Cotton seed as deer feed/attractant?

[mdwest]

Does anyone have any experience using cotton seed to feed/attract deer?
I was at a hunting expo over in Ft. Worth a couple of weeks ago.. I won 8x 40lb bags of cotton seed as part of a drawing/raffle..
In TX everyone I'm aware of pretty much feeds either corn or protein pellets (or a combination of both).. Ive never seen or heard of anyone feeding cotton seed..
Doing a little googling, it appears that one of the benefits of cotton seed is pigs and raccoons wont eat it.. so you bring in the deer.. but not the rodents and hogs.. Ive got to be honest.. Im not sure if thats true.. I think a TX feral hog will eat ANYTHING you put in front of him.. Ive never known one to turn down any food option.. Maybe this stuff doesnt actually attract pigs.. but I think if one finds it.. I feel pretty certain he'd eat it..
This is the stuff I won:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...-40-lb-fort-40

 

[Llano Estacado]

Does anyone have any experience using cotton seed to feed/attract deer?

I was at a hunting expo over in Ft. Worth a couple of weeks ago.. I won 8x 40lb bags of cotton seed as part of a drawing/raffle..

In TX everyone I'm aware of pretty much feeds either corn or protein pellets (or a combination of both).. Ive never seen or heard of anyone feeding cotton seed..

Doing a little googling, it appears that one of the benefits of cotton seed is pigs and raccoons wont eat it.. so you bring in the deer.. but not the rodents and hogs.. Ive got to be honest.. Im not sure if thats true.. I think a TX feral hog will eat ANYTHING you put in front of him.. Ive never known one to turn down any food option.. Maybe this stuff doesnt actually attract pigs.. but I think if one finds it.. I feel pretty certain he'd eat it..

This is the stuff I won:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...-40-lb-fort-40

My neighbor and his son make that feed. Yes it does work, bears love it, elk and deer will improve on it. Takes a while for them to get on it. Mix it with corn to help get them going.

 

[jeanes]

As a kid we used to bait holes with it for catfish. Pretty sure it will work for deer.

 

[steve white]

It's the best bait there is for hoop nets.

 

[wesheltonj]

Yes it works. Unfortunately, cattle eat it too, so you will have to have it behind a fenced area. Stop feeding it after the horn have developed, its down side is temporarily sterile males while eating it.

You can feed it by putting T-post the ground and making a wire basket attached to the T-post to hold the product.

 

[mdwest]

Yes it works. Unfortunately, cattle eat it too, so you will have to have it behind a fenced area. Stop feeding it after the horn have developed, its down side is temporarily sterile males while eating it.

Thats good to know about the horns/sterile thing..

I should be good on cattle.. where Im thinking about using it is in NE TX on a property that is super thick pine woods... no cattle around for miles.. but there are a ton of hogs, rodents (squirrel, raccoons, opossum, and rabbits all present in pretty big numbers)... and a reasonable amount of deer running around..

theres a small, 2 acre stocked pond that has catfish in it on the property as well.. if nothing else it sounds like the catfish will like it

 

[Llano Estacado]

The literature I have read is no problem with feeding year round if your pasture is in decent shape. If the deer have to live off it then you have problem, more than just feed probably

Thats good to know about the horns/sterile thing..

I should be good on cattle.. where Im thinking about using it is in NE TX on a property that is super thick pine woods... no cattle around for miles.. but there are a ton of hogs, rodents (squirrel, raccoons, opossum, and rabbits all present in pretty big numbers)... and a reasonable amount of deer running around..

theres a small, 2 acre stocked pond that has catfish in it on the property as well.. if nothing else it sounds like the catfish will like it .

 

[poco]

Yes its full of protein & crude fat , fiber , deer love it
we try to feed it year round

Cottonseed for Deer | Feeding Cottonseed to Whitetail Deer

Considering feeding cottonseed to deer as a supplement? Cottonseed for deer can work, but there are some things you need to know about cottonseed & deer first!

www.buckmanager.com

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I hunted in LaSalle County (south of San Antonio) a couple years ago and the ranch had cotton seed baskets along with the corn spreader. The corn is candy, but the cotton seed is protein and really better for the deer.

 

[TXhunter65]

There are a lot of people who use cotton seed. I've looked into it but could never find a place locally to buy it and it be much cheaper than protein. The issues I've heard brought up are, as previously mentioned the gossypol content causing lower sperm counts and the high fat content possibly causing kidney damage as deer don't have gallbladders. I know there is some reseach out there indicating the gossypol is not an issue at all for whitetail deer the way it is for red deer and fallow deer, but I've not read it so you'll have to do your own research.

 

[PARA45]

I've seen deer eat the buds from the cotton plant. I know the buds have lots of natural oils in them and deer seems to like it a lot.

 

[PARA45]

I've seen deer eat the ripening bolls and flowers from the cotton plant.

 

[degoins]

is it cheaper than corn?

 

[wesheltonj]

is it cheaper than corn?

It’s not bait, it’s a protein pellet replacement

 

[mdwest]

is it cheaper than corn?

No.. the stuff I won in the raffle is about 65% more expensive than corn that you can buy somewhere like Academy...

I figure I've got it.. its just taking up space in the bed of my truck right now.. So I might as well use it.. I just dont know the best way to use it other than to just throw it all over the ground in the general vicinity of where my stand is and hope it produces results lol..

 

[poco]

is it cheaper than corn?

It was about $175-$200 per ton , it’s up @ $400 , because the drought ( higher demand with less production)

yep just dump it on the ground or in a molasses tub near your blind

 

[RR 314]

It was about $175-$200 per ton , it’s up @ $400 , because the drought ( higher demand with less production)

yep just dump it on the ground or in a molasses tub near your blind

I recall buying it from the gin for $60/ton in Andrews, TX and thought that was highway robbery.

Hogs will eat it but seemingly will not move in and hammer it all. As mentioned, it has gotten so expensive the monetary “advantage” of feeding it over protein (pellets) is greatly decreased. If you want an attractant in Texas, buy a couple bags of rice bran and put that out. Deer hammer it.

 

[mdwest]

Holy hell… per ton?????

Even at $400 that’s a whole lot cheaper than corn by the bag…

I might have to try to find someplace close where I could just buy a truck load and then just cover the entire field near my stand at that price..

I’m typically filling my feeder (350lbs ) once before season starts, and then once again to get through the season… then once again after the season is over… about 1000 lbs per year… at $11 per 40lb bag of corn.. that’s about $275 in costs…

Sounds like 1000 lbs of cotton seed would be healthier.. and about $75 cheaper…

Although not nearly as convenient as having corn thrown at a specific time of day, and regulated to a specific amount..

 

[dchum]

Feed right after rut to help the get back on feet before they drop and it get real hot. Keep the healthy and fat so they are ready to grow

 

[degoins]

No.. the stuff I won in the raffle is about 65% more expensive than corn that you can buy somewhere like Academy...

I figure I've got it.. its just taking up space in the bed of my truck right now.. So I might as well use it.. I just dont know the best way to use it other than to just throw it all over the ground in the general vicinity of where my stand is and hope it produces results lol..

Thank you.