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when deer don't come to feeder....... #6032554 11/16/15 05:50 PM
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Mitch Offline OP
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I hunted hard last week for 4 straight days. 4 straight days of sitting in a tree for 12 hours. Not one deer came in to the feeder. I saw deer, not many, but I know they are around. Does this happen because of all the acorns on the ground? I've never seen so many acorns at our place before. It's the only thing I can figure out.

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032559 11/16/15 05:53 PM
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Yup.. and lots of fresh growth and water.. and rut if your around central/east Tx

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032563 11/16/15 05:55 PM
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I have not had any acorns at all this year. Deer were pounding my feeders till 3 weeks ago when it started to rain. I have had 6"+ of rain in a 2 week period causing it to green up like springtime. My oats and winter peas finally came up and is now 8" tall and nothing is touching the plots. I sat on a powerline blind I have and could watch almost a mile of that powerline and some open country in the distance in a couple of different directions. I only saw 3 deer that afternoon. I normally see 9-10 deer per sit on average. I was seeing 6-10 bucks per sit in Oct during bow season. I can go 3-4 hunts before seeing that many now. Nothing on TC at corn/protein feeders, with some nights not one single picture taken when I used to get from 40-150 pics per night per feeder.


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Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032565 11/16/15 05:56 PM
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Yes, they won't eat corn if there are acorns anywhere around. I've seen them walkover corn to get to acorns & eat.

Where is your lease?

When they ain't comin in to corn, you gotta stalk them in the brush. Difficult to do, but will yield better results than sitting there staring at a feeder that they ain't comin to.

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032589 11/16/15 06:08 PM
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Try to get an idea of some of their travel routes or specific stands of oaks that are hitting hard. Sneak in midday and throw together a very simple ground blind using only a pair of loppers - if a branch is over 2" don't cut it you want to be as subtle as possible. You don't need to be able to see that far, 40-50 yards in at least two different directions would be nice but less will work too. I did this very thing last Wednesday, I made a setup about 80 yards behind the feeder at my tower stand. I can see the feeder but I can also see down into the creek channel behind the feeder and about 40 yards in two other directions along the creek bank. I hand corned a little (we don't have acorns, its just really green) and didn't hunt it until Sunday morning. I had my best hunt of the season so far, and passed on a nice buck that I probably should have shot. I've been at the lease 7 of the first 9 days of the season and this was my best hunt. If they aren't at the feeder you shouldn't be either, go find the deer and alter your approach.

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032616 11/16/15 06:22 PM
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I own land in the Arbuckle Mountains near Turner Falls in Oklahoma.

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: rattler03] #6032630 11/16/15 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted By: rattler03
Try to get an idea of some of their travel routes or specific stands of oaks that are hitting hard. If they aren't at the feeder you shouldn't be either, go find the deer and alter your approach.


^^ This.


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Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Navasot] #6032657 11/16/15 06:42 PM
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Originally Posted By: Navasot
Yup.. and lots of fresh growth and water.. and rut if your around central/east Tx


Yes, the same is true with food plots. I've seen just one deer in my food plot so far this season.

Things always change soon after the first killing frost.


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Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: ChadTRG42] #6032663 11/16/15 06:45 PM
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Just got through bow hunting 8 days in central Texas. Only saw one buck come to a feeder the whole time and he was checking a doe. The rut has begun and the bucks could care less about feeders. Ended up seeing 7 shooters by hunting travel routes and pinch points. And most were mid day. Sometimes you have to hunt the deer and not wait for them to hunt you.

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032742 11/16/15 07:21 PM
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This seems to be a theme across much of the state right now, between rutting deer and acorn drop/fresh green growth, not many deer hitting the feeders or even food plots. It has been unusually warmer than normal in north Texas too, no freezing temps yet and has only hit into the high 30's once or twice.

Last year opening weekend I hunted Saturday morning with frost on the ground. Took two deer out of my food plot. This year took one doe from the food plot, but we hunted all weekend with no deer sightings at all. They just don't need to move far to eat these days. A couple hard freezes and it will be different.

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032788 11/16/15 07:42 PM
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I turned my feeders off this past weekend to, save my golden nuggets for late season. No point in having a pile of corn wasting under the feeders

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032794 11/16/15 07:43 PM
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I sat for 13 hours yesterday and didn't see one bit of movement. I feel your pain on the feeders, Mine are coming at night. I think I am going to try what everyone is suggesting and move into a travel route


Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032795 11/16/15 07:43 PM
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We got the same rains in Mills County, but nearly every time we drive by our food plot somebody's in it no matter the time of day. It's just straight oats, nothing exotic.


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Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6032907 11/16/15 08:42 PM
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Well i'm glad to know it isn't just me! lol
I don't expect bucks to come to the feeders right now but I'd imagine the does would still come in which in turn brings the boys in too.
Hopefully with all of this rain, it sours the acorns. My first attempt at food plots this year went great....only drawback is the deer aren't using them. lol

Re: when deer don't come to feeder....... [Re: Mitch] #6033059 11/16/15 09:53 PM
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I have never shot my biggest bucks at feeders. If they do come to feeders they come at night.

I bow hunt, and the best place to catch mature bucks is transition areas - the travel corridors or funnels between bedding areas and feeding areas. They are not hard to find - just look for rubs in early fall and scrapes as we get closer to November.

One more thing - if you get consistent pictures of big bucks at your feeders at NIGHT (either evening after daylight or early morning before daylight) set up a tree stand back behind the feeder about 20-30 yards along the game trail they use to get there. That can be a great spot for an afternoon hunt - set up a couple of hours before dusk and catch them as they stage behind the feeder waiting for darkness. This is NOT a good early morning set up. You risk busting them AT the feeder as you walk to get up in your tree behind the feeder.

Good luck - some of the best hunting is away from feeders. It took me many years to have the courage to wean myself off of hunting on top of them.


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