Does a deer feeder spook Deer?

Deer feeders are great tools used by thousands of hunters every year. However based on our years of experience, YES they do spook deer. To be more specific, they spook mature bucks. I can almost guarantee you will have a much better chance of seeing a mature buck eating from a corn pile compared to eating under a feeder.

• Why do corn feeders spook deer
• What types are less likely to spook deer
• What are some alternatives to using feeders.
• How to effectively use feeders without educating deer feeding under them.

Why do corn feeders spook deer

Over the years, we have hunted over just about every type of corn feeder you can think of. We have used tripod feeders, hanging feeders and gravity feeders. Based on our experience, there are two major reason we think deer, especially mature bucks, are uneasy around feeders.

• Reason number 1: They are man made objects placed in a natural environment

Most Popular deer feeder designs do not look remotely natural to a deer. The classic tripod feeder does not blend in with the surrounding environment at all. A barrel attached to three metal legs sticks out like a soar thumb! Sure, there are some deer feeder designs out there that try and replica natural objects. However even these types are often made of plastic and lack the ability to smell nature due to the fact plastic is not a natural scent in the woods. Also, the more popular brands with timers, do not look natural and they make a very unnatural noise when they dispense corn.

• Reason number 2: Older Deer associate feeders with danger

If you have hunted over feeders for a number of years, chances are you have shot deer under a feeder. There is nothing wrong with taking a deer under a feeder. However, if you have shot a deer under a feeder there is a great chance another deer witnessed one of their comrades being injured while feeding under a feeder. Often when we are meat hunting we will capitalize on the first shot opportunity we can to harvest a nice doe, meanwhile a mature buck could be be just out of our sight waiting to see if the area is safe to approach. This is a classic example of why very few mature bucks eat under feeders during shooting hours.

What types of deer feeders are less likely to spook deer?

As mentioned earlier, there are several deer feeders designs on the market. Based on our observations in the field, below we break down which type is less likely to spook deer. We compiled information observe with our trail cams and time we spent in woods.

Here are the results:

• Tripod mounted spin feeders

Tripod spin feeders are great tools for hunters wanting to control the amount of feed dispersed at a specific time during the day. However, deer seem to be more nervous feeding around this type of feeder then any other design. They constantly seem to look up at the spinner. Another observation we noticed, we have only one picture of a mature buck feeding under our auto feeders during the entire hunting season. Based on our settings on our trail camera, we estimate he was there for about five minutes and fed during the night.

• Hanging automatic spin feeder

Much like the tripod mounted spin feeders, hanging auto spin feeders offer control on feed time and the amount you wish to dispense everyday. Based on our observations by field and trail cam pics, deer seemed to be somewhat more calm feeding under this type of feeder. However, initially deer were on high alert when approaching the feeder and occasionally looked up at the feeder while feeding. One positive we did notice, pictures of mature bucks feeding under the hanging feeders increased about 15% compared to the tripod mounted spin feeder.

• Gravity Feeder

Gravity feeders are very easy to use and require very little maintenance. Another bonus of using gravity feeders, you can reduce the chance of hogs eating your corn by positioning them at a height that is difficult for most hogs to reach yet still low enough for deer to feed with ease. You can read more about this trick in by clicking here. The one downside of using gravity feeders is the fact, you have little to no control over the feed time or the amount of feed dispensed. However, we see more mature deer feeding out of our gravity feeders then any other design. The deer seem more comfortable and relaxed while feeding as well.

This information is based on our observations made from our trail camera pictures and field experience while primarily hunting in Louisiana. Your hunting region could produce different results. In order for you to make an educated conclusion, simply review your past trail cam pictures at the different types of feeders you use and see how your results stack up.

What are some alternatives to using deer feeders?

There are many alternatives to using deer feeders. Below is a list of our favorite alternatives to lure deer into range.

• Food plots
• Planted food sources
• Native food sources

The alternatives listed above are great for attracting deer into range. However, most of us that live in the real world have to be thrifty with our hunting budget.

• Food Plots

Food plots are great for attracting deer. Depending on the region you hunt, food plots can basically draw deer into a selected area throughout a hunting season. They work and there is no disputing their effectiveness, especially during late hunting season when deer concentrate on eating.

There are a few drawbacks to food plots. They can be very difficult to plant with out proper equipment. Also, they can require a significant amount of time in one day to plant. Another major drawback is your are almost completely dependent on the weather for them to grow and be effective. In the southern part of the United States the weather often can become hot and dry resulting in all the work to install them a huge waist of time and money.

• Planted Soft Mass and Hard mass trees

Planted trees can give you ant edge over your hunting buddies if you have a little patience and understand how to properly plant the soft mass and hard mass tree. There are a couple things to keep in mind when planting soft and hard mass trees.

Most trees should be planted during the winter months. The two favorite types we plant are persimmon and pair trees. A lot of people love to plant acorn trees however, unless you own the land you intend to plant them on, I would not waist my time doing so. Acorn trees take years to reach maturity to begin producing acorns. There is no guarantee you will stay in a lease for twenty years.

Why do we focus on planting fruit trees? Fruit trees can relatively cheap to buy and require much least time to reach maturity to start production of fruit. However the fruit will very rarely last until the latter part of deer season.

Planting fruit trees and hard mass trees are great for attracting deer. Just keep in mind they take time to produce and soft mass trees rarely produce enough fruit to last the entire hunting season. If you would like more information about planting trees to attract deer check back with us at Americanhuntingsafari.com for an upcoming post specifically focused on this subject.

• Native food sources

Most hunters may not realize just how effective this method of attracting deer really is or how easy it can be to cultivate these food sources. Of course everyone knows how great acorn trees can be for attracting deer during the fall. However there are many other that many hunters often overlook.

Some examples of native food sources are dew berry vines and honeysuckle vines. Of course the most popular native food source is acorn trees. Acorn trees are typically utilized by many hunters however the other two examples are often overlooked.

Honeysuckle and dew berry vines are one of the greatest food sources a hunter can ever find. One easy tip, place cheap fertilizer around the base of the vines. The fertilizer will boost the nutritional value of the native plants and deer will take notice. This is a cheap easy way to attract deer. There are many other plants that deer love to browse on but as we all know, a hard frost will destroy most browse until the following spring.

How to consistently get shots at deer even when they are spooked by corn feeders?

Even though deer feeders spook some deer, they are still extremely beneficial for hunters. Below are a couple tips to try if you can’t quite get a shot under a feeder.

• Feeder placement

Place your feeders in an area near thick cover or heavily used game trails.

• Once you harvest a deer under a feeder, move it to another location

This tip typically works on bigger properties where there is not as much hunting pressure.

• Hunt the trails instead of at the feeder

This tip perhaps is the most effective way to hunt a feeder and not educated deer. Not only will hunting trails, going to your feeders, reduce the risk of educating deer, you significantly up your chances of getting an opportunity of seeing a mature buck during legal shooting hours.

Summary

I hope the information shared in this post helps you guys this deer season. I love using feeders. They are a great tool for the average hunter with limited time to put out feed. If you guys want more interesting tricks and helpful tips, check out Americanhuntingsafari.com. Please subscribe for the most recent posts with helpful tips for hunting and fishing.

Thank you for reading!