Should I put a feeder up this close to season? I got a new place to hunt that has not been hunted in many years and I doubt most of the deer have ever seen a feeder. I have been hand corning for the last week or two but it's gotten to the point that the deer are eating 25 pounds of corn every night. Should I put up feeders or just keep hand corning for this season?

Absolutely. What would be a downfall?

Don't want to spook them. I have several shooters hitting the hand corn but I doubt they have ever seen or heard a feeder.

it may or may not spook them at first but they should quickly get used to it. I would rather put the feeder up then hand corn and have to keep walking in the area to often. Just my thoughts. When are they coming to your hand corn? Night or daylight hours?

Sure! They will be acclimated in about 2 weeks!

They are coming day and night all the time.

Set up a feeder near where you've been hand feeding. Keep hand feeding the spot you already are. Then you have 2 set ups to hunt. Some deer would rather come to hand thrown corn, won't go to a feeder, but most don't care and will hit the feeder.

I moved my feeder nearly half a mile from where I've had it. Had 2 doe and a basket rack hitting it that next day. They're used to feeders though.

setting up a feeder on a timer and throwing less corn than you are currently may put them on a more predictable schedule. If your putting out 25lbs a day then they can come in anytime and expect corn on the ground. With a feeder they will have to get there before its all gone. True especially for the morning. For afternoon you might want to try it a little earlier in the evening again so they have to come and eat before something else gets to it.

put up a feeder and throw some corn out as you walk to the blind

Do it. You have 4 months till season is over.

Do it now and they'll be conditioned to it within 2-3 weeks...

I remember when we were hunting in Brady Tx... we set up a feeder the morning before the season started, tripped the feeder as soon as we filled it up with corn and there were deer at it within an hour. But that was in Brady where it has a very high concentration of deer.

I put up a feeder and had deer on it in less than 24 hours.

go for it

Yeah I have a lease out West of Brady and wouldn't hesitate to put a feeder up mid season. This new place is in East Texas but I'm going to give it a shot. I think I'll do as suggested and put it a little ways from where I have been Corning.

x2

Deer there right now.

I've put them up before (Oct 24 IIRC) and had deer come through within a cpl hours...then a 4 & 6yo buck that night.

Do it.

Last year in my bow setup all I did was put out 1 bag sweet feed and 1 bag corn along with a protein block. Would only last a couple of days. The block would usually last 2 weeks but during the season I didn't have anything consistant.

Having a feeder will get them coming in on a more regular basis. I have since added a feeder to this setup and can't wait to get in the ladder stand.

Your deer probably know what a feeder is. I doubt these do but I'm going to see what happens.

just a guess, if they coming in ta to the hand corn, they'll come into the feeders.

This was the first feeder to show up on the place.

Hell yes, I had deer coming within 48 hours of putting up my feeders...

That's good to know.