[gjs4]

I have little to no experience with feeders, feeding, baiting, etc…. So bear with the curve. If you don’t like the premise ; post elsewhere.

Going to try some feeders at food plots to keep up with the locals… I am an absentee land owner so i would like to have something larger capacity. Having done a bunch of research I’ve ruled out spin feeders for now. So on to gravity- banks and boss buck appear to be great aside from squirrels and raccoons eating holes in them. So leaning toward a metal ones. Noting there are more and more ground feeders (looking like logs, stumps, etc) coming out. One very accomplished hunter said the older the buck the less likely he is to eat feed from anywhere but the ground. Would’ve thought the varmints would clean house increasing consumption 10fold and eventually gnawing up the plastic stump/log.

So here I am wondering where to start with this… May hunt late season a time or two but want to start the learning curve for both of us while there is no rush.

After reading through the mess above- does anyone have any experience with the above and some shareable insight, ideas, tips trips?

Thinking a banks 250 stump and a 3or600 post.

 

[gjs4]

Bears and hogs are not an issue in this area of ohio too


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[horsehands]

The spinners are the most economical. Varmits will have a field day on a gravity or free choice, and feed is expensie. Big bucks will still check does around a spinner. They don't eat much when they're rutting anyway. Feeders aren't going to be magic, they just help hold does in the area. Food plots are better than feeders if you have that option.

 

[Huffman25]

I have used boss buck for the last 3 years and have not had issues with the raccoons or squirrels eating the feeder itself. I do need to run some dog proof traps in the off season to control the raccoons though. I would recommend the boss buck unless you are wanting to use a large capacity feeder such as a ton or so.

 

[df06]

I have a Boss (200 pound) and a Banks (300 pound), both work well. I had spinners before and had problems with them plugging up, batteries dying etc. I live far from the feeders, so non functioning feeders is not good. I’ve had no problems with ***** chewing on the feeders, but the **** population is low where I hunt. You can plug some of the spouts on a gravity feeder to slow the depletion of the feed. I prefer gravity over spinners.

 

[BigDeer]

The spinners are the most economical. Varmits will have a field day on a gravity or free choice, and feed is expensie. Big bucks will still check does around a spinner. They don't eat much when they're rutting anyway. Feeders aren't going to be magic, they just help hold does in the area. Food plots are better than feeders if you have that option.

Curious, ever hunt Kansas, private?

 

[horsehands]

Curious, ever hunt Kansas, private?

No. Nebraska and Texas. Live in S.C.

 

[gjs4]

Has anyone tried these Amazon ones?

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[BigDeer]

No. Nebraska and Texas. Live in S.C.

Big boys get shot over feeders in KS all day and twice on Sunday.

OP, I'd get whatever stout ones are sold to Texas ranches.

 

[Mr. Man]

I don’t use them, but they use them at our lease. They use the gravity type with 4 spouts that sits on top of a single post. Make a flat piece of metal to go around the post to keep the ***** from climbing up and you’re set. They get pics of big bucks all the time as long as there’s feed in it.

 

[gjs4]

I appreciate the sharing all….

but have to say I am taken back on the how asterisks keep climbing poles eating corn. Did I miss something with raccoon or squirrel being a curse word, or now identifying as a punctuation? Hate is pointed and contextual…

Anyone using a on the ground style feeder or just spilling corn (or other feed) right on the ground?

 

[swampghost]

I think the shortened word for raccoon is a slang word sometimes used on Black people..Man, I hate tiptoeing around the word to keep it from being blocked with asterisks!

 

[Mr. Man]

What a silly, stupid world we live in now. Geez. ****, ****, ****.

 

[gjs4]

Anyone using a ground level free feeder ?


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[Tsimmerson]

The Game Winner 720 lb no hassle feeder from Academy Sports is great. We have three in KY and not one issue in three years. Same battery in each. Has built in solar panel and varmint guard.

 

[SilentElk]

Ugh... I wrote a long reply and lost it when I tried grabbing a picture. Sigh.

Protein or corn feeding?

