Corn, Livestock Feeds and Pork Prices Increase

If you have not started feeding deer yet this year get ready for sticker shock when you go buy corn.  It has almost doubled since last year.  The prices on bird feed and milo have risen to similar levels.  The cost of feed for livestock is going through the roof. The increases in the cost of feed will not only influence how much corn hunters feed deer this year but is having a major impact on the prices of the meats we buy at the grocery store.  Get ready to see major increases in all the meat and grain products you purchase on a daily basis.

Our government in their widsom has passed laws that a certain percentage of gasoline must be made from renewable ethanol which is made from, you guessed it, corn.  Even if corn is in short supply for livestock and human needs it will be used to make fuel just so we can say we are using a green renewable fuel.  Corn was $11.00 for 50 pounds yesterday at Tractor Supply Company.  The deer will be happy we planted food plots this year as they will be getting very little corn this season to help them through the winter.  Chicken, cattle, hog and other livestock feeds are predicted to double from last year's prices, seeing that I paid $5.49 for 40 pound bags of deer corn at Wally World last year and it is now $9.99 for the same 40 pound bag, it doesn't have to go up much more to be double.

Due to the rising prices of corn and other grains the price of the other white meat, pork, which has been one of the best bargains in meat is shooting upward.  They are now predicting a shortage of pork, especially bacon and cured pork products this winter so if you have room in the freezer you may want to put some away for later.  If you are a member of Sam's Club they have consistently had the best pork prices in our area on a day to day basis.  We may have to go back to making Buckboard and Canadian Bacon ourselves.

Do what you can afford for the deer and other wildlife this winter and have a safe season. Wild Ed
 

Texas Deer Feeders Help All Kinds of Wildlife

My brother and I have been amazed at all the wildlife showing up on the trail camera pictures at our feeders.  We have had all sorts of birds, small rodents, squirrels, rabbits, predators, turkeys and deer come by for a handout. Some of the birds coming by have really surprised us.  We have had visits by Scrub Jays, Eurasian Ring necked Dove, Crows, Vultures and Ravens along with various hawks and owls that just show up as a blur on the cameras as they make a pass through hoping to grab dinner. We don't have hogs yet so none of those, but we have seen them only a few miles away so it is probably just a matter of time.  Even though we have had some rain we are still way behind and it looks like it might be a hard winter for lots of critters.  Corn prices are going sky high but feed what you can as the wildlife will need a helping hand.  We just finished plowing and planting our winter food plots and are praying for rain to bring them up for the winter. 
Since we have started mixing in some song bird feed with the corn at the feeders the amount of song and game birds coming to the feeders has really increased.  Here are some pictures I thought you guys might enjoy seeing, Wild Ed