |
We just feed 4x4x8 alfalfa hay, corn, irrigate where we can, and keep supplement mineral out for them year around. Protein is just through the roof and feeding the hay as well as keeping the mineral out keeps out animals pretty healthy.
Double Arrow Bow Hunting www.doublearrowbowhunting.comBow hunters welcome! Whitetail-Axis-Blackbuck-Fallow-Barasingha-Scimitar Oryx Located in Gonzales County. Visit our Facebook page for current updates!
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Kimber1911]
#2276504
04/28/11 02:39 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,896
DCS
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,896 |
Well I have super to common exotics as well as high genetic whitetail. We have allot of money invested in them. We feed 2,000 pound square alfalfa bails, 20 % protein,corn and soy bean in the spin cast feeders and plant food plots we water with our water truck. Takes allot to keep the animals healthy I guess it makes a difference if they are making you money. My deer are just moochers.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: DCS]
#2276536
04/28/11 02:57 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,289
watchale
Veteran Tracker
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Posts: 2,289 |
I guess it makes a difference if they are making you money. My deer are just moochers.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: DCS]
#2276565
04/28/11 03:12 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,947
Curtis
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,947 |
I guess it makes a difference if they are making you money. My deer are just moochers. Yeah it does and I realize that. But we get alfalfa a lot cheaper per ton than what we get protein from the feed store. It may not be as good as the bag protein, but it works well with keeping them healthy when used in combination with supplement mineral. If you want something cheaper you may look into cotton seed and see what you can do there. I know it's been mentioned on here before. Perhaps someone can show a pic of how they feed it. Volume is the key on the price and you just have to check the prices and see what you can do. Check with some other hunters in your area and maybe you can split the total cost just to get what little you need. Also if your making a food plot, you will want to fence it off from hogs if you can and water it as often as it needs it. Food plots are expensive too, especially if they don't grow. We tried it but we just have too many animals out there and putting up a fence was not a option we wanted to do.
Double Arrow Bow Hunting www.doublearrowbowhunting.comBow hunters welcome! Whitetail-Axis-Blackbuck-Fallow-Barasingha-Scimitar Oryx Located in Gonzales County. Visit our Facebook page for current updates!
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Curtis]
#2276737
04/28/11 04:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,074
Justin T
THF Trophy Hunter
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Posts: 6,074 |
Curtis, this is how we feed cottonseed:
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Justin T]
#2277029
04/28/11 07:21 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
The longer it stays dry the higher feed will be due to supply and demand. Whole cottonseed is not as cheap as it once was and can be labor intensive to get it to the animals. Alfalfa is a great buy if you can get it cheap and it will go up in price if it stays dry in Texas much longer due to trucking cost skyrocketing. But still is the best value out there right now. Water is key and lot of ranches have decent to great water on them but with no rain the deer still have eat something just to survive.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: stxranchman]
#2277037
04/28/11 07:25 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,537
txhunter24
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,537 |
Alfalfa is what we are leaning on right now to keep them healthy.
Every good and perfect gift is from above . James 1:17
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: txhunter24]
#2277115
04/28/11 08:10 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,384
blancobuster
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,384 |
rain is free...just not so easy these days
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: blancobuster]
#2278420
04/29/11 05:31 AM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,045
Western
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Posts: 29,045 |
How are you guy's feeding the Alfalfa?? free choice and in standard hay troughs?
If at first you dont succeed, then skydiving is not for you..
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln Dennis
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Western]
#2278556
04/29/11 12:01 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,965
don k
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
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Posts: 14,965 |
I scatter mine out so more can get to it. If I put it in a feeder the dominate ones eat it until they get the runs.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: don k]
#2278871
04/29/11 02:42 PM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,045
Western
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Posts: 29,045 |
I may have to give that a shot. Thanks
If at first you dont succeed, then skydiving is not for you..
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln Dennis
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Western]
#2278956
04/29/11 03:18 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,235
highlonesome1
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,235 |
We have had just enough rain to green the mesquite. I could literally see the mesquite soak up all the moisture from the last rain. Two days later it was like it had not rained at all. With no browse, alfalfa gives them something green to munch on and protein for growth. I am going through a ton every two weeks. I add 20% protein blocks and minerals every other month. I am on year 4 of this feeding program and saw a 10 lb increase in weight per deer over the year before.
We are in bad shape compared to last year, nothing green. I have all the tanks and troughs running over. Every little bit helps. This drought is nothing new for us out in West Texas. The last couple years were great for deer and bad for hunting. Over the last 18 years I remember more dry years than wet. The upside to this is that if you feed now when it is most needed, the rewards will be incredible come November.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: highlonesome1]
#2280977
04/30/11 05:48 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,243
wellingtontx
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,243 |
Alfalfa is expensive now and hard to find in our area. Last time I found any it was $12.00 for a small square bail.
Cotton seed is non-existent. All the supplies are generally spoken for before the fall harvest ever starts.
Last edited by wellingtontx; 04/30/11 05:49 PM.
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Re: Cheap and easy way to keep deer healthy in the drought?
[Re: Western]
#2281433
05/01/11 12:12 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,947
Curtis
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,947 |
How are you guy's feeding the Alfalfa?? free choice and in standard hay troughs? Well our bales are 4'X4'x8' and we order them from Kansas by the truck load. Less to worry about from blister beetle the farther no you go it seems. It works out a lot cheaper than protein by the ton. The way we feed it is we use a skid steer (Bobcat) to set it out on the ranch. When it's dry like it is now we jusy set it on the ground. We also have two old trailers that we can use as well for when it's too wet wet to just set them on the ground. A regular small bale feeder will work better for your needs. Or even a large cattle trough will work and keep the good leafs off the ground and less waste.
Double Arrow Bow Hunting www.doublearrowbowhunting.comBow hunters welcome! Whitetail-Axis-Blackbuck-Fallow-Barasingha-Scimitar Oryx Located in Gonzales County. Visit our Facebook page for current updates!
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