feeding deer

[sweetlou]

I have a deer feeder set up that I made this year. I don't think all the feeder motors are the same but the one I have is a small metal plate about 3 to 4 inches and two of the sides are bent upwards to hold the feed into the drum. Near my house a feed store sells antlermax deer feed, buts its a really fine crumble. I'm curious to find out if anybody has used this or what they have used and learned. My concern is that the feed is so fine that when it is tossed out onto the ground its going to be to hard for the deer to actually be able to pick up and eat? I thought maybe corn would be bigger and more effective. anything anyone can offer would be great. I'll probably end up just putting corn in there until I find something or someone suggests something more ideal.
I also don't want comments about how you don't agree with feeding, because I really don't care. thank you!

[lokidog]

Corn is mostly empty carbohydrates.  A feed like Del's Allstock is in pellet form and would hold up better than some kind of crumble.  Our blacktails seem to like it better than Coastal's equivalent.

[Jburke]

Feed stores also sell alfalfa pellets.  I believe they are sold for rabbit feed also.  Corn will work but there isn't really nutritional value in it. 

[sweetlou]

Are the deer here going to like the alfalfa pellets?But that does help, I didn't even consider all stock or alfalfa pellets.

[Jburke]

Are the deer here going to like the alfalfa pellets?But that does help, I didn't even consider all stock or alfalfa pellets.

My friend uses them N of Spokane and they work.

[lokidog]

Wet Cobb does the trick for me. Also I choose a freestanding gravity feeder, no limit on how much they eat, no eating off the ground and you can make them coon proof. Id rather let them free feed then try to control their pattern. I have found that mature blacktails don't like to be told when to eat, rather try to catch them first/last light and midday

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I like to put it out so they are mostly rewarded during daylight, but then I have lots of access/time to place the feed.

[lokidog]

That's a great point lokidog, I don't have the time to regulate feeding like that. I have heard that people who put feed out in the AM and pull it in the PM have good success getting deer to show during daylight. Unfortunately for me that would burn hours out of each day therefore I choose the free feed method.

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One way I get around having to go "pull" feed is I only put out what I think will get eaten (plus I'm really a cheapo when it comes to feeding wildlife    ).  My goal with feeding, at least during the summer when there are other good foods available, is simply to get them to come by and check out the sample platters, not belly up to the buffet. 

My chickens have discovered my feeder, however, and like the pellets as much as their own food, grrr.

In the winter I often put out more but that is for nutritional value not attractant.

[Birdguy]

I do not bait on the west side but on our place east, corn = bears  . Everytime we put out corn the bears show up very shortly and stay long enough the eat all the corn . They really like wet cob they show real fast for that. I had pictures a couple years ago of multiple bears laying on the pile of cob until they could not eat anymore, they sleep right there and eat more when they wake up, usually only leaving when another bear comes in. I have stopped using all things corn, I will not even use the deer blocks with corn if I can avoid it. I will put out some wet cob and alfalfa in late Nov. or Dec. to late Feb. for the critters post hunting season.

Sweetlou, go to Wilco and buy a bag of water treated (holds up a little better if it gets mist) Purina deer chow. It was $15-17 a 50# bag last year do not know what it is right now but it works pretty good and will actually feed deer in your chosen area.

[sweetlou]

Birdguy, you must live around me somewhere, I used to work at Wilco about 2 months ago.
I know exactly what feed your talking about, which was originally what I was going to feed. But since you know the consistency of it will it be thick enough on the ground for them to eat? and continue to come back?

As some have said you use alfalfa pellets on the east side, I should have clarified that I am hunting the west side where alfalfa isn't as abundant as over there making me think it may not be as appealing to the west side deer.

[sweetlou]

This is the feeder that I bought, it spins pretty fast I imagine it will toss the feed pretty far too.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Wildgame-Innovations-6-volt-Digital-Control-Unit/727902.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D1000005156%26Ne%3D1000005156%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Ddeer%2Bfeeder%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchallpartial%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_st%3DSearchRefinements%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Ddeer%2Bfeeder%26searchTypeByFilter%3DAllProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=deer+feeder&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

[jasnt]

I use corn. I have no bears in this area and have been using corn 8-10 months a year for the last 4 years. But I also have a high protein food plot and supplement whitetail institute's 30/06 +protein. I've noticed a huge difference in antler growth since I started using 30/06+protein! The deer love it. They eat it every day. Just a few bites but every day. Works great for trail cam bait so far but I dout it would work well in a broadcasting feeder.  Im testing the 30/06 in bear country now to see if the bears gorge on it or just eat it like the deer.

[BowForElk]

This is the feeder that I bought, it spins pretty fast I imagine it will toss the feed pretty far too.

I bought a similar feeder ( the moultrie 6.5 gallon). On the family ranch in texas all the barrel feeders are wrapped in 1/2" mesh so the deer can't get into the feeder its self. So I did the same thing with mine. This does 2 things. It slows the feed down a lot so you down get chicken scratch scattered 30' in diameter and it makes kind of a racket. And having sat in a blind on the ranch (mind you these are white tails) that feeder goes off and its like a dinner bell. within 5 minutes every deer in the vicinity is getting chow.


They use corn there. I have tested mine with Wet COB and it works well. Pellets will work too.