More feeders or less

[jshouse]

What I’ve never understood,

1. Find sign.... where deer naturally want to be
2. Add something non natural to that site?


If they are there... hunt them. Deer can be killed without a mouth full of food

I get pics of the same deer traveling more land than your hunting a day. So if they want corn and you have corn.. they will go get the corn provided. More ain’t always better

I would tend to agree most places but on my 90 acres me and both my neighbor to the north and neighbor to south will literally have 2 or 3 bucks on camera every year that others never see.

My avatar buck was never seen by my north neighbor and my south neighbor had about 5 pics of him over the 2 years I had him on cam

[Tsnow]

No feeder, leave a sanctuary is my vote.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

I do agree with the crowd that says No feeder, leave a sanctuary. However, I hunt 40 acres in Harrison County. I live in Killeen. It is a 4.5 hour drive one way. Because of that, I run 2 feeders of corn year round trying to keep corn on the ground and hold a deer or 2 on the 40 acres. I am surrounded by deer leases. Deer are lucky to get to my 40 acres alive. Because I do not go that often, it is very expensive when I do go because i buy 10-13 bags of corn to fill the feeders. The 2 feeders sit on a pipeline that I rifle hunt and I have 2 spots that I bow hunt and I hand corn those 2 spots away from the feeders when bowhunting. Any advice on that situation?

[sbushee]

We have around 2800 acres and have 9 feeders.

[BarBBar]

You could try different types of corn at each feeder. HEB sells orange flavored corn (which I have not tried yet), and apple flavored corn (which deer really like one the acorns are gone). Lyssy & Eckel has protein pellets you can throw from another feeder. Experiment with different feeds at each feeder. Also, try an on demand corn feeder strapped to a tree.
More feed equals more does, which are the real buck bait. I never hunted feeders until everyone else started, but small tracts need attractants, especially cover, food, and a permanent water source.

[TXhoghunter94]

I have 150 acres and I use to run 9 feeders on it. 3 were in feeder pens and the others were dedicated night time hog spots. I use to have so many so after I shoot a hog at one feeder I could still have a good chance at another hog the next night at a nearby feeder (all bow hunting).

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[Burnadell]

I agree with the "no more feeders" crowd. You don't want them at the feeder you are not hunting.

I would dump a bag in the area you were going to put the additional feeder, then follow up with hand corn every time you go. Let the deer get comfortable eating the hand corn, then slip in there and hunt it.

[bowhntrmatt]

I’m on the less feeders train.

I hunt a 240 acre place. I only run one feeder (feed pen with both corn and protein). I dont hunt the feeder at all. I hand corn a spot about 100 yards away and hunt it from a pop-up. Deer seem to always be nervous in the feed pen but calm on the hand corn.

Also, make it a sanctuary. Don’t go more than necessary, use scent control, keep the ruckus to a minimum.

[kyle1974]

I have some really big sanctuaries on my lease, and we have feeders set up in somewhat of a perimeter around them. Constantly see different deer and I have no doubts some deer love their entire life in them without us seeing them.

I think you add feeders as long as you’re seeing new deer. When you’re just splitting up the same deer, back off.

[mikemorvan]

Not knowing the lay of the land, i'd make one really big feed pen w/ two or three feeders in it. Then hunt the routes in and out.

[lovemylegacy]

I’m on the less feeders train.

I hunt a 240 acre place. I only run one feeder (feed pen with both corn and protein). I dont hunt the feeder at all. I hand corn a spot about 100 yards away and hunt it from a pop-up. Deer seem to always be nervous in the feed pen but calm on the hand corn.

Also, make it a sanctuary. Don’t go more than necessary, use scent control, keep the ruckus to a minimum.

Yes they are calm with hand corn, I find that odd.

[hardtner]

I say less feeders. I have zero feeders and do fine

[gatt40]

Jerk has a good philosophy

[randal]

I say feeder, I hand corned for 2 years at my house and everything came in at night, went to a feeder throwing extra long in the morning only and see all kind of stuff during shooting light now..

[Capp35]

We have 1200 acres with 9 feeders and two pond stands.
It is a different show at each stand every night.
But we are low pressure, and lots of deer.