More feeders or less

[DRT]

We have 230 acres and currently 4 feeders. First season I was the only one feeding year round. The last two years we've kept 4 and 5 feeders running and our deer activity has really exploded. First year you might see a deer every second or third trip.
This season there are always deer in camera and hunts usually produce deer at feeders. Multiple feeders allow for deer to hit feeders on your place even if one is regularly used by a dominant deer. You know that buck or doe who runs off other bucks or doe.
We are archery only.

Gary

[Lynn21]

That area sounds like their sanctuary. I’d stay outta there and hunt around it if possible.

[bullets13]

We hunt 440 acres. 6 feeders on the place. In the last ten years we’ve killed bucks NEAR feeders, but never eating at one. Our best spot doesn’t have a feeder. It’s a somewhat open area of old pines in between a 100 acre thicket next door and a 30 acre oak bottom on our property. The deer travel back and forth there. We don’t put a feeder or even hand corn because A) we don’t need to, and B) we don’t want to alert them to our presence more than necessary

[Apodz]

We have 170 aces with 3 feeders. It all depends on how the land lays out. Some deer hit two of the three feeders but one of the feeders has all different deer hitting it. We hunt mostly the outer parts of the ranch and leave the thick bedding areas and he inner parts of the ranch alone as a safe sanctuary for the deer. This is our first year to have the place but it has worked good. We will keep tweaking as we learn the land and the deer movement over time.

[BonesandArrow]

Less is more. Let your neighbors scare them all to your sanctuary. Leave them a yellow brick road of corn (on the road), the last day of your weekend hunts for piece of mind and stress free eating. Set up some cameras to locate a target buck and catch him on some hand corn. Another feeder will just make you think you are sitting at the wrong feeder... Our family land has a 90 acre area with only one feeder and it’s 125 yards from camp (350 yards from the highway gate), has a feeder pen made of 16 - 16’ pieces and has the most bucks coming to it year after year. We only drive the rest of those 90 acres a few times a year.

[Atfulldraw]

We have the thickest 140 acres in the area, but we run five feeders (not counting the protein feeder) and will add another corn and protein feeder station this year to make it six.

Bow and rifle blinds on every feeder so that we can hunt no matter what the wind is doing.

Little openings allow us to see through the trees at most of the stands. In certain times of the year, like right now, most of the deer are seen away from the feeders. Last week, we were both hunting and the deer were hanging out and chasing in the area in between those two feeders.

We see and hold way more deer than the neighbors, by a long shot.

[Big pig]

3 feeders and a large complete (do not enter)sanctuary area
Did this type of thing on a lease for many years.
If I had another feeder it would be a protein feeder.
And not hunted. near the main road for Easy filling.

BP

[Tex_Cattleman]

For me, no more feeders. Buddy and I hunt two properties (80 acres and 60 acres). There is 1/2 mile and about 300 acres between the two properties. No hunting pressure on the land in between. One feeder on each place. Cameras show the same bucks commonly use both. Buddy advocates we add another feeder or two. I fight that every year. Why give the corn eaters another option to NOT be where I'm sitting one morning??

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[Sika]

We have the thickest 140 acres in the area, but we run five feeders (not counting the protein feeder) and will add another corn and protein feeder station this year to make it six.

Bow and rifle blinds on every feeder so that we can hunt no matter what the wind is doing.

Little openings allow us to see through the trees at most of the stands. In certain times of the year, like right now, most of the deer are seen away from the feeders. Last week, we were both hunting and the deer were hanging out and chasing in the area in between those two feeders.

We see and hold way more deer than the neighbors, by a long shot.

FWIW, I think this also spreads the deer out and makes them harder to hunt. Instead of concentrating deer at fewer stations, you can get 1-2 visiting each, which is what is happening right now. Or we’ll have a target buck that visits every feeder and that makes it hard to predict where he’ll be on a given day.
The good news is you can just turn some feeders off if they are working against you. Turn then back on when you need them.

And no matter how much you feed, you still won’t draw every buck to your place. Our neighbors see deer that we have never seen, even though we feed more than they do and put less pressure on our place than they do. Or we’ll get a buck that spends all summer on our place suddenly decide he likes theirs better.
All you can do is make your habitat as inviting as possible and hope for the best.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Do you any of guys only feed corn year round with no protein or food plots on your property?

[SaintBlaise]

too many feeders - there is enough "food" for them even without your corn feeders. Human pressure is WAY more important than an additional feeder. Heck you would probably be better off picking your favorite location on the ranch for a feeder and having 1 feeder and doing everything you can to leave the rest of the place alone as a sanctuary for the deer.

Agreed. Leave that area alone.