Well built a pen around the feeder to keep out the hogs. First one ever I’m guessing it will take few days for them to want to jump into it. With the wife’s help it turned out great I think.
Thanks guys. First year on the new place so can’t wait till November.
You probably already know this, but I want you to just entertain the idea of pulