twildasin

I seen this happen just this year on my bait piles. ( different buck eating apples and then when the does started to bring in the fawns to eat the bucks disappeared. Same thing happened at both my farms! I questioned this to several people and they said the same thing does will run bucks off so there fawns can eat!

GMMAT

Andy (Diesel):

I know we're close to the same age and all......but is there a chance in hell you could adopt me?

Oneshot7

I actually dont agree with the author on the amount of bait he puts out. My taxidermist, the best hunter that I know, puts out about 150 lbs out at a time, simply because 15 to 20 lbs would last about 1 day, and we would rather have less scent in the area. Last year, he killed a P&Y and his son killed 2 P&Y deer. He has had countless multi buck days over the years.

Sooner State Hunter

As a related side note regarding baiting tactics ...

My buddies hunt with an bowhunting-only outfitter in Texas (west of Waco) that employs feeders andthey haveaSTRICT rule that no one can set up or shoot a deer within 100 yds ofa feeder. The outfitter claims this practice discourages the deer from becoming completely nocturnal in there corn-eating habits.

Is it successful?Well they said they saw a ton deer including bucks around the feeders in daylight hours so perhaps it does work.

robbcayman

I have all of my feeders running year round setup on 3 time schedules. They go off every day at 6:30 am, 12 noon and 5:00 pm.

This encourages the deer to get there, or the coons will take all the corn if they only come at night. This really forces the deer to operate during the daylight hours. Before I started doing this, I had gravity feeders and the deer were almost always nocturnal. God, I love timed feeders.

Germ

Andy he's high maintence like a woman, good luck

Jeff I 100% agree with No 2

GMMAT

Oneshot....

If you think about it....you're describing the same thing. Whehter it's 20#'s or 150#'s.....if it's gone in one night....it's still creating competition. The amount is subjective.

HuntingBry

I haven't read the article yet, but I plan to. As far as creating competition wouldn't using the timed feeders do the same? That way you could have a 200 lb. hopper that puts out a small amount of food as a designated time. If the deer want to eat that food they better get there before its gone.

The problem I have in PA is that I use feeders for cameras more than I do for stands (it's legal in my zone to bait). The reason for this is are season doesn't start until October so by that time there are acorns on the ground and as Diesel alluded to the deer have changed their feeding patterns. They are still a great tool for getting pictures, but hunting over them with the intention of shooting a patterned buck is a difficult proposition at best.

TexasBowHunter

Sooner, this is a very affective tactic, we do the same thing on our ranch. We have 4-1000# bulk feedersand several timed 55 gallon drum feeders that we don't hunt within a 1/4 mile of, they are strictly for supplemental feeding but the fact that they are not pressured, in return the deer (mature bucks)are not as nocturnal.

Sooner State Hunter

I too use the timers, I do agree that at first they work great. That timer going off must sound like a dinner bell to them b/c I've sat there with no deer around then the feeder starts throwing and they start coming out of the woodwork. But after a few get poked, they begin to get a skittish. Like my buddy says, "they learn there's no such thing as a free meal"

I also prefer to set the feeder to throw out just a small amount, seems to promote competition in that they know there's not an endless supply.

We use the feeders to thin out does pretty effectively, I've had two shot opportunities at small to mediumbucks, but incidently, both were on opening day. After that, no bucks in shooting hours.

BTW, good luck to you this season Ryan