Deer feeder

[todd51]

After a day of plinking fun one of the "old guys" wanted to set up a deer feeder on the range property. He is a big time bow hunter and had his tree picked out so we cleared and area and set up a feeder and filled it with corn and deer nuggets. Spread some "Deer Cain" on a prepared spot on the ground. Now will just have to wait and see what happens. Bow season is just a couple of weeks away.

[Zane71464]

NICE! That looks like a 6" pipe but is it 8"?
WORD OF WARNING:, If that's a 6" dia. pipe, I'm thinking it will hold "about"
40-50lbs., which nothing wrong with that...but be prepared to fill it up just
every little bit!
Ive got mine cut/set-up to hold just at 40lbs of shelled corn. Once they find
it, look out! Back when the snow was flying, I was having to fill mine up just about every 2nd day. They love the "easy-to-get" stuff.
I ended up making them having to work for it a little, and putting out ear corn.

But that is a nice set up! And where it's kind of out by itself, they will love it!!!! And another note...once you get them established feeding there, keep it up and they'll always come back, even next season.

[Roadkil]

I did that once a few years back on public hunting land. I had one tall one and a shorter one about 20-30 yards away from the other. I painted them in camo to blend in. I used mine toward the end of the season and set up a camera. I had already filled my tags and just wanted to see what was moving through that area. Got a few pictures of deer, mostly does in early AM or late PM, but the turkeys, squirrels, and the raccoons ate the hell out of that corn. I had so many pictures of turkeys, squirrels and raccoons it was unbelievable.

Over the years others have found them and knocked them down, every year I place them back up, but no longer place feed in them. Too much work for public hunting land. This set up on private land will work great. Once the deer locate it they will continue to come back to it. Friend of mine has a small property and set one of those up, along with salt blocks and the deer visit the site everyday.

Good luck and happy hunting.

[todd51]

Thanks fellows. Yes Zane it is 6" and you are right on with the weight. If was funny yesterday as the range and the new deer feeder are on my land down in Hocking Co. and I don't have strangers drive in there but maybe a couple times a year when the cable on the drive is down. Don't you know, yesterday when we are mixing the corn and nuggets in drives an Asplund (sp?) truck wanting permission to spray along an electric right of way and there we are with bags of corn and nuggets spread out. They left and we went back to shooting. Later we drove the Honda down one of the haul roads I keep mowed to set up the feeder about a 200 yards from the range. It came up a rain shower about half way through the set up, so we got back in the truck to wait the rain out. It is pouring rain and here comes another Asplund truck driving down my haul road. They got out and came up to us asking how they could get access to the right a way, ha. Yea, right, they were just nosing around and there we are setting up a feeder which they were eye balling. So I imagine when I am not around I will have some others visiting the feeder, ha. Any other time there would not have been a soul around.

[Zane71464]

Ya gotta watch "those" boys, Todd! They'll pull that stuff from time to time.
I had a feeder set up last year off my property that I kept supplied, and didnt think
anyone was even hunting in that area...they sure didnt have permission from my
neighbor. But later in the year I went back one day to fill the feeder up, and there was a tree stand up. Never did figure out who's it was, but needless to say, I took my feeder down and put it to better use in another spot.
Ive got one feeder WAYyyyy back in the woods that as far as I know, no one knows it's there and I fill it from time to time.

[Joel Lehman]

Texas feral hogs would have that pipe feeder emptied in 15 minutes.

[zkovach]

Todd thats a great little system there. one question do you keep the bricks underneath the pipe or do you remove them after you fill the pvc?

[todd51]

The bricks remain just to keep it off the damp ground. The base of the pvc tube is sealed shut. There is a hole in the side of the tube next to the bottom which is about 1"w x 1 1/2"h. That allows a little of the feed to trickle out on to the ground but not let the feed just spill uncontrolled out of the tube. The game will stick their tongue in the hole if the feed gets stuck and that will let more flow. Just drove a fence stake in the ground and wired the tube to it. Fast, cheep, easy to move. Now where are those deer.

[carver]

I make mine a little different, but still from PVC. I just cap the bottom with PVC glue, and drill a 1/2" hole so water will drain from it. The cap on top is not glued so I can remove it to fill the feeder. The picture posted is not mine, but does show what mine look like, mine are built the same way. I drill two 1/4" holes one neer the top, and one near the bottom, so I can zip tie them to a small tree. I put a stick between the top of the feeder and the tree before I zip tie it to the tree so I can easily get the top off and fill the feeder.

