# Opinions needed!!



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

This year I have spent a ton of money on gas and corn for hunting purposes. I have gone from shelled corn to cob corn. The cob corn stays on the ground longer. I can throw out 100 pounds and it is gone in less than 2 days. The cob corn lasts a day or 2 longer. 

I am tinkering with the idea of a automatic feeders. This should save on the amount of corn being fed. I currently have a couple now that I do not use. They are the dawn and dusk feeders. I think feeding at dusk is too late. It needs to feed 2 hours before dark.

Southern States has feeders on a stand that hold 200 pounds and I can limit the amount of corn deing despensed each feeding. I can set the feeding times. They are on sale for $70.00 now. With a feeder I am guaranteed there will be corn on the ground. Also it will cut down on the number of trips I make just to bait. 

My concern is will I see the deer that I see now or will the feeder reduce the number of deer I see. I have concerns that the deer will be afraid of it and not come in as much during daylight hours. I have no experience with auto feeders but they should save me hunderds of dollars in corn next season. 

Anyone have any eqperience with auto feeders??
What opionions do you have on the use of them.

I am sure some people do not like baiting deer and think it is unethical, but in North Carolina it is perfectly legal and is an accepted practice. 
I have been doing it for years with no plan on changing. Just curious of others ways to do it and save money.

Darin


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

Put it out asap. They have to get used to the site and noise. I had one and they never used it. I set it on minimal feed amount. Honestly, I think corn is readily available on the ground in too many places in close walking distance in NC for deer. I know guys that swear by them, but theyre on large, less pressured parcels. Thus being said, Ive seen more deer the past 2 years on cover and in the ground food sources rather than corn.


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Corn*

Where I hunt there are no fields with food for them. There is only 1 field in my entire tract. It is a hay field on the hwy. It is dang near impossible to get them out of the thickets without the corn piles.

The area I hunt is predominately pine thickets. The surrounding areas are mostly cow pastures except 1 rye field on the adjoining property on the very back side. The only hunting pressure in me. I think 1 guy hunts the rye field on the other property. Other than that there is no pressure. I guess that is why I see deer all year.

I see deer crossing out of the pastures back into the pines before daylight in the mornings and back out in the pastures after dark. I see a few deer in the hayfield on my property along the road but nothing like on the firelanes around a corn pile. 

I did hang a feeder up 2 years ago. I ran it all Summer and they ate but I moved my stand on down the road and quit using it.

It is still hanging there from the 14' 4x4 not being used.

Darin


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Asap*

I plan to put it out just after I pay the lease in January. I will try it until around May. If they do not use it I will take it down and sell it.

I plan on moving my box stand around next season. This year I kept things close on the main mud roads because I have to hunt by myself but next year I shoudl be able to get someone in with me. Hopefully 2 others. 

It is getting old hunting by myself.

Darin


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

I know that feeling. Hunting alone sucks. Nobody would know where to look for me most of the time, should the worst happen. Try it early. Then again, they may be corn weary by then, but atleast they'll know what it is.


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Early*

Right now they are visiting mostly at night. A few will visit during daylight hours but mainly at night. 

I can't keep corn on the ground now. They are eating more now than 2 months ago. Just eating most of it at night.

A old man that I used to hunt with has a 300 acre tract in Montgomery county. He sold it to the landfill years ago but has lifetime hunting rights until his youngest child dies. He has been leasing his stands out for $50.00 per day. Each tower stand is over a food plot with a covered trough self feeder. He said he is losing money hand over fist leasing it per day. He can't keep corn in the feeders. The food plots died due to the drought. Turkeys and deer are abundant on this property. It is pines with mixed hardwoods. 
I am leasing the entire tract in 2008. The 3tower stands and feeders will stay with the property. Looking like a great place to hunt. 

Darin


----------



## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

Finger_Mullet said:


> Right now they are visiting mostly at night. A few will visit during daylight hours but mainly at night.
> 
> I can't keep corn on the ground now. They are eating more now than 2 months ago. Just eating most of it at night.
> 
> ...



lets be friends


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

What does that mean??

Darin


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

....


----------



## Adam (Feb 19, 2001)

I didnt know you hunt Neil ...pretty cool. Thats why everybody says Ive disapeared from Hatteras come October, its deer season!


----------



## Moon (Feb 24, 2007)

Not had much luck with feeders. We have put out corn for about 10 years now and the deer and hogs will come to it (mostly does), but it a pain to have to put out corn two times a week. Too much traffic in and out of the woods, which spooks deer. I have now started puting it out at night aftr I get done hunting. I have planted food plots on one farm and had some great success. I feel one reason is less trips in and out of the area. Every time you enter your hunting area to put out corn you alert deer. I feel less human activity equals more deer on the property. That is why I tried a 50 gllon feeder two years ago. It was a dwan and dusk spreader, which I don't like. I saw very few deer around the feeder while hunting. I feel feeders might work best located away from stands and used all year, just to keep deer on the property. If I were to use the feeder around a stand site I would hang it at least 20 feet in a tree and have a programable spreader. I would only feed deer during daylight hours. We have killed some nice bucks around corn, but can only remember one that was actually eating corn during daylight hours, eventhough most of the bucks we have taken have corn in their belly. Again, I think corn or food plots help to keep deer on your property, but hunting over corn only usually leads to lots of doe sightings, which is not all bad. Now, someone give me some ideas how to keep the hogs out of my corn. IMPOSSIBLE!!!


