I recently had someone tell me they heard there was a gravity deer feeder that has a shut off plate that is solar activated or on a timer so it shuts off at night. This would make the deer feed in daylight hours and not 24/7.
Has anyone ever heard of this or know of a manufacturer that makes such a unit? I tried to Google it but have not found anything yet.
I would like to continue using a gravity feeder in a feeding pen but sure would like to force the deer to feed at sometime other than at night.

Deer are eating at night due to the heat. I don't think you can force a mature buck to eat in 100 deg temps unless he is starving to death. I have fed 24/7 for the last 23 years and never had a problem seeing bucks when the day length got shorter and cooler temps approached. Throw in the rut and it was great hunting. If you are seeing deer actively feeding the heat of the day then you probably are having more problems that need addressing. Hunt water sources early season close to dark or at daylight. Hunt mast crops close to bedding areas. Don't get locked in on a feeder only hunt.

That being said try WildGame Innovations website. They had a feeder like that once a few years ago.

Best thing to do is run protein right up to hunting season and then quit filling it. Let the corn feeder draw the deer in at set times

I have seen 2 LF ranches that fed year round for several years try to stop feeding about the start of Nov. The deer sightings went to almost nothing. They ordered a feed truck first week of Dec and the deer movement increased back to what was normal within 48 hrs for a normal Dec rut.

We feed year around, I feed protein from Jan to September with gravity feeders inside of feeder pens along with a corn spin feeder 50-75 yds away the spin feeders go off at daylight and just before dark.
I do all of this on a year around basis.
On September 1st I switch the gravity protein feeders over to corn to keep and the deer coming in. The reason for the feeder pen is stop the hogs and cattle from pressuring the deer off the feeder.
This set up works well, that's the problem, too well.
When I switch the protein feeders over to corn, my corn consumptions for just those gravity feeders goes to 300 lbs per feeder per week.
And 99% of the Reconyx photos are all at night. Even up till last week I only had two or three daylight pictures of bucks.
Obviously once the temps drop and the deer become naturally more active they will occasionally show themselves in daylight hours but it would appear this nonstop nocturnal feeding pattern is ingrained into them and they are seriously conditioned to feeding after dark.
My thought moving forward was to get a gravity type feeder that was only available during daylight hours beginning September 1st when I switch them over to the corn and try to stimulate these boys to eating in their pen, with no outside pressures during daylight hours.
This seems like a good idea to me, or at least worth trying.

Here are a couple photos from last year, I haven't download into photobucket any of this years so far but this is an example of what I am facing for the last three years on this ranch,

I would not be feeding free choice corn to deer. I would buy a timered trough style feeder and feed it that way. To much corn free choice is not good for deer IMO. I would go with a Feeder Max 600 or 1000lb trough feeder that you can feed corn or protein or both mixed out of it at times you set and amounts you want. I have seen a couple of train wrecks from feeding free choice corn in bad year or heavy mast crop year when they were allowed to eat free choice corn. Also your hunting over your free choice feeders will train deer to feed more at night from increased traffic and scent. I would move the free choice feeder away from the spin feeder and out of sight.

There was one out a few years ago called, Nocturnal feeder. It closed at night and opened during day. Not sure if there still making them.

That is the one made by Wildgame Innovations. I could not remember the name of it.

I will look up the Feeder Max 600.
I have read about the Wild Game Innovations Nocturnal Nightmare recently. The only bad review it got was something about when it closed it sometimes traps raccoons inside of it and they almost destroyed it and then died inside of it.
The concept is exactly what I am looking for though, a controlled timing mechanism that would allow me to feed both protein and/or corn.
Thanks for the input

A timed trough feeder will give you what you are wanting and also will let you limit the amount of feed being consumed if you so desire.

All season feeders make a great enclosed feeder. Multiple sizes and 6v or 12v. Check their web site. I only had problems with mouflons tearing them up. Great products. Good luck sat. You have some good bucks.

Why not just let your free choice protein feeders run dry right around the middle of September and switch over to broadcast corn feeders? Then, refill your protein feeders in January and let the broadcase feeder run dry? That's what I do.

That is exactly what I should have done. Put a spin feeder in the feeder pen with the gravity feeder early in the year so they had a chance to get used to it and just switch over Sept 1st.
Would be cheaper

Or you can just get a Lamco.

When I was selling feeders I always try to advice hunters to buy a trough style feeder vs a free choice and corn feeder. Was a lot cheaper in the long run for them. The Feedermax Trough can be made into a spin feeder by removing to small sheet metal panels. With the length of feed times on the timer it can put out as much protein as you want also making it almost free choice.