bronko22000

did anyone ever think of hiding a trail cam near the feeders? Of course if it wasn't hidden well that too would get stolen.

DougMD

Seems to me any thief would steal the feeder and dump out the corn to make the feeder lighter during the theft. That is, unless it is someone you know who doesn't want to get caught.

I know fora fact that bears can empty a feeder in no time at all if they can get to the legs and bump it repeatedly, making corn spill off the feeder tray to be replaced by gravity with more corn that gets spilled off, etc. etc. etc.

sproulman

doug, our feeders are nailed and permanet with roofs over them to keep corn dry on the cobb.
we did lose 1 feeder too,someone stoled the whole feeder but thats a first also.

i am worried thatsome clubs may stop putting out corn because of this or find way to put it out that it would be a lot of work to steal..

our problem is all feeders are right next to roads so its easy to get to them in winter,plus this is good advertizing for us to get hunters to join clubs,they see deer with kids and want to join and help.

its just like our guns,when we would go to our sportsmanmeeting and talk about all our guns and what are you using etc.
we would go to elks club or restaurants with friends and talk hunting and what guns etc..

you dont hear that anymore.
NO ONE will even mention they own hunting gun.

i just picked up paper and small towns are having crime now here in pa.they need police but cant afford it.
someone said it only happens in clinton/lycoming/cameron/potter county which i report on.

we all see paper,its WIDESPREAD and its world we are in now.drugs,morals, unemployment,cost of living,are all having affect on what is happening in our towns and our hunting.
take care

DougMD

That explains why the feeder isn't stolen. Perhaps the corn is, or something is eating the heck out of it! Perhaps if you cleared the area around it and muddied it up some with water, you can get foot/paw prints. I would think that most animals would leave the stripped cob though!

browning.204

No, but it is more excuseable if some poor guy is just trying to keep his kids warm!.

johnny2

I got a warning and was told it's ilegal to feet animals anyway...

So why are you baiting the deer anyway...shame on you...

mlo31351270

I think in PA you can feed deer as long as its not during hunting season.

sproulman

you are right, go to head of class. law reads that you can feed a deer up until 31 days before and any time afterhunting season.
some areas of pa. you can EVEN feed during season, its called BAITING and is allowed in certain WMU,S

most sportsmans clubs here in pa. have DESIGNATED FEEDERS,they are filled with corn after late muzzleloader season.i believe its around middle of jan.

the DCNR tried to get it stopped,they tried to get it put in THEIR forestry rule book, i dont know if they ever got their way there.i did hear at one time they were cleaning corn up that hunters put out for deer up near emporium ,pa.

can you see that, DCNR with rakes shoveling up corn so poor deer dont have a little to eat to stay alive.

i heard the sportsman club in that area was up in arms over it ,dont know what outcome was, if that was true.

they want deer DEAD,so they went after feeding deer.

sproulman

browning, we dont think that is what is happening.
most of those corn stoves are expensive,over 2,000 dollars and almost nobody i know owns any here.
also they break all time,they get KLINKERS.

we were surprised that 1 guy was caught was taking corn to his yard, he lives near woods and was feeding his deer/turkeys coming to his home.

a lot of people do this, then they shoot a turkey or deer when they come to get corn.
as long as corn is cleaned up 31 days before season, its legal.

so, there is one THIEF.maybe many more are doing this, we dont know.

we have other idea what is happening but we have no evidence YET,so i will not comment.

at 11 dollars a bag for corn,10 /15 bags a feeder,its awful tempting to steal.

buckclub

As an animal nutritionist, I have some issues with feeding deer. Here in NY is it illegal, and I am glad. Deer are ruminants, meaning they need browse to form a proper rumen mat, to keep the rumen pH stable, to keep the blood urine etc pH stable. Corn is a concentrate that when fed free choice at will,will drop the pH of the deers blood putting them into an acidotic state, and this leads to an upset stomach, and sore feet among other health issues. If youHAVE to feed deer corn so that they can survive the winter, you have too many deer for the amount of space! they should be able to have enough fat reserves built up to survive the winter by eating browse, and what ever else mother nature gives them. Its called an ecosystem, let mother nature do her thing!!! some deer will die, big deal its a fact, coyotes, crows, fox will have a meal. Its not humans duty to get in the way of mother nature. Not to mention when you crowd them you are probably doing more harm than good, they will deplete all the browse in that area, leading to starvation and upset corn stomachs. crowding also spreads disease among deer, leading to death. let mother nature do her thing and don't feed the animals!!!