New feed pen - how long before the deer hop in?

[jerp]

Hate to do this within two weeks of the opener, but. Feeder has no pen, has been running for a year and deer hit it regularly. However that stopped a few weeks ago when the pigs started showing up en masse daily. Since then no deer pics. I don’t have time to do it myself so I’ve got a guy going out Monday to build a big panel pen. How long would you guess it will take before the deer get comfortable with it?

[Bowtech38]

Im guessing within a few days if not same day

[drop dead fred]

Week and BIG boys prolly won’t use it often or at all if you’re in etx

[flywise]

Very very soon

[ByronB]

Not sure that the pen would even bother them if it is large enough. They will want the corn. Have the person putting the pen up dump a bag or two of corn inside the pen. They will jump in.

[RiverRat1]

Depends on how hungry they are, how high the fence is, and how big it is. If they feel like they're in a tight spot they stay away. As mentioned already big or mature deer may simply avoid.

[Low Fence]

Depends where your at. West Texas... by days end. I built a large one in east Texas and fed a whole feeder worth and never had a deer enter pen

[TP3]

I agree with LowFence, depends on where you are.
Where we hunt they might let you get the last panel wired up before they hop in.

[SaintBlaise]

That question has come up before a few months ago. Someone said same day. I guess your trail camera would know better.

[Burnadell]

Not sure that the pen would even bother them if it is large enough. They will want the corn. Have the person putting the pen up dump a bag or two of corn inside the pen. They will jump in.

Depends on how hungry they are, how high the fence is, and how big it is. If they feel like they're in a tight spot they stay away. As mentioned already big or mature deer may simply avoid.

Depends where your at. West Texas... by days end. I built a large one in east Texas and fed a whole feeder worth and never had a deer enter pen

All of the above. I would dump corn in the pen and outside the pen toward your blind whenever you get a chance. I always like to throw some hand corn outside the pen on the blind side.

[bowhuntingw]

In East Texas it seems like it depends on the deer. I’ve got one pen that it took four months to get them to get in and then I have another one it took four days. One thing I have noticed it seems like the mature buck in the area or I should say the dominant buck in my experience seems to take the pen over which is a good thing I guess.

[Mudslinger]

Kent/Stonewal Counties I took all mine down. No prblem with cows snd pigs are fun to shoot. Pens never bothered ant deer we had snd they were in our pens the afternoon after we put them up that morning.

[deerwatcher51]

Probably pretty quickly......either way, what have you got to lose.....the bigger the pen the more likely they are going to jump in.

[mikemorvan]

All of the above. I would dump corn in the pen and outside the pen toward your blind whenever you get a chance. I always like to throw some hand corn outside the pen on the blind side.

Agreed.

[brokeno]

Depends how stinky your pig wallow is under your feeder.