Ask The Biologist

Dine In or Take Out?

Dine In or Take Out?

By Bob Humphrey

Our biologist discusses the advantages of on-demand and time-release features.

QUESTION: I would like to know how you feel about feeding deer protein at a free-choice feeder verses a time-release system. — Joe S.

ANSWER: I could give you all kinds of technical information about the whitetail’s nutritional needs, how they change throughout the year and how to best meet them, but that’s not what you’re asking. The short and simple answer is that it largely boils down to economics.

With a time-release feeder, you’re limiting the amount of food that is made available on a daily basis. With an on-demand feeder, food is always available (as long as it’s kept loaded).

There are lots of variables, like deer density, habitat quality and time of year, but it’s probably safe to assume in most cases deer will eat more with an on-demand feeder. They know how much and what type of food they need. As long as it’s available and their bellies are empty, they’ll eat it.

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Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd