Feeding Deer in Winter Harms More Than Helps

[clfenimore]

A couple of years ago I made some gravity feeders one out of a old barrel where I took a 5 gal bucket and mounted it on a cross piece the deer seemed to avoid it so I wrapped the bucket with a feed sack and still the deer avoided it as you can see in the pics this deer was the only one that came close in a month. the other feeder I made out of PVC using a 4 inch piece with a cap a 4 to 2 1/2 reducer and a elbow with 2 1/2 PVC cut out so the deer could feed. I was feeding coons and squirrels not deer. I gave up trying to set out feed after I saw there weren't any deer using them I don't need to help the squirrel population! Actually I need to thin them out there aren't enough squirrel hunters these days

[SHKYBoonie]

clfenimore, that green feeder kinda scares me! LOL I have had much the same results with home made on-demand type feeders. The deer did use them, but the squirrels and raccoons always got more than the deer did. That's why I switched to timed feeders. They put just enough out everyday that the deer eventually find and use them. The rodents didn't get a chance to eat everything before the deer got use to them being there. Here's a few pics of the old makeshift feeders we had. They were made from a regular 30 gal. trashcan with holes in the bottom.
 
We use to have several of the PVC pipe feeders too. They were made from 8" pipe. We cut a half moon on one side of the very bottom. Then we glued a piece of heavy sheet metal to the bottom cut like a key hole shape. The long side of the sheet metal extended past the half moon cut out. They worked great, but there again every critter in the woods ate from them. I have removed most of my feeders now but still have a few running in some of the fields. Messing with the feeders, I think, is more headache than rewarding. I'm going to shift my energies and $$$ into native brows improvements.

[clfenimore]

I guess it scared the deer too! Looks like you have fat coons and skinny deer LOL
I thought I had a coon problem Wow those are some big ones.

[SHKYBoonie]

Yeah! LOL I had a group of older guys I was letting coon hunt the farm last year after deer season. Found out later that they don't kill the coons, they just tree them and move the dogs to the next area. Lotta good that was doing right? We have been trapping some this year and have removed quite a few. I had a pic that I was trying to find. It had 18 coons in one picture. At least that's as many as we could make out. It looked like a coon fur rug with little heads popping up here and there. [:D] We are seeing alot less now sense we started trapping. I was using them for practice during bow season. It's amazing how fast those little suckers are!

[msbadger]

Well I thought I was done with this ...but...D&DH sent me an "E" that had an archive article on yarding....I'm sure the rest of you received the same....

Now we all have a tenancy to read things and form what we read into a little pocket of our own opinions...which perhaps I'm doing ...that being said my past statement of creating habitat and food sources on your lands and encouraging neighbors to do the same...ie plots and plantings...is the way to hinder such die offs....but it also seems to me that in such cases..because they seem to occurs in hard...deep snow winters that officials interceding isn't off base...at least in NY were we don't have wolves...yet

Now when that article was written, it mentioned studies from 30's-50's and the southern tier of NY not have many conifer forests....Well how things have changed....actually many of the lrg areas in conifers around us.... were planted by the state...any how it was a good read....

The other thing.....about browse lines....Please let me say IMOP....deer are being blamed FAR too often for what really amounts to poor forest management....when the canopy of a woods is so dense that light doesn't reach the ground ...lower branches of all trees will die off...young saplings won't survive....fern and moss with be abundant....none of this has anything to do with deer...infact deer will vacate such an area...or use it as a travel zone and hot summer bedding area....with timber prices low ...you'll see more of this because ppl won't be willing to take a potential loss on that resource....with our new property...it should have been logged years ago....but as it is.... I'll manage the standing dead trees and the fire wood and junk areas ...but will not log with prices as they stand now until we absolutely have too due to stand health   

[hookset6969]

Alright guys I'm making some feeders out of 5 gallon bucket's and running a piece of 4" pipe out of the bottom with a slight bend to keep the feed from running out all over, I thought I might be the only guy making my own feeders but this is great to see all the other ideas, SHKYBONNIE I almost bought a garbage can today to do the same thing you did but ended up with the buckets instead, I think I will head back and get the trash can too. I don't care if I'm feeding small furry critters that will give me and the boy something to shoot at, As long as my son is shooting they will be safe because he is only 3 but I've had him shooting his little 22 chipmunk and he loves it but has no idea what aiming means, He only knows how to point, thank god for the huge hills we have to shoot into [:D] I should start a POST called REDNECK FEEDERS.

[SHKYBoonie]

The critters will sure use those on-demand type feeders. It is kinda nice being able to watch all the different wildlife that use them. I had the automatic feeders out and the critters still use them too, they just don't get to eat until they bust like before. Matter of fact, last time I was at the farm I had to repair some wires that run from the solar panels on the feeders I still have out in the fields. Seems the squirrels like chewing them into. I guess it's pay back from installing the varmint zappers on all of my feeders. They get close to the spinner plate and it will give them a good jolt![:D] I know because they have gotten me a few times too.
 
Another thing, find a way to block off about a 1/3 to 1/2 of the outlet of your pipe feeders. It will keep the feed from just running out all over the ground. Coons have a way of digging at it and this will slow them down a little.
 
Your "Little one" will have alot of fun watching all the animals that will come to the feeders. Just make sure that he understands that feeders aren't an end all solution to deer hunting in general. It's easy to get caught up in the feeders and loose all senses of what it means to be a woodsman. I know, it happened to me. That's why I have done away with all of my feeders except for a few we are keeping in the fields for the kids.

[hookset6969]

The feeders I'm making are going to be used in the front yard of our cabin so there will be no hunting around them. I have put some feeders out in the past but I am not up there enough to keep up with them thats why I'm so interested in the food plots. I'm actually making one big feeder for the birds and the rest for turkey's and deer [:D] My son alway's want's to know where CLUCK is when we go up there because every night we have a bed time story and the turkey's name is CLUCK. CHESTER is the name of the coyote in our stories and all the other animals have names also. We have plenty turkeys around but it seems everytime he's with they run away before he see's them or they just don't show up. So I'm hoping the feeders will help out [:D]

[Randy3003]

Our family has been managing our deer herd for over twenty years without ever resorting to supplemental feedings.  We do however leave a very small amount of extra crops left in the fields (slightly more than what would be left from natural harvesting), mostly its nutrients and such for antler growth that we concentrate on.  That and herd numbers control, in order to minimize the possibility of starvation.  Lots of hunting going own, and this means lots of good eating.  So do what we do, instead of feeding them and causing great harm for the future, hunt now and avoid the conflict.  This back strap's for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gulfcapt]

Im no BIOLOGIST nor am I a DEER PROJECT LEADER FOR FISH AND GAME COMM!! Like our Kent Gustafson. But I have been around for some time now... Anyone who has ever watched a deer in the wild feed, know they are browsers. They move along eating on Grasses, Leafs/shrubs, Berries,and a wide varity of crops that are planted for the publics consumption wether we like it or not. Mr Gustafson boasts (QUALITY NATUERAL HABITATE PROVIDES THE BEST INSURANCE FOR DEER SURVIVAL).. Well here it is Mr Gustafson what happens when a droughts, late freezes,harsh winters, things that afects your so called quality natural habitate happen? and that habitate can no longer sustane the herd? and for that matter how many quality habitates do you actually think we have? that is considered QUALITY? If a farmer Disks his/her ground for the following years planting, you think a DEER will stand there and say well this is the end for me, no more crops! NO!!!!! They will seek out other nutrition/foods like the species has for many many years. Planting Helps the herd,Especially during harsh winter or droughts when the so called"natural habitate" can't provide for them! I will continue to plant/feed them like we do in our zoos, parks,and where ever they (BIOlOGIST) condone it. Mike.haglund@gmail.com