There's a lot of negative side effects feeding deer corn in significant amounts starting about this time of year unless you have standing corn that they're actively feeding on already. You literally can kill them. One of the corn spin feeders that throws a bunch of kernels out maybe a couple pounds isn't going to be a problem though.

IMO protein feeding is way better for deer and right now and for next couple of months it will pay off well the following year. If you are still watching the topic and going the protein route, let me know and I can give you a bunch more info.

Btw, I found if the legs are are about 5" in diameter the racoons seem to be unable to climb them. Seems they can't grasp them well enough. Doesn't mean it isn't possible but I had yet to see one do it. Obviously Racoon teamwork could thwart the deer feeder. But the head is tapered so they can't sit on it. They might get some if they manage it but it won't be an excessive amount at least.

 

[SilentElk]

Big boys get shot over feeders in KS all day and twice on Sunday.

OP, I'd get whatever stout ones are sold to Texas ranches.

My opinion is go bigger if you can't manage it in person or have somebody there to manage it. I feel like in the cold winter months deer will eat one the 200 lb a week of good quality protein feed. Possibly more. 600 lb sounds like a lot but it might only last three or four weeks. Less if a lot of deer start frequenting it.

I don't recall the laws in Nebraska but I think you're not allowed to feed them during an act of hunting season so I'm not sure exactly when the season ends. It might be in January sometime.

In my honest opinion right now is the time that is the best to be feeding deer for the following year. When it's cold and everybody else stops feeding them because hunting season's over, the deer will absolutely flock to a good quality protein feed. My experience has been the biggest deer in the area will end up at your place and will start including your property as some of their home range. And they will start traveling it the following year.

Big bucks will eat from a feeder just fine. One of my favorite pictures. Believe that was taken in January but could have been late December. All those bucks were showed up for the first time that winter and most of them frequented my place the following fall. It paid off. I think they ate about 1500lbs in under 2 months that year.

Protein feeder. home made with a timed head to limit feed times. At the end of the season I open it so they can free feed as much as they want. For January and February. When it runs out I start making it a time feeder again.

 

[gjs4]

Thank you for the replies and intel.

Sadly there is not one Academy anywhere around the northeast or ohio.

Where are you guys buying corn in that volume? What is a winter time alternative?

I hadn’t really thought of how much of the year would have supplemental feeding. There is a ton of browse and mast info the area… plots soon (but really nothing for ag). Things to figure out.

 

[Tsimmerson]

Academy does this thing called ordering online and shipping.

 

[SilentElk]

Lova

Thank you for the replies and intel.

Sadly there is not one Academy anywhere around the northeast or ohio.

Where are you guys buying corn in that volume? What is a winter time alternative?

I hadn’t really thought of how much of the year would have supplemental feeding. There is a ton of browse and mast info the area… plots soon (but really nothing for ag). Things to figure out.

Bags are find but usually a local feed mill is equal or cheaper than a farm and ranch store.

For protein I am feeding this right now. I forget what I have used in years past. Then seem to like it. One of bigger deals is a high fiber content (think I am running 17%) and protein of at least 14%. Currently running 16%. Trying some Bovine maintenance feed for cows right now. Deer seem to like it.

In the past I ran some custom stuff that they were trying out specifically for people feeling deer feeders. it was in the 22-25% protein range. I was having issues with my feeder that year. It was my first year and the bin was too air tight. Caused moisture issues and started gumming up the head often. It had some molasses in the feed that then did weird things with moisture. Then the fact I wasn't there to keep on eye on it often (friends lives 30 mins away could upon occasion but he wasn't a deer hunter so I didn't want to bug him too much) meant it might sit for a week 2 clogged and that just exacerbated the whole deal.

So short of the above is, the local custom stuff could be good.

For protein, you can probably get something on the $450-$500 a ton price in bags. The stuff advertised for big antlers etc isn't anything too special a local place couldn't make similar. That stuff is $750-$1000 a ton.

Call a local feed mill, them what you are looking for and see what they recommend and other are buying. This time of year just try and hit the higher fiber and protein numbers. Search online. Texas has A LOT of forums where they discuss this. But their nutrition needs are different than most areas but it does offer insight.