# Feeders.... Do they scare deer or really work??



## Jamis (Apr 8, 2007)

jason smith said:


> got a question that i have been wondering. got a few really good spots to hunt this year and thought of putting some feeders on them. i have been told that big bucks know feeders are not natural, and avoid them. what do you think, do they work with all deer, or just some doe and fawn. i know some people have got pics of big bucks at feeders, but i am wanting to hear all sides to the spectrum on this before i put out a feeder.
> 
> jason


IMO the sound of a feeder attracts deer, not to sure as to whether or not big bucks avoid them though


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## Boger (Dec 3, 2008)

I use a feeder to attract turkeys to our property and the deer are teriffied of it. The deer just look at it and run.:sad:


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## Springhill (Oct 30, 2007)

I use a feeders during the summer and stop it a couple of weeks before season. I have had lots of trailcam pics of deer including big boys around both spin and trough feeders. They take a little while to get used to it, but they can't stay away from the golden acorns :wink:


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

i have about 3 spin feeders and do not want them just sitting around this year, how ever, i have used them in the past, got pics of bucks at them, but have a GOLDEN new spot where activity is already a pleanty, and wanted to put out a feeder to keep them on this same path through the year. .... just did not want to screw up the activity. thought of just making a gravity feeder out of pvc pipe, that way there is n o noise. still not too sure.

jason


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## trophyhunter20 (Nov 1, 2007)

Feeders don't scare deer. I've keep my feeder out all year. When it goes off it wouldn't be 5 mins and the deer start showing up. The deer love the feed so much that its like feeding cows, cause very time i go and fill it up the deer will follow the 4-wheeler all the way to the feeder and stand about 30 yards away from me and wait till i get done filling it up. I put a mixer of feed like sunflower seeds,wheat feed and shelled corn. it works great for deer, turkeys and dove. I put that mixer in my feeder year round.


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## saskguy (Aug 25, 2007)

Make sure you get the "nocturnal nightmare". Anyone else see that add? BARF!!!


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## 30-30 (Mar 23, 2006)

On our place in east texas, it has taken the deer two years to become comfortable with feeders. They tend to avoid them at first, but become more used to them as time goes on. Sometimes it takes a month, sometimes it takes a couple of years, but they will get used to feeders. After years of consistent feeding and never letting the feeders run dry, the sound of a feeder going off can attract deer immediately. Feeders attract more does than bucks, but then again, don't you want to be where the does are during the rut? :wink:


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## 30-30 (Mar 23, 2006)

saskguy said:


> Make sure you get the "nocturnal nightmare". Anyone else see that add? BARF!!!


What happens to your feed if it rains? ukey:


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## dynamicarchery (Oct 25, 2007)

I have used feeders for years and they do attract deer, mostly does and small bucks. However, I did see a 3 1/2 year old buck at one feeder last year. On the down side the deer that come into them are extremely cautious. They also tend to attract bear to the area which the deer don't care for.


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## toddboy23 (Sep 11, 2008)

These pics are from 2 days after I put this new feeder out! :mg:


























They def. aren't scared of them in Oklahoma!


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*?*

what if the is already deer activity going on. should there be any thing done or not. i am stumped. they are going through the area, but i wanted to plant a small plot and put a feeder just to ensure constant pass through of deer so when season comes in they should be used to it and feeding daily. just do not want to try to fix something thats not broken.

jason


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

nice pics. did they keep coming in to the feeder?


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## bigrackHack (Jun 11, 2004)

jason smith said:


> i have been told that big bucks know feeders are not natural, and avoid them.
> jason


Deer don't have the reasoning ability to distinguish whether or not something is "natural". They can tell if something is "new", but they get used to it quickly. However, mature bucks avoiding the area will have more to do with the increase of human scent and activity during the daytime.


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## ShootToKill10 (Aug 22, 2007)

jason smith said:


> got a question that i have been wondering. got a few really good spots to hunt this year and thought of putting some feeders on them. i have been told that big bucks know feeders are not natural, and avoid them. what do you think, do they work with all deer, or just some doe and fawn. i know some people have got pics of big bucks at feeders, but i am wanting to hear all sides to the spectrum on this before i put out a feeder.
> 
> jason


I have had many deer stand there under the feeder and wait for it to go off and when it goes off they dont even flinch they just begin eating. No way feeders scare deer


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## Red Fletch (Apr 25, 2008)

ShootToKill10 said:


> I have had many deer stand there under the feeder and wait for it to go off and when it goes off they dont even flinch they just begin eating. No way feeders scare deer


I've seen it go both ways. Some deer run away and some deer run twards it. Haven't seen any big bucks near them or on camera but I don't hunt over them anyway. I don't think I'd put one out in a new spot till after I hunted it for a season. If they are already there I'd try something less invasive at first. Any feeder that is availible 24 hours usually will not increase sightings during hunting hours and will be costly to keep full. Best going with a timed feeder if you do.

