This is the third thread I have started documenting some of the things I have done since purchasing 117 acres in Columbia County in May of 2015. I thought perhaps some of this stuff might be helpful to others here on the forum. I have been doing multiple things on the property for wildlife as well as ease of access. Have a couple threads already regarding food plots and fruit tree plantings for wildlife that I have engaged in. Thought I would share some initial thoughts I have regarding my feeding efforts on the ranch.
Before sharing those thoughts, I thought I would give rundown on what I actually di in regards to feeding wildlife on the ranch.
First trial an error. You do not want to try hanging a feeder between two trees unless they are on level ground. Don't ask how I know. Or perhaps don't ask Yelp how we know.
Sometimes planning at home and actual implementation in the field doesn't work. The first attempt to use a hanging barrel feeder was simply a waste of time. See first photo below. You can just visualize the physics on this one ...steeper than it looks. I'll leave it at that.
After that humbling experience, I have since reevaluated the process. I have also had a over a mile atv/utv trails put in with a cat since then as well. Perhaps I should select feeding sites close to those trails for ease of refilling....duh.
Being that the property pretty has a slope of some degree, I decided to design a hanging pole feeder. Another member on here worked his magic and a prototype was born. The top of the feeder is 15 feet in the air so that the bottom of the barrel would be out of reach of bears. Since then I have had a second pole built that's only 12 feet at the top since the slope anywhere I position a feeder gives me additional height. A shorter pole is just a little easier to work with and the reduction of 3 feet gets rid of most of the slight bend from the hanging weight.
I might add that I had muptiple recepticles made to cement into the ground so that I could easiely change feeding locations. Simply remove feeder pole from one site and move to another. Insert into recepticle and attach pins. Also spare pole doubles as a potential hanging pole to gut and skin an animal. Just haul it to the nearest recepticle, insert pole and do whatever.
I used a 30 gallon Moultrie Magnum feeder on the initial pole. I had an additional Moultrie feeder burn up with some other items (an expensive poly deer blind and materials) when a fire just encoached slightly on the property last July. The second picture shows the first pole. It has a Dutton-Lainson 800 lb. winch with a brake. Great winch and auto brake is awesome. Crank up or down without any adjustment. See winch picture below. Moultrie Magnum feeder weighs approximately 160-200 lbs full depending on feed and level. I tend to only go about 80% full.
I also run two small Moultrie tripod feeders down lower on the property in the large pastured field to avoid bears messing with them. Initially put one up higher and bears knocked it over. Pictures on that on the fruit tree thread. The tripods work well not only for the deer down lower but turkeys as well, of which there is an abundance of both on the place. They hold about 165 lbs. each. See pictures. First is a close up of one of the tripods by my tractor at the upper end of a new food plot. The second is a view from part way up the property looking down. If you look you will see two dark objects at the lower and upper end of those long food plot strips. Those are the two tripod feeders. All feeders in addition to 6 volt batteries, have additional solar charger/panels as well.
One sidenote. Sitting at the trailer and watching deer come out to go to the tripod feeders early in the morning or late afternoon is entertaining. Some of the times you would swear someone is shooting at them, as they run full out across the field to get to the feeder. Others just trot.
The one problem I experienced being 6 hours away from the ranch is maintaining feed to re-supply the feeders. Up until this spring, I would haul feed over and store excess bags in the trailer. Not the most effiecient way and lots of duplication loading and unloading. Again had to evaluate how to make things easier. Found a winery in Tacoma that was selling a couple used double walled poly storage bins that they used to ferment grapes. Both had lock tight lids that pretty much make them impossible for animals to get into Weight capacity of each was 2000 lbs. Paid $400 bucks for the pair. Hauled them over to the property, left them on the trailer and the next day proceeded to buy grain at Blue Mtn. Seed in Walla Walla. They loaded each bin on the trailer with a little over 1000 lbs. each. Hauled them back to the ranch and had a neighbor with a forklift unloaded them. Thank God for that, or they would still be on the trailer.
Running out of room ......thoughts on next post below.