[todd51]

Wow, Carver those are Cadillacs. Very, very nice.

[carver]

Thank youTodd, they are easy to make, and cheap too!

[Rneck]

here's what the effort will get you

[Bobitis]

Carver, what's with the laterals and wyes?
I can't imagine the feed pouring out of them.

[Zane71464]

Todd, have you had anything useing youre feeder yet?
I was getting ready to go bowhunting this afternoon/yesterday, and before leaving, saw a small 8 point out at mine. Here's a few "critters" Ive seen at the one I have set up.

[199er]

All the above deer feeders will work well. I especially like the 'brown' deer feeders posted
by Rneck & Zane.

[todd51]

Checked the feeder Friday and it was untouched. Checked it today and some thing has been eating the goodies. Took a walk in the woods today and found lots of tracks, fresh spore, and two fresh scrapes, so those rascals are around.

Todd

[todd51]

Those are great pictures fellows. I am afraid get a camera put it out as don't want it to walk away and lose the money. So will just enjoy your pics. The feeder is an hour away from home so several days go by between my visits.

[Zane71464]

Originally Posted by todd51

Those are great pictures fellows. I am afraid get a camera put it out as don't want it to walk away and lose the money. So will just enjoy your pics. The feeder is an hour away from home so several days go by between my visits.

Even where mines at (trail camera), I worry about it!
And it's only (about) 50yds from my back door! Ive got a 4 wheeler trail, different trails around my property, and one would be suprised when you hear a 4 wheeler at 4:00 in the a.m doing who knows what?
Ive got signs about everywhere one could think to put one (within reason), and that means NOTHING to "some people". Ive caught a lot of people on my property and I have told them several several times, to STAY OUT, and OFF my property...get fed up sometimes when I pull in my driveway at 11pm and hear one driving off...errr.

[todd51]

Well my first attempt at a deer feeder has been a failure. It has been four weeks and nothing has really taken advantage of the corn and pellets offered. So the feeder has been taken down and moved one county over and is now in Vinton C where a similar feeder is producing results. Second problem was with excess feed storage which was placed in a large plastic storage box with snap on lid as is seen in most of the stores. The feed was left in the original bags and they were tied shut. The box was then placed inside the outhouse to be secured from other varmints. Moisture condensed on the outside of the bags and mildew had set in on all the food stored in the box. I am figuring the moisture is coming from the feed it's self as the outhouse is dry but not heated. Didn't plan on this so will have to look for a different storage method. We are not giving up. I think I will get one of those feed/mineral blocks and place it where the feeder was originally as that location was picked because of the great tree available for a bow stand. Deer sign is still evident in the area, they just didn't like my offering.

[Zane71464]

Sorry to hear that the deer havent taken to your feeder Todd. I'm not sure as to what you might do to keep the corn from the mold/mildew.
But as to the deer not taking to your feeder as quick as one would hope, as you said, the feeder/mineral blocks are a good idea. Where I set up the one here right down from my house, it was "off" the beaten track for them, a ways from their trails. (about 50-75yds), and I started with the blocks first to catch their intrest, then the corn and now both. Ive always heard it said that to get a deer started on a salt block for fall, one needs to get them out no longer than mid summer. It took what seemed like a while to get the deer to regulary vist my new feeding spot, and talk about jumppy at first. For what it's worth, if it were me, to get them off to a good start at where your wanting to feed them, get your blocks out and anytime your down that way, dump you out a 50lb bag of ear corn at the spot. The newer one I have right here by my house, like I said was about 50-75yds from one of their main trails, and now their trail has been modified to my feeding spot. But with dumping out a 50lb bag of ear corn every now and then, it will get them in that "area" and they will come by from time to time expecting some corn/feed, and hopefully at the "right" times!

[carver]

Originally Posted by Bobitis

Carver, what's with the laterals and wyes?
I can't imagine the feed pouring out of them.

Sorry Bobitis it took me so long to get back over here. The corn doesn't pour out of the openings, the deer, squirrels, and other critters just stick their snouts in and get what they want. They all wind up spilling some of the corn on the ground, but mostly it stays in the feeder. The opening is placed at the right hight from the ground for deer when mounting it to a tree.