Deer Feeder

[bob5739]

I am looking for advice on deer feeders. I am looking at a tri-pod with a timer, rechargeable battery with a solar charger.  I need input reference brands, 6 volt vs volt, plastic vs metal.......any help will be much appreciated...thanks    Bob

[gbelardinella]

Bob, I have 4 different types of feeders. My favorite is the 240 lb stand feeder from cabela's. It has a built in stand and holds a lot of feed. The feeder hopper is divided into two different compartments so you can add corn on one side and oats on the other. It is very easy to climb the ladder and pour in your feed. I have had this know for two years and it has worked without flaw. I mounted a solar charger on the top of the lid and I never have to change the 12 volt battery. The digital timer is extremely easy to use.

I also have a tripod feeder from cabela's. This is my second favorite. I have owned this one for 3 years and again I have never had a problem. I mounted a solar charger on this one also. This one works off of a photo cell to determine day or night and it has several feed times and feed lengths. The only problem I have with this since I am only 5'4" is I need a ladder or I have to back my truck up to it and stand on the tail gate to fill it.

I also tried out this year the Nocturnal Nightmare day time only feeder. I have mixed feelings on this one because I have had a racoon get caught in this one when the lid closed and it ripped out the wires to the motor. The other problem is the feed that you put in will get wet if it rains when the lid is open. I have been putting corn into this with a mineral block and as long as you put it where you know the deer are they use it the corn doesn't seem to go bad. It is hard to find these but Nativeoutdoors.com has them. No ladder or truck needed to fill these either. I mounted a solar charger on the lid of this one also. The digital timer is just like the 240lb stand feeder from Cabela's.

I also have a hanging feeder and absolutely hate it. I rigged it up with pulleys to make it easier to pull up and out of the way but it is still difficult to fill. You cant put this just anywhere either.

Look into one of those Cabela's ladder type feeders. I think you will really like it. They have two different styles. They are a little more spendy than a lot of the tri pod feeders but I believe it to be well worth it.

Good luck and if you find something better let me know

Gary

[bowbrown]

I have two of the moultie pro hunter feeders and have had them out for two years with out a probelm even in single digit temp.  Bought them at sams club for $100 with a battery and charger.  For the money I think the are pretty good.  You could also round up the pieces and build your own if you have the tools and you would only have to buy the spinner mechinism.

[Ohio farms]

I have used the Cabela's 240 lb. ladder type stand for two years now.  Bought a second one this year.  Make sure you get the varmit cage to keep the critters off of the distribution port.  I usually start using it about 3-4 weeks prior to bow season. I set it to run in am and pm for 10 seconds. (easy to set) When the motor goes on to throw out the corn it hits the  the bars of the varmit cage and makes a noise though.   I use a rechargable 6 volt and it lasts a couple months without recharging.  It took about 2 1/2 hours to assemble...the second unit was much easier since I had the first one to look at.  To move it ( I bring it into the barn after deer season is over) I found that if you replace the few nuts and bolts that you need to remove to more easily transport it with stainless steel it makes the job much easyer.  Also put wolmonized 2 X 4's on the feet to keep it from sinking in the dirt.  Good luck.
The only thing that I would add is that it seems that after the deer feel the pressure of hunting, most of the activity at the feeder is at night, but it tends to keep deer in the area. Also, every body loves corn, so expect to spend a good deal of $ on keeping it full. Feeders can be useful, but they are not the miracle that some TV shows depict. At least not on my farm.

[FFKEVIN]

[font="Tahoma"]We have TWO of the Moultrie 55 Gallon Pro Magnum Feeders on our land.

55 Gallon Pro Magnum Tripod Feeder Link

It is a little pricey, but it has a lifetime warranty! We had a animal (probably a deer) break the feeder unit off the drum, we sent it back to Moultrie and they sent us a new one at no charge.

Also, this unit takes 2 - 6 volt batteries and they last about a year before you need to replace them. You can buy the solar panel but they last so long why bother.

It holds about 350-375 lbs of feed so you don't have to fill it too often. You can program it to feed up to 6 times a day from anywhere between 1-20 seconds per time. And it is made of ALL metal. (No plastic!)

We are very happy with these feeders!!![/font]