Feeders scare me sometimes when I forget about them. As long as I don't jump and fall out my stand I end up laughing at myself.....


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## PA_ENGR (Aug 11, 2005)

i think it depends on the area, habitat, and time of year. There is a place I used to hunt that the guy fed the deer in his back yard. There would be big bucks there most of the year feeding. But once the bucks started shedding velvet and acorns start dropping most of the mature bucks left until snow fall (3 monthes or so). If deer have natural feed they most likely won't visit the site. Especially the big bucks since they are more spooked by human scent of course you'r going to have that when you have to go out and fill the feeder. Of course if you live in Texas or somewhere where there isn't a lot of natural feed I would think there would be more of reason for all types of deer to stay around the feeder. You gotta eat to live.


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## tinesandspurs (Nov 30, 2008)

PVC feeders will need to be filled more often. If you don't hunt right on top of your feeders and find a good trail between it and bedding areas it will work. It does take time for them to get use to it. We use feeders but don't hunt right on top of them. Most of the pics of the bigger bucks we have are at night at the feeder. It's a good idea to let it run and stay away until the rut...the does will be hitting the feeder with no pressure and the bucks will be looking for the ladies. I would use what you have and see if it works for you.


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## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

Until it became illegal in our state this year, I had a feeder out at all times of the year with a trail camera setup near by. I found that I had every deer you can imagine coming into feed with most of the buck activity after dark. I never did try hunting close to the feeder but I'm sure it would work. I never saw any negative responses from it.


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## WVH20 (Mar 30, 2004)

*feeder*

I have a feeder 90 yards behind my house . Can set on back deck and almost set my watch with the deer and turkey showing up within a couple of minutes before the feeder goes off. Also have saw some nice bucks at the feeder. Definetly not scared of it here.


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## toddboy23 (Sep 11, 2008)

jason smith said:


> nice pics. did they keep coming in to the feeder?


Are you kidding? I couldn't keep the feeders full! They killed the corn up until my pockets were empty. Tore it all to hell. And as you can see, I put that feeder up 15 days into bow season! :mg:


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## toddboy23 (Sep 11, 2008)

Just to show you, the big bucks come to the feeders too. That 8 point is 3.5. And I have pics of a monster 14 point that I had two encounters with in November. It's early December and he's just munchin away under that same feeder.


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## Spike Country (Jan 10, 2009)

Up until this year i hunted over and around feeders [feeding ban in lower MI]. They bring in allot of does and small bucks in my area and when the rut comes guess what follows those does in.


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## King (Dec 8, 2002)

In my experience, the deer didn't come near it. I had a bunch of pictures of a sow and her two cubs and a couple pictures of a fawn at the feeder but absolutely no mature deer came to the feeder during that months time. The moment I put corn on the ground, I got over 1500 pictures in a weeks time. I had no luck with the feeder.


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## Thickets (Feb 8, 2005)

Three P&Y's this year by me and my partners at our place in Texas, all at feeders (low fence). Say what you want about feeders, but the bucks are definitely not scared of them.


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## 30-30 (Mar 23, 2006)

Thickets said:


> Three P&Y's this year by me and my partners at our place in Texas, all at feeders (low fence). Say what you want about feeders, but the bucks are definitely not scared of them.


Were these bucks "raised" on the feeders? Did mama doe start taking them there when they were fawns? It is just my theory that a buck is a lot more likely to come to a feeder if, in his mind, it has always been there. Do you agree? Was that the case in this instance?


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## Thickets (Feb 8, 2005)

30-30 said:


> Were these bucks "raised" on the feeders? Did mama doe start taking them there when they were fawns? It is just my theory that a buck is a lot more likely to come to a feeder if, in his mind, it has always been there. Do you agree? Was that the case in this instance?


30-30, yes, I do agree with you. We've been feeding this place in Texas for 3 years. Don't have the jawbones back from the taxidermist yet, so I can't answer the question. If the deer are over 3.5 yrs old, they didn't come as fawns, at least not to our feeders. That being said, if we have a dry year, once the acorns are gone, even the wary bucks might let hunger overwhelm wariness.