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Feeders*

I to have never liked feeders. I get my corn loose in 100lb bags for $10.00 a bag. I have a mix I use when baiting. I use corn, crab apples, butter nut squash, molasses and deer cain. I don't mix it water like you should but it seems to me that it works better in the powder form. Before the area that I hunted was either sold off or the feds got it me and a buddy of mine used to bait heavy from the end of August clear up to December. We would bait once a week on Sundays cause ya can't hunt on Sundays here in Jersey. We had two bait piles that we hunted. Depending, we would put anywhere between 300-600lbs of corn in each spot along with the other stuff and would last 5-6 days. We would split the cost which made it easier.


----------



## Huntsman (Mar 6, 2003)

Considering the area you may want to think of starting a food plot. Consistent food source and no management necessary and less likely to continually spook deer. Just my .02


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Feeders*

The way it is going now, I have to go down the day before I hunt to put out corn. The deer are eating a bushel of corn a day. I started putting out cob corn since the shelled corn did not stay on the ground long enough to hunt over. The cob corn last a couple of days longer.

I agree food plots would be the better way to go but, there are no open areas in the entire tract. 
It is all pines and they are small. The fire lanes are all shaded and hard to get anything to grow. I can send off a soil sample and apply the needed fertlizer and lime. But I will spend more planting small food plots than what I spend now on corn. Then the plots are so small that they eat them to the ground in a week after they come up. I have tried all aspects of food plot planting. It is just not feasible on this land. I have another tract that I plant 3 acres on food plots. It works well on it.

As far as killing big bucks off of corn piles. Last season a 14 point with 12 inch tines was taken off of a corn pile on this land. I killed a 9 point that scored 144 off of a corn pile. I have killed and saw many big bucks this year off of corn. My buddies son missed a big one sitting in the box stand with me about a month ago sitting over corn. He is 10. 

The bucks will be where the does are. Just watch the does and the bucks will be close behind or travel thru looking for a doe. It has been very productive for me for years now.

I ordered the Moultrie Pro Hunter Tripod feeder yesterday. It should be in in 7-10 business days. Give me a couple of months and I will set up a camera over it and post the results. If no daytime activity occurs I will quit using the feeder.

Darin


----------



## saltandsand (Nov 29, 2007)

I use shelled and cobbed corn, all depends on local prices. Southern States is just around the corner so that's my usual source but have bought cobbed from local farmers. Yeah I hear those saying just go pick it from the farms but those guys have bills too.

I use salt blocks, solid horse blocks and they last two years or more depending on rain, etc. I also mix salt with the corn that goes around the block, and place corn without salt in other areas. Seasalt seems to work the best for some reason, but it's reaaly a fine point not worthy of discussion. Put salt in a bucket and shake it with the corn, I've also soaked the corn in salty water. Salted corn cuts down on squirrels as they eat less and the deer love it.

I think we're talking about the same feeder from SS, and that's on my list. Money is tight now so I'll wait. Last feeder I had fell from the post on the tree and was trampelled open and destroyed.

Molassas or King syrup works well as an attractor. There is a product called Buck Snort which works very well and lasts surprisingly longer than you'd think. The snort also stands up to the deer and, to a certain amount to rain and other critters (although darned raccoon seems to get his jollies getting all sticky with it.)

Tried the Buck Bombs, I like em but not overly impressed. Prefer the Gold label scent, in a glass bottle, and the Tinks is adequate but usually takes piss, rut and doe to do what the Gold alone does. A buddy claims highly that VS1 is the best, I'll let you know next season as I've already bagged two and would only take one more.

Been thinking to start extracting some scents from a kill. Maybe use a syringe to extract piss, and other ideas.


----------



## saltandsand (Nov 29, 2007)

Huntsman said:


> Considering the area you may want to think of starting a food plot. Consistent food source and no management necessary and less likely to continually spook deer. Just my .02



I also use food plot and recommend this if you have time to work a spot.


----------



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

We face a similar dilemma here Darin, especially this year, I presume because of the drought, we can't keep corn out. We have tried automatic feeders in the past with poor results, the deer seemed to be afraid of them. Granted, this was at a time when the dogs ran through this 95 acre tract 3-4 times a week, so the deer were a little wary to say the least. We used trash cans with slits cut on the bottom of the outward facing wall this year and the deer used those with no qualms, and this allowed 150lbs of kernel corn to last a good week or so. We have an automatic feeder that we are thinking about breaking out again to see if the deer will use it this time around, if they will it will definitely come into play next year.


