Automatic Deer Feeders?

[twostroke]

Just curious what others thoughts are on Auto deer feeders....do you use them? Do they work well for brings deer in and keeping them around? Or do they spook the deer by clanging out corn at set times?

whats better the hanging feeders or the tripod?

Yes I know they will obviously bring other critters around as well, so more concerned with if they actually attract or spook deer.

[Waftrudnir]

deer will need time to get used to them. so only good for long time use, but then you have to move the feeder around (risk for diseases)

[sparkplug]

Auto-feeders work great, once they know that it feeds , when it goes off they will run in to it or be waiting for it to go off. I have been using them for 20 some years now. One problem is if you have coons or bears they will distroy a feeder in no time. Do not use the tripod type. I have a few hangers and I wrap the tree base or the pole with a sheet of tin roofing so they can not climb it. I use to make my own feeder motor but now Moultrie makes a good one for a 5 gal pail, It is called the Pro Hunter and it is reliable and not that expensive , like 60 bucks at Sail. so with that and a Home Depot pail your in business. This feeder uses 6V SLA battery and it feeders from 1 second up to what ever and has 6 time slots, as I said it is super simple.

[x_xeon_x]

I used one for a couple years in southern Ontario. Meh. It brought around the odd doe but with all the corn around I don't think it really draws them in. It also brought in a lot of squirrels, raccoons, birds, turkeys, ect if you want something to watch while you're in the stand.

I'm sure further up north, a corn feeder would be a lot more effective.

[irocdyou]

Ive heard a good tip is to not make them spit corn at night. Deer might pick a pattern to eat after hours

[DanO]

I'm not super impressed with them. I still think tossing corn on the snow is better. I use mine to feed a spot I'm too far to visit daily. It's better than nothing but I think bucks avoid the area totally except at night. It's fine if you're looking for a doe or yearling late in the season. They can seize with freezing rain or snow melt. The batteries tend to fail in very cold temps. I've had the tree it was hung in blow over in a severe storm which absolutely destroyed the feeder. I tend to agree with X Xeon.

[rev500ss]

I use a few home made gravity feed feeders. Easy to make and fairly cheap. Just bolt or strap to a tree and your good to go.

[pbonura]

They work period. I have used them and they bring in deer but only work best late season in southern ontario when the fields are dry and better when there is snow on the ground. I am sure up north the preferred method of baiting is a deer feeder. I put one out in January to help the deer and turkey for the winter and there were deer and turkey tracks every where. If you plan to try them put them out right after the first shotgun hunt and throw some bait around to attract them. Once you hunt them deer will get smart and only head up wind of those feeders to check for human scent. They work but not as easy as you think. Still need to pattern the deer and hunt with the wind.

[Gilroy]

I use a few home made gravity feed feeders. Easy to make and fairly cheap. Just bolt or strap to a tree and your good to go.

This is the way I go and it works pretty good at low cost.When the bluejays get to busy on them I shove a few apples down into the bowl and it takes them awhile longer to rob you.