deer feeders
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
deer feeders
I was wondering I know that a lot of people use deer feeders and now that deer seasons are winding down, of those that use them did you think that it had much to do with your hunting success this season? and if so was it more in the early season or more in the later part of the season, and what did you use in your feeder? How early in the season do you put it out? or do you use it year round? just thinking ahead for next year. M&M
The past 2 years the acorn crop has been so good the feeder is mostly used by birds & squirrels from mid September to January. I've been keeping it set to throw the minimum amount (spin type feeder) and they barely keep the corn cleaned up. Checked today, and with the cool wet weather coming in it had been hit by deer last night, so maybe it will help me fill my third & last tag.
In a normal year it draws them in all season, but they tend to go nocturnal from gun season on. I have it at the edge of a small food plot, and keep a salt block nearby, too. I like to start feedin in July or August, and spend several evenings before season just watching. It gets them used to human scent in the area, and usually by the time season opens they are not too reluctant to come in to the area late in the day. My best success at the feeder is usually early in the season. Beavers dammed up the creek below the food plot this summer and changed the travel routes a little, but the acorns had the big impact on the food plot & feeder getting light use I think.
In a normal year it draws them in all season, but they tend to go nocturnal from gun season on. I have it at the edge of a small food plot, and keep a salt block nearby, too. I like to start feedin in July or August, and spend several evenings before season just watching. It gets them used to human scent in the area, and usually by the time season opens they are not too reluctant to come in to the area late in the day. My best success at the feeder is usually early in the season. Beavers dammed up the creek below the food plot this summer and changed the travel routes a little, but the acorns had the big impact on the food plot & feeder getting light use I think.
wabi
Last three years Dad and I spent a lot of money on corn for our three feeders and have yet to get a deer at one. Friends saw some does but never a buck. We go to a small orchard where the guy will sell us grounders. Next year it's apples only as they seem to draw in more deer than anything else. All the places we hunt are surrounded by crops so I think the deer just over look our corn feeders.
Not implying anything doubt about your post BigUgly, but just making the observation that a lot of the success or failure depends on the deer and what they are used to eating. Around here they are usually surrounded by cornfields most years. Farmers alternate between corn and soybeans, and it depends on the weather to some extent what gets planted. If a field gets corn this year it will hopefully get soybeans next year, but the deer get some corn every year. The area I hunt has no orchards nearby, and apple trees are scarce in that vicinity. We've put out apples and watched them rot while the deer walk through them to get to the corn. A few get munched on, but for the most part they lay and rot. Pawpaws get gobbled up quickly since ther are pawpaw trees growing naturally in the area, persimmons lay on the ground for days, since the deer aren't used to them.
I'd recommend putting out a food the deer are used to and can easily identify. I've tried many different things including corn, roasted soybeans, horse feed, bird seed mixtures, apples, pawpaws, persimmons, molasses, and countless more, and the corn wins easily here. But if acorns are plentiful the deer ignore the feeder most of the time.
The food plots are interesting, too. It took a couple years of planting brassicas (turnip varieties) to get the deer used to them, but now they keep them well manicured. Now that we've had a hard freeze about all that's left of the turnip tops are the stems. They don't seem to be overly interested in clover, they do eat it but it doesn't draw them like I expected it to. Another good crop seem to be soybeans planted late (July or early August) when the weather permits germination. As the crop field beans are maturing and drying up the deer head to the food plot to nibble the tender young sprouts. Problem is, they nibble them to ground level.
One year I had a trio of a doe and two fawns coming to the plot every evening. The doe would rush to an autumn olive tree on the border of the field and nibble leaves, one fawn would rush straight across the plot and stick it's nose in the shelled corn at the feeder, the other fawn would rush to the turnip patch and yank off leaves by the mouthfull. Guess deer have their favorite foods, too!
I'd recommend putting out a food the deer are used to and can easily identify. I've tried many different things including corn, roasted soybeans, horse feed, bird seed mixtures, apples, pawpaws, persimmons, molasses, and countless more, and the corn wins easily here. But if acorns are plentiful the deer ignore the feeder most of the time.
The food plots are interesting, too. It took a couple years of planting brassicas (turnip varieties) to get the deer used to them, but now they keep them well manicured. Now that we've had a hard freeze about all that's left of the turnip tops are the stems. They don't seem to be overly interested in clover, they do eat it but it doesn't draw them like I expected it to. Another good crop seem to be soybeans planted late (July or early August) when the weather permits germination. As the crop field beans are maturing and drying up the deer head to the food plot to nibble the tender young sprouts. Problem is, they nibble them to ground level.