By the way. From your screen name, it looks like you shoot a classic rifle. An it looks like you shoot a bow that I believe is destined to become a classic too.


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## 30-30 (Mar 23, 2006)

Thickets said:


> By the way. From your screen name, it looks like you shoot a classic rifle. An it looks like you shoot a bow that I believe is destined to become a classic too.


Well I sure hope so, but it'll have to work pretty hard to be the model 94 of archery. :wink:


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## badbow148 (Dec 5, 2006)

If you feed them they will come and will get used to it.


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

i agree.... i was nervous at first, and still alittle. do not want to blow this spot. but, i think it will be fine. feeder should be welcome. does and fawns will come in, and with them,.... bucks. and when they do,... i will be there. i am going to scout the area with my cam first. see what is moving through. then i am going to put out my feeder. watch them some more. if there is any change, i am going to yank that feeder out, but i think it will be good. is there any of you that have recomindations on stuff to feed or put out at feed site that has worked good in your experience besides just corn. i have tried some of the lick blocks and lucky buck in the past. any suggestions welcome, even some off the wall stuff proven to work. heard peanut butter and molases.

jason


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## cont520 (Feb 13, 2009)

Use feeders all the time down here in Florida one thing I have learned is to hunt away from a feeder unless you want to kill does hunt the trails leading to . BIG bucks tend not to use a feeder during daylight hours around here guess you can say they are educated around here for the most part.


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## TbellVectrix (Feb 21, 2008)

In my opinion ive noticed that when the weather gets cold, feeders are absolutely amazing. One day this year when it was around zero, i went out to fill the feed and just from all the noise i was making i had about ten deer within 30 yards of me wanting to eat. I did notice that the old does, and bucks were alot more weary.


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!*

this is great advice... thanks.

jason


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

went today and put out my trail cam, and a bag of corn on the ground. going to leave it alone for a week or two, and go back and check out the pics. want to see whats coming through. here, the bucks wont shed for another 3-4 weeks, so hopefully i can get a pic of a buck or two in there and see what i am working with. thinking that most of you are leaning towards the idea that the feeders are ok. i think so, but also have that voice in the back of my head telling me another story. i am going to try a feeder after i see whats in there, see how they pattern it after i put out the feeder, and if i need to take it out before season, i will do so. i will keep you guys posted, and keep the advice rollin in.

jason


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## Lonestar63 (Mar 19, 2007)

Will they bring in deer to your area??? Yes, mostly does, and a few bucks.

Will they bring in that monster buck of a lifetime?? Most likely not.


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## CutTheLoop (Dec 26, 2007)

Lonestar63 said:


> Will they bring in deer to your area??? Yes, mostly does, and a few bucks.
> 
> *Will they bring in that monster buck of a lifetime??* Most likely not.


Maybe around 4:21 *a.m.*


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## 30-30 (Mar 23, 2006)

jason smith said:


> went today and put out my trail cam, and a bag of corn on the ground. going to leave it alone for a week or two, and go back and check out the pics. want to see whats coming through. here, the bucks wont shed for another 3-4 weeks, so hopefully i can get a pic of a buck or two in there and see what i am working with. thinking that most of you are leaning towards the idea that the feeders are ok. i think so, but also have that voice in the back of my head telling me another story. i am going to try a feeder after i see whats in there, see how they pattern it after i put out the feeder, and if i need to take it out before season, i will do so. i will keep you guys posted, and keep the advice rollin in.
> 
> jason


You might first try a simple 7 gallon bucket feeder that hangs from a tree. This would have less of an impact on their daily world than a big 55 gallon tripod feeder would.


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## easeup (May 4, 2008)

*feeders attract*

I drove up to check a feeder battery and performed a test to spin. Put it all back together and get into the truck to leave. So, not five minutes after these deer heard it go off......they come a running up with me still sitting there.


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## Cthuntfish (Sep 9, 2005)

Sounds like you guys who are using broadcast feeders should buy a feeder repeater call. Works for hogs; I'm sure it would work for deer too.


