Year round feeders?

[NTex]

What are the pros and cons to running your feeders year round?
I have been running my feeders year round since I can remember with no problems. I adjust the spin time down for the off season but still feed year round. I figure I can try to keep the deer in the area with a free meal!!! I was talking to the a guy on the lease down the round that takes his batteries out for a good part of the off season. He stated that the batteries will blow up and the motors will go bad if there is no feed being spun.
I am not saying either way is right or wrong just trying to get the general consensus on here.

Thanks

[Badboypfg]

I feed year round, I just cut back on the time.

[jerp]

I don't think there is much downside to feeding year round other than the corn cost and the fact that non-game animals (read, coons) will get most of it when the there's plenty of browse for the deer and they visit less. That being said, it's worth it to me because I like having the deer know that there are gold nuggets available twice a day all year long. Out of our 6 feeders, only the 3 in our favorite spots run 12 months. The other 3 we fill mid August.

[dc1986]

We feed free choice protein from Jan-Aug. and spin corn Sept-Dec.I leave my corn feeders spinning empty during that Jan- Aug. time and have not had any problems.

[buffalorider]

Only downside around here is the hogs. Only myself and one other lease member feed year round and we are both overrun with hogs. A lot of the guys don't start feeding 'til early September (when the food plots go in) and don't have near the problem that we do.




br

[Krivoman]

Feeding corn during the summer actually hurts your deer. Corn is an energy food. Energy food burn fat reserves which go dirrectly againts what you are wanting to happen in the summer time. You want their body to be in the best possible shape so that all the PROTEIN/ fiber go to their horns. If you are feeding lots of corn, then it is actually taking away from the body. I Know alot of people feed corn year round, but it is not a benifit. The protein content is down around 7% so there is no benifit there. Just think it causes more issues than helps. This is told to me from a well respected Biologist. Also, Does need all the protein they can get to feed the young, corn really hurts them.

[bentman]

nothing

[Mike Murphey]

When you cut down on the feeder time and you are only putting out a very small amount, you are not feeding deer, think about how much a single deer can eat in a short time....I feed mine year round just rying to keep the motor moving and not allowing the bearings to get a flat spot on them....

[Muddy Bud]

Its mandatory to keep one corn and one free choice protein feeder in an inclosed pin year around in your area on our lease. But before these rules went in to effect I would keep one feeder running year around just cause I like sticking hogs on the off season. Never have had any problems with my timers.

[Bear82]

Pro - keep deer knowing where to come and get food anytime. When I hunted with people that put feeders up late in fall they would never see as much deer as me.

Con - cost money. But I only feed a little bit, barely a pound each feeding. Just enough for a treat.

[Russ79]

I just change the timers to go off once a day around 10:00 am. You still keep critters coming around and if I want to hog hunt I don't have to get up early or all night...

[FIREFIGHTER16]

When feeding twice a day, how long do you all allow the feeders to spin per cycle............ (pounds per day) during the hunting season ?

[RedSeal]

I put out about 1pd in on each feeding off season i feed 1 time a day and feed 1pd!

[DFWPI]

I do

I feed year round, I just cut back on the time.

Also, like to have something for hogs to come to in case I want to go stick one.