----------



## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

*feeders*

I have one that goes off a hour after daybreak and a hour before dusk ... love it ... when those deer hear that feeder go off they come a runnin ... years when mast is plentiful feeders are less affective and lean mast years it is better .... I like using them and setting my camera up at them and see what's there .... and yes during the rut the bucks will be there after the does .... as far as salt I like the loose mineral salt in a bag that SS sells ... much better than plain salt for the deer but I don't like to mix it with the corn ... messes my feeders up .... I like to put it in a damp area ... old stumps that hold water are great .... just pour a can full every couple months and they will dig out all of the roots and all .... but here I have to deal with bears ... they love tearing down feeders .... and hate cameras ...


----------



## fishbait (Nov 11, 2005)

surfchunker said:


> I have one that goes off a hour after daybreak and a hour before dusk ... love it ... when those deer hear that feeder go off they come a runnin ... years when mast is plentiful feeders are less affective and lean mast years it is better .... I like using them and setting my camera up at them and see what's there .... and yes during the rut the bucks will be there after the does .... as far as salt I like the loose mineral salt in a bag that SS sells ... much better than plain salt for the deer but I don't like to mix it with the corn ... messes my feeders up .... I like to put it in a damp area ... old stumps that hold water are great .... just pour a can full every couple months and they will dig out all of the roots and all .... but here I have to deal with bears ... they love tearing down feeders .... and hate cameras ...


Does mast = acorns?


----------



## drhnter (Jan 14, 2007)

fishbait said:


> Does mast = acorns?


In a word ....yes


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*feeder*

Well I bought a Moultrie Pro Hunter tripod feeder. It holds 200# of feed. I put it out today at mt most productive stand of last seaons. The stand is located a a T in a road. I put the feeder 150 yard away from my stand on the right side of the feeder. THe road in front if the stand was where I baited this past season. I figured if THey are afraid of it I will still see deer in front of my stand. I will leave it alone for 2 weeks and then go check it.

When I pulled up to the stand this morning at least 6 does and faws cross the road about 100 yards down from me. I guess they were feeding in the green field and was headed back to bed down. Now they can visit the feeder to and from the bedding and feeding area.

I will post the results.

Darin


----------



## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

I make my own feeders using 55 gal drums and plywood. Mount the drum on the plywood base and then cut two holes along the bottom rim of the drum, maybe 6 inches wide by 1.5 inches high. Fill the drum with corn and scoop a little out of the holes onto the plywood. These feeders won't spook deer, and will also extend the use of your shelled corn.

saltandsand:
Killed my biggest buck ever this past season doing something similar to that. Actually cut the entire tarsal gland out of one my cousin killed and hung it in a tree. Just as the sun went down a 10-pointer that I'd seen during bow season came out of his thicket with his nose up in the air and headed straight for the tree. Gonna do it again next year, hopefully I can tempt out the 14-point 180-class that lives down in the swamp.


----------



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Darin, how'd the deer take to the feeder? 




saltandsand said:


> Been thinking to start extracting some scents from a kill. Maybe use a syringe to extract piss, and other ideas.


I've found Code Blue (liquid, not gel) to work wonders. You have to keep it fresh, put the lid back on it soon as you finish and try to keep it cool, but thats the only scent I've found to bring deer in with any regularity. I've tried cutting off tarsal glands, putting out urine from bucks and estrous does, have not had much luck that way. I'm dealing with highly pressured 99% nocturnal deer with a terrible buck:doe ratio though so there's not too much that will really draw the deer out. In 14 years of hunting, I've killed 2 deer over the Code Blue, so I guess my definition of regularity is debatable.


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*How did it work??*

Well, I have not been down to check them in 2 weeks.

I put the first feeder out and went back in a week to put the 2nd feeder out. The first feeder is sitting in the middle of a mud road. They refuse to eat out from under it. They eat all around it but not right under it.

The 2nd feeder I put out in a grass field where they set pines out in it. After 1 week they were eating around and under it. They killed the grass they visit it so much. There are 4 heavily used trails to this feeder. I turned the timer up and they continue to eat all that is put out each day.

These 2 feeders are less than a mile apart. I guess it has something to do with the cover around the feeder. The 2nd feeder has limbs over it. The one in the road does not. I am going back next weekend to check them. If they are still not using the 1st one I will move it to a place with more cover.

Darin


----------



## myoutdoor (Aug 14, 2009)

HII guys..
What is this?
can you explain me..!!!
--------------------------------------
www.ajsarchery.com


----------



## brian88 (Sep 30, 2009)

feeders just really haven't worked for me. I would go the other way on that one

<a href="http://www.MyBinocularHarness.com/">Binocular Harness</a>


----------

