I wanted to throw this out there. I am thinking of starting my deer corn feeders now. Is this going to increase any deer activity as the deer rifle season comes around in November?
Property is located in Duval county and I am low fenced all around. The Rut typically happens mid Dec to early Jan. All thoughts and opinions welcome.

I would assume it depends on the area(gotta love when someone tells you that ) But I know by me the does hold closer to the feeders that get filled earlier. My cousin hunts down the road from me and he fills his WAY before I typically do. He normally has does more consistantly than I do.

I would feed year round. Fawns born are trained to go to a feeder as soon as the doe takes them. A buck fawn will know what a feeder is and it might help hold him closer to your place. The more time he spends their the better chance you have to watch him grow and age into a deer you would like to take someday. Same for does and doe fawns they will spend more time at your feeder. I have seen many mature bucks in South Texas come to a corn feeder the instant it goes off due to them being raised around a feeder running year round. A lot will also depend on what your neighbors do also. If they feed and you don't they will have the deer early on in the season. I would also not feed year round unless I had a feed pen.

I feed protein most of the year and corn year round. From January to August I have the corn set for a short throw time to get them in the habit of coming to the feeder (see srrx comments above)

we don't throw corn but we supplement(key word is supplement, we don't try and keep deer alive soely on protein) with 20% protein feed

ta the form, a lot depends on the area, deer are natural browser's, their's pretty good forage around here. right now got some pic's of doe's heavey with fawn, every little bit helps

Our feeding depends on the amount of natural food available. Plenty of natural food we don't spend much on corn, if the food sources or slim and none we keep the feed going.

I feed year around. I slow down how much I feed after the season and start giving out more in Sept. We try to keep them coming looking for feed.

If you're gonna take advice from anyone on this forum I'd suggest listening to this man. The guy knows his stuff

Besides the deer,the feed stores benefit tremendously from year around feeding.

+1
Really helps the economy!

It helps the farmers.

One of the places that I used to hunt is a small, 100 acre tract of "heir land" that was totally overlooked by family members when I first started hunting it. I put a feeder in a good spot during the first summer and it became a great little honey hole once the season rolled around, made even better by a small food plot. It seems the deer that were coming to the feeder during the summer brought all their buddies with them to hit both the feeder and food plot once the rut arrived. A friend and I killed several nice deer for several seasons, which eventually caught the attention of several family members. Once that happened, you guessed it, the place became run over with hunters.

The year before last season my friend and I pulled out knowing the ones who came running with guns in hand were not going to contribute anything to help the deer. Not a single deer was taken on the place last season.

IMO, year-round feeding is most effective when your neighbors don't follow suit. Being the lazy creatures they are, it only makes sense the deer are going to remain in areas with reliable food sources.

Besides, year-round feeling can make for some excellent hog hunting to keep those shooting skills sharp. But then, it's always fun to hear the guys who never hit the lease during the off season because they don't feed, cuss and spit after missing that bruiser in November.

I have some three hundred pound coons that like it

@ Ranchito, as far as we have seen feeding year round brings the deer in consistantly as they seem to figure out that a consistant supply of food is a good thing.

@ stxranchman, a co-worker recently suggested mixing in a little vanilla with the corn and using it as a cover scent when the season comes around. Would you suggest this, and will this end up drawing in more pigs as well due to it being sweet smelling?

@ Ramsey, I'm more than willing to help you with that issue if you want. Haha! Just got a corn bandit last night myself. Wasn't huge though, roughly 10-15 lbs.

Wasnt trying to hijack the thread btw, sorry if it came off that way. I look for info any where I can get it.

I used vanilla as a cover scent since the early 90's when bow hunting. So it would help I am sure mixing it with corn. Might attract more fire ants. Hogs are going to come to the smell of corn no matter what you use or don't use. I use a feed pen at all costs and then trap hogs to keep them a non-factor since the deer in this area will bolt and leave at the sight of one or more hogs.

I feed year round. After deer season is over I take the two front & side panels off to bring the hogs in for off season fun. Mid part of June the panels go back up.

I feed year round. Over the years the deer (and hogs) apparently have modified their movement patterns to include my feeders. The corn brings the does and fawns and they, in turn, bring the bucks. I rarely see a big buck under a feeder, though I do have a few pictures from the cameras. The older bucks seem to hang back from the feeders and girl watch.

Last year was the first year in a long time that I did not feed all year. I strongly believe that it was a mistake, and it won't happen again.

And I hadn't really thought of it in terms of what stxranchman said about the does bringing the fawns to the feeders, but now that he has said it, I can see how obviously right he is.

I think feeding year round is a great idea because it reinforces behavior to hit the feeders. I wouldn't feed heavy though, just enough to keep them interested. A 1 second burst twice a day will last a loooong time in a 55 gallon feeder.

Thanks all for your feedback. Think I will go out to start the feeder.