Deer feeder problems

[YanmarFever]

We put out a self timing deer feeder about 2 weeks ago, its filled with whole corn, theres deer in the area (10' away) but they dont even go near the feeder.

Is this something that the deer need to get used to the feeder hanging there before they approach?

Should we be using a different type of feed?

Hunting season was over 3 weeks ago, but im trying to draw deer to my land for next year.

By the way we filled our tags already

 

[Rara Avis]

Did you get rid of the human odors after you installed it?

 

[gsganzer]

Either they're not used to it yet, they smell people, or you have it hanging too low. I've found that the feeder should be about 6 feet off the ground.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The deer are going to have to get use to the feed source. If you have never fed them there it might take a while till they find it and get use to it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Where did you buy the corn from?

I started out buying it from Walmart and had terrible results. Nothing was eating it, or if they did, it was just a taste and they moved on. My neighbor was haveing great results with his, so I switched suppliers. It was only .50cents more per sack, but the results were fantastic.

It was rare to see anything at the feeder with the Walmart corn. With the feed store corn, we started getting herds of hogs and regular deer visits. It's still not where we want to be, but it keeps getting better.

Eddie

 

[YanmarFever]

Thanks for the replies

The feeder rests 8' off the ground

I think there is no human odor on it

And we bought the corn at the feed store, its whole corn not crumbled.
Maybe I will try a different store next time.

I think you guys are right that it will take time for them to find the feeder

We are going to start putting all of our veggie scraps around it too.

We also have 2 trail cameras out back to see what goes bump in the dark

Thank You for the great advise, I think patience was on short supply on my end.

Ernie

 

[EddieWalker]

Be careful on the scraps. I thought the hogs would love them and during a period of heavy use, I thought I'd sweeten the deal for them and add some leftovers. They disapeared for a week while it sat out there rotting. I had to remove it before they came back. Not learning a lesson, I tried catfish food with the same results, sour milk on bread and beer on dog food. The same thing happened every time. It scared them away and kept them away.

Deer are different, but I would have thought that wild hogs would eat anything. Not here!! Our pigs are picky. hahaha

If you do put scraps out there, be sure to seperate them from your feeder. If they like them, then they will walk to them, but if it's a bad idea, it wills scare them away from everything.

Now might be a bad time too because of acorns. My feeders are totally ignored right now, but as soon as the rains rot the acorns, they will come back to the corn.

Eddie

 

[mnbowhunter1960]

Also mix in deer/elk pellets at about 25% this gives them much better nutrition and they like it a whole lot more, I have also heard that just corn is not good for them if it becomes their only dietary supplement

 

[YanmarFever]

Be careful on the scraps. I thought the hogs would love them and during a period of heavy use, I thought I'd sweeten the deal for them and add some leftovers. They disapeared for a week while it sat out there rotting. I had to remove it before they came back. Not learning a lesson, I tried catfish food with the same results, sour milk on bread and beer on dog food. The same thing happened every time. It scared them away and kept them away.

Deer are different, but I would have thought that wild hogs would eat anything. Not here!! Our pigs are picky. hahaha

If you do put scraps out there, be sure to seperate them from your feeder. If they like them, then they will walk to them, but if it's a bad idea, it wills scare them away from everything.

Now might be a bad time too because of acorns. My feeders are totally ignored right now, but as soon as the rains rot the acorns, they will come back to the corn.

Eddie

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Eddie, Thanks for the info on the scraps, I will set them in 1 spot about 15' away from the corn, also I have over 200 oak trees in my back 20, so what you said about the acorns probably applies here too

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Bowhunter , Im going to look into the deer pellets, and mix them with the corn.
Once I get them eating from the feeder I will put out the camera, Im munching on deer pepperoni as I type this YUM !

 

[YanmarFever]

Did you get rid of the human odors after you installed it?

Paul, whats the best way to mask human odor once you have touched the feeder ?

Tractor Ernie

 

[ScottOkla]

I put one up 3 weeks ago near my house where the deer frequent, and I have not seen one there since.

The crows like it though.

 

[jinman]

I put one up 3 weeks ago near my house where the deer frequent, and I have not seen one there since.

The crows like it though.

Both deer and turkeys seem to come and go in cycles. At some times of the year, we will have 8-10 deer at our feeder morning and night; the same with turkey, only more. Then, for some reason, we may go for a month and only see one or two and the corn piles up on the ground. Suddenly, they will be back every day. Even when you get them accustomed to feeding at your feeder, don't expect them to always be there. It really is a seasonal thing as Eddie pointed out. I even put out a deer block by the feeder and the only thing that ever munched on it was squirrels. The deer sniffed it and walked away.

Our deer don't seem to be put off by human smells. They will come right up into our yard and about 10 of them eat corn our neighbor throws out about 20 feet from their back door in heavy woods. Smells of dog urine and other domesticated animals does seem to bother them though.

