woody7

I hunt in Central Texas, as well. I know the drive is a killer to refill feeders. What a lot of people do is to have each person on the lease fill all the feeders once or twice per off season. In my area there is a guy starting a feeder route and refilling feeders on multiple leases. Get larger capacity feeders. Texas Trophy Hunter Magazine had some neat looking 1000 lb. cap. spinners advertised. A 250-300 lb. capacity feeder last about 4-5 weeks, maybe 6 if you turn it down. I have a 500 lb. spinner and a 600 lb. free choice at the same feed pen. It is enclosed in a triangular shaped four strand barb wire fence. Both the spinner and free choice are filled with a 16% pellet-corn mix. I am told anything higher in protien is a waste on free ranging deer, because this is a suppliment to their regular diet. Straight pellets will clog the spinner. I plan on planting two food plots, but like you I am concerned with the cattle wiping it out. Winter wheat is good for the fall, and the cattle can only graze it so low. The deer will graze it down the rest of the way. The rancher's plot looked like a concrete slab. This is because of the high deer density in the Hill Country. I would check with the owner before planting perenials like clover. I am concerned that they may get a foot hold and overtake native and improved pastures of bermuda and jigs grasses.