I was wondering how many of you guys use gravity feeders for deer over spinners? I'm from Iowa and we couldn't use feeders up there so this is new to me. I've heard that gravity feeders will make your deer go nocturnal and you will never see them in the day light. Is there any truth to that?

Use gravity for protein feed and spin for corn and other attractants. Once they get used to a constant supply of protein they will stay around.

A lot of the type or style feeder you use depends on habitat and deer numbers. Some areas all that are needed will be a corn feeder if they have good habitat. Other areas it might need a protein feeder if habitat is not that good. Deer numbers/density will need to be known before starting to feed protein. You can use a timered protein feeder also over a free choice. The deer going nocturnal due to a feeder is . Feeding deer free choice feed will not make them go nocturnal, age and time of year will do that till we get cooler temps or the rut. Deer are not going to feed out in the middle of the afternoon on a 105 degree day in August. They will feed closer to dark and after dark. Also many are thinking that the feeding of free choice protein and seeing deer at nighttime is the result of the feeder. What is more than likely happening is the deer are not living on their land/lease and having to travel great distance to get to the feed. Thus they are there at night only. I have had better deer movement and activity when feeding protein 24/7/365 than any with any other feeder or feed type. It is not cheap but the rewards can be very good if you have the right location and deer.

I tried gravity fed 5 gallon bucket feeders years ago and never had much luck with them. Most of the deer that came to them came at night and once the squirrels found them, it was over because the squirrels found out how to empty them by jumping onto the bucket and then hanging upside down on the sides of the bucket and shaking. I gave away my gravity fed bucket feeders.
When I finally upgraded to a larger electronic timer feeder, things improved tremendously. Then I could decide when it was going to feed to give me the advantage. I have had deer that thought the timer going off was a dinner bell and came whenever they heard it go off. Timer feeders are the only way to go.

good information stxranchman. To go along with his info. and how I hunt is; I hunt on 275 acre place. I have a bucket time feeder. a 300 auto feeder and 2 places I use my homemade tailgate feeder on a pasture road. I also have 3 large wheat fields. The road where I use my tailgate feeder I see deer almost every time. I also use my tailgate feeder where the 300# feeder is and they go to the sendero I made every time before they go to the auto feeder. One of the senderos and auto feeder are about 75 yrds a part. I can see both of the areas at the same time. Weather I hand throw or tailgate feed, deer go to those places more often than my auto feeders or any other type of feeder Ive ever used. I would recommend using your auto feeders but a month before you hunt start a hand or tailgate feeder in a different location. Only problem with this type of feeding style is you have to have or be able to keep feed there weekly. I believe you will see that the deer have not really gone nocturnal in their feeding, its that they are not using your auto feeder why you are there.

Corning roads prior to each hunt is a great way to pull lots of animals in. It gives them more room to feed and I think they just prefer to be out in the open away from man made objects. Any time I corn roads where I also have a feeder the deer almost always eat on the road. Hogs on the other hand go strait to the feeder every time before they even realize that there is more on the road.

Welcome to Texas and the THF.

My problem with gravity feeders is I've never been able to find a way to keep coons from raiding them. I tried the spike strips on the legs, and game cam photos showed the strips only gave them better traction to climb the legs. I'd be using them right now if I could feed deer exclusively and not just fatten up a bunch of coons.