 

[BB_TX]

I think it just a matter of them getting use to it. We have been using feeders for many years. You can be sitting in your blind not seeing a thing and when the feeder goes off, deer will suddenly appear from where there were none and run to the feeder. And (as Jim mentioned) at other times, it will go off and nothing. We typically set ours up in Sept for a Nov opening.
We have bought corn at various feed stores as well as Walmart. I can't tell the difference in results. And we make no particular effort to hide human odors.

 

[YanmarFever]

I picked up a 50# bag of rolled corn today from a different feed store I will try it out as soon as I have time

 

[kenmac]

Paul, whats the best way to mask human odor once you have touched the feeder ?

Tractor Ernie

Ernie, You may just have one of those odors that you can"t get rid of . you know how that yanmar odor is

I just Couldn't help myself

 

[Rara Avis]

Paul, whats the best way to mask human odor once you have touched the feeder ?

Tractor Ernie

Pollick's Doe Urine Tarsal Plus

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't think the deer really notice human odor on inanimate objects. They also get used to it pretty quickly if it's there. Just like leaving the tractor out in the field and seeing deer tracks all around it the next day. It's just not something that bothers them.

I know you don't have wild hogs, but one thing that really amazed me was how strong the smell is after a group of sows came to the feeder. There must have been one in heat, because after they came through that day, I had boars in there all the time!!!!!! It lasted about two weeks, then back to normal, but the only thing that I can guess that caused it was the urine of one of them sows worked like a magnet on those boars.

Are you sure that there are no deer eating your corn?

Smooth out the dirt around the feeder and check for tracks in the morning. Deer don't eat very much corn. In fact, I've never been able to notice any missing corn from them eating it. Hogs will eat every single kernal, but deer just eat a little bit and move on.

A game camera also tells you if the deer are there or not. They get used to the flash real quick and will just eat and hang out while it's flashing. It also tells you what time of the night they are eating the corn. The buck at mine come in around midnight to 2am. The does are there around 10pm.

Eddie



Eddie

 

[BB_TX]

I don't think the deer really notice human odor on inanimate objects.
Deer don't eat very much corn. Eddie

Eddie - I agree with you. We may go out mid day to add corn to our feeders. We walk around the feeder and I open/close the barrel with bare hands. Then late that same afternoon when the feeder goes off, the deer will still come around.
We hunt in natural open ground blinds (logs/brush stacked a couple feet high). I have had many many deer walk inside 10 yds of me, look at me, and as long as I saw them first and have frozen up, they move on with no alarm. But as soon as they get downwind, they snort, jump, and run off a ways and then start blowing.

But our deer must be hungrier than yours. They will stay at the feeder until every last kernel is gone.

 

[YanmarFever]

Eddie, good advise

I will put up the cameras today, they have that infrared flash thingy that doesnt scare anyone away.

You're right the deer might be eating the corn & I dont know it

It was 28 degrees here last night and the coyotes were howling like the beatles all night long.

 

[ScottOkla]

I don't think the deer really notice human odor on inanimate objects. They also get used to it pretty quickly if it's there. Just like leaving the tractor out in the field and seeing deer tracks all around it the next day. It's just not something that bothers them.

I know you don't have wild hogs, but one thing that really amazed me was how strong the smell is after a group of sows came to the feeder. There must have been one in heat, because after they came through that day, I had boars in there all the time!!!!!! It lasted about two weeks, then back to normal, but the only thing that I can guess that caused it was the urine of one of them sows worked like a magnet on those boars.

Are you sure that there are no deer eating your corn?

Smooth out the dirt around the feeder and check for tracks in the morning. Deer don't eat very much corn. In fact, I've never been able to notice any missing corn from them eating it. Hogs will eat every single kernal, but deer just eat a little bit and move on.

A game camera also tells you if the deer are there or not. They get used to the flash real quick and will just eat and hang out while it's flashing. It also tells you what time of the night they are eating the corn. The buck at mine come in around midnight to 2am. The does are there around 10pm.

Eddie



Eddie

I have to comment on the part about the tractor being left in the field and trackes being all around it the next day. This was my most surprising buck encounter yet:

Monday morning at about 9:30 I drove into the woods and parked next to a couple of smoldering fires from the previous day that my father had burned. I sat in the auto for about 30 seconds and as I started to open the door a buck walked out of the brush, crossed about 30 yards from me in the opening I was in, and then gradually worked his way into the brush again - nibbling on thing all the while. I took a few pictures and then got out and "snuck" to within 15 yards of him, whistled to get his head up, took a couple more pictures, and he then took off through the brush.

All of this aided by a 10-15 mph wind keeping him from hearing or smelling me. He was pretty small, but was an 8-pointer. I can't see him living a whole lot longer (not too bright). At least that was what I was thinking as I came up behind him to get better pictures. I was really shocked by the entire thing.