off season deer feeding

TriggerHappyJake

Senior Member
Thinking about putting up a PVC feeder for the deer in the off season. I have been told by others that it may affect the deer movement around my stand come next season. Any truth to this? P.S. If I do put it up, it will be about 100 yards from my stand and it will be empty come deer season.
 

willie1971

Senior Member
I would put up feeders outside your stands/shooting range - my hunt club has 8 troughs on 1000 acres, none are hunted, but fed all year. The shooting lanes are baited, but only during hunting season. Works well for us.
 

FOLES55

Senior Member
Anything such as a feeder, food plots, mineral sites & other factors can and will change a deers movement pattern. If your going to leave it empty come season you might as well set it up as close to your stand or wherever you really want. The deer will just revert back to the next best food source considering the pressure and such within that particular area. I can get long winded, so PM me if you like for more of my thoughts and what has worked for me.
 

Throwback

Chief Big Taw
If I wasn't going to put feed in it during season I would put it right by the stand.
 

shdw633

Senior Member
Buddy of mine feeds his all year long in the same tripod feeders near the stands but cuts the timer back to once a day off season, twice a day in season. Seems to work for him. The deer know where to eat no matter what season and doesn't change their pattern.

Have him shut those feeders off and see just how much it changes their patterns.

It will change their patterns. In my opinion your feeder is too small, either the amount you put in there over time won't amount to enough to keep your deer in the area and they will simply empty your feeder in a week and be gone or you will be in there constantly having to fill it, so much so that this will leave your scent in your area a bunch and when you stop feeding they will not come into that area.

If you are going to feed, be able to put down a few hundred pounds at a time so you don't have to keep going in once a week to refill it and in your situation I would recommend a spin feeder so that you control the amount of feed going out to your deer, this would also limit the amount of times you have to go into and disturb the area. I would put it near your area but not too close to your hunting stand, put it in a more centralized area where you might have 3 or 4 stands in that area and that way you are keeping your deer in your generalized area. That way when you stop feeding your not jeopardizing your one area being devoid of any deer during the season, plus you could turn your 100 yards away into a foodplot that will pull the deer that were eating at your feeder throughout the year to your hunting area.

This is what I would recommend if you cannot feed during the hunting season.
 

Elkbane

Senior Member
Agree with above. After running free choice feeders for a year, the biggest problem I see is the traffic required to keep them full.

I'm running 3 feeders:
- Trough that holds about 125 lbs
- Banks outdoors that holds 200 lbs
- Boss Buck that holds 250 lbs

The deer empty these in 2-3 weeks this time of year with limited natural forage (even with productive food plots). In the spring, a "feed" lasts longer. Last week the Banks was empty after a week.

Question for you. How often would you have to visit a PVC pipe feeder to keep it full? Will that amount of traffic affect deer movement around the feeder site? I'm guessing it will.

ELkbane
 

rutnbuk

Senior Member
I feed in the same spots and have for years. A couple of months after season to see what's out there and survived, then I stop. I pick back up for the summer to watch em grow. Usually stop by Sept 1. On that scale it will have no impact on deer movement and I really love running the cameras. Got several survivprs on cameras these past 2 weeks that already have me looking forward to next season. Too expensive to feed all year for me as well.
 

Grey Man

Senior Member
This is the time of year they need food. If you're gonna feed, feed em November thru February. That's when they need it most.
 
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