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## kyshooter17 (May 4, 2006)

*feeders and deer*

Experience has shown me and my friends that feeders will keep the big boys away after velvet shed. During the summer months the big bucks will frequent feeders, but when the velvet is shed they avoid them like the plague. 
This observation is coming from Western Ky where pressure is high. Different areas may have different observations but around here you need to take them down before season. 
Our observations are coming from an area encompassing 3000 acres of managed private land in West Ky. 3 or 4 different farms with 30-40 cameras run almost year round. 
Let me say this, if you left a feeder up for years at the time and kept it running 100% of the time you might see some changes. Never hunting it would help as well. Make sure you disperse plenty of feed just befre dark as well. When a feeder goes off, say an hour before dark, that allows turkeys, small bucks and does plenty of time to come in and wipe the feed out before the cover of darkness sets in. The big boys like the cover of darkness as we all know and if there is no food left after dark they have no reason to visit the feed site.


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

sounds good.... do you guys set feeder to come on at a certain time of the day since when they gey used to it, they will come when they hear it go off? i mean, if they come in to the the sound of a feeder, i would think you would want to set it up to go off an hour or two before you are going to be hunting it. am i right or not .... let me know. this spot, i think, i will will be in mostly evenings, and some mornings.

jason


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## Usingmyrights (Aug 19, 2008)

ShootToKill10 said:


> I have had many deer stand there under the feeder and wait for it to go off and when it goes off they dont even flinch they just begin eating. No way feeders scare deer


It may have been on here, but somewhere I heard someone recorded the sound of a feeder going off and used that as a call with success.


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## txdukklr (Jan 9, 2003)

i've put up many feeders and been able to hunt them a month later.

Initially they will avoid them like the plague but eventually they will start hitting them on a regular basis.


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## Red Fletch (Apr 25, 2008)

jason smith said:


> sounds good.... do you guys set feeder to come on at a certain time of the day since when they gey used to it, they will come when they hear it go off? i mean, if they come in to the the sound of a feeder, i would think you would want to set it up to go off an hour or two before you are going to be hunting it. am i right or not .... let me know. this spot, i think, i will will be in mostly evenings, and some mornings.
> 
> jason


You probably don't want the feeder going off before you get there. If it does you will either bump deer off it or you won't be there when they come to the sound of the feeder going off. You should be in stand when it spins. In TX the deer came running to the sound of the feeder. At home here they just aren't quick to get used to it.


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## 30-30 (Mar 23, 2006)

jason smith said:


> sounds good.... do you guys set feeder to come on at a certain time of the day since when they gey used to it, they will come when they hear it go off? i mean, if they come in to the the sound of a feeder, i would think you would want to set it up to go off an hour or two before you are going to be hunting it. am i right or not .... let me know. this spot, i think, i will will be in mostly evenings, and some mornings.
> 
> jason




Ideally, you want to be in the stand before the feeder goes off. I set mine for dawn and an hour or two before dark.


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

feeder going up soon.

jason


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## 7thSeal (Dec 18, 2008)

30-30 said:


> Feeders attract more does than bucks, but then again, don't you want to be where the does are during the rut? :wink:


If I'm after a mature buck that's been around for several years.... no not really, do you think a dominate buck needs to go searching for his does? All he has to do is defend his turf.




toddboy23 said:


> Just to show you, the big bucks come to the feeders too. That 8 point is 3.5. And I have pics of a monster 14 point that I had two encounters with in November. It's early December and he's just munchin away under that same feeder.


How many pictures do you have of the 'big boys' at the feeders during the day? Not to often I would imagine but I've seen a few pics of them on the internet, of them showing up during daylight hours.

I do agree that feeders will attract both does and bucks, but if I'm after a mature buck well into his years which I've been scouting .... I'd be wasting my time sitting at feeder.


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## JPizzle (Sep 10, 2007)

On our lease, we have the gravity feeders so the deer can come at any time. They are there at all times of the day. I have pics of nice bucks there at noon in the middle of the season just getting a snack and then at 3 am. I have also seen a young buck that came to a feeder fairly regularly. Towards the end of the season, he was under the feeder, it went off and the corn hit him and he ran like heck. Never came back that night. He had to have had that happen to him before.

You can also do two feedings in the afternoon. One, then another an hour plus later. I watched a hog this year eat every piece of corn (about 30 minutes) leave and 15 minutes later when it went off a second time, come back and eat all the rest.


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## jason smith (Nov 28, 2007)

*!!*

And this debate goes on !!!!


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## cgreenhead (Dec 8, 2007)

Feeders dont scare them here. Seen many of them come in & pray to the corn gods. :wink:


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## texasbowhunter9 (Nov 23, 2008)

The only buck i killed this deer was at a feeder, and i have hundreds of pics of deer (Does and Big Bucks) at our feeders. Oh, and the feeder haters... your input is not needed nor wanted.


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