One year I had a trio of a doe and two fawns coming to the plot every evening. The doe would rush to an autumn olive tree on the border of the field and nibble leaves, one fawn would rush straight across the plot and stick it's nose in the shelled corn at the feeder, the other fawn would rush to the turnip patch and yank off leaves by the mouthfull. Guess deer have their favorite foods, too!
wabi
We have used two automatic feeders over the last two years and we think it has made a difference in keeping the deer on our property all year. We only use whole corn but we do not hunt by the feeders until the last day if we need to take a doe to fill out the freezer. We let the feeders become a feeding sanctuary where the deer feel safe. If they are constantly harassed and shot at by the feeders then yes they will avoid them.
BUCKEYE
A man who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything at all.
A man who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything at all.
I have a friend that feeds deer year round in several feeders around a 100 acre farm. He also has one acre food plots in many locations throughout. The deer love the feeders in the winter, the coons and squirrels the rest of the time. The food plots rock for bucks during the rut but they avoid them the rest of the time in the daylight hours. They always avoid the feeders it seems only does and fawns benefit from them. Keep in mind that these are completey wild free ranging Ontario whitetails.
rutman
paradox
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paradox
graphite goldtip laser II's
wasp 100gr. jakhammer sst expandibles
Love it all!!!!!!!!!
I tried home made gravity feeders with sweet feed in them. Got lots of tracks round them but not when I was watching. The only animals that I saw eating were bluejays. They did grow lots of shoots from the seed on the ground though. 
There are lots of apple trees on the property so there's no point in importing them. The main problem I have is the deer being nocturnal
There are lots of apple trees on the property so there's no point in importing them. The main problem I have is the deer being nocturnal
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Exocet your options and exCalibur8 your sights.
Exocet your options and exCalibur8 your sights.
do ya think the feeders get less use in the early season since there is an abundance of natural food sources plus corn and soybean crops still up and easily accessible. and I agree it would make sence to not hunt right at your feeders I think the deer would become very cautious and avoid them at least in the daytime best bet would be hunt nearby trails but not too close, but it doesn't sound like they really make a major impact on hunting oportunities??? M&M
all it takes to know what days and what time they are there is an IR trail camera
it will tell you the exact date and time
it can also sometimes tell you from which direction they are approaching the feeder....once you know that you can move off in that direction and hopefully catch the nocturnal ones while its still daylight
I dont know about how effective they are on old mature deer....but feeders can certainly be effective. Many deer even become used to the human scent associated with feeders.
I have had to actually CHASE deer away from a feeder in order to refill it before. Im not saying these are the smartest deer in the world haha but it wouldnt be hard to put some meat in the freezer.
it will tell you the exact date and time
it can also sometimes tell you from which direction they are approaching the feeder....once you know that you can move off in that direction and hopefully catch the nocturnal ones while its still daylight
I dont know about how effective they are on old mature deer....but feeders can certainly be effective. Many deer even become used to the human scent associated with feeders.
I have had to actually CHASE deer away from a feeder in order to refill it before. Im not saying these are the smartest deer in the world haha but it wouldnt be hard to put some meat in the freezer.
well knobby dumb deer taste good too!!! so I'm okay with them too I thought about making some of the pvc gravity feed type of feeders for next year they would be inexpensive to make and not a major loss if stolen, the trail camera would be nice but my shopping list for the next year is allready much larger than my wife can imagine. so I try to do as much on the cheap end as possible. M&M
my cave men friends just might, I say just might take offence to that attitude, what ya think A.W., PRB 
Feeders work very good for me but I learned this year that having food available 24 hrs is not the best option. In the past I have used small piles of food placed in the area I hunt, this kept deer wandering in that area searching for food and coming out earlier to be the first one there. This year I setup feeders which held a weeks worth of feed but the deer learnt very quickly that it was there at night too. The deer I got this year was early season and was going to the food at first light, about 1 week after starting to feed. After about 4 weeks they were rarely seen eating during daylight. So for me during the season it will be small piles randomly placed, yes it is a pain in butt to go replenish supplies every 2 daysbut to me it worked better. After the season is over I will continue to feed with a large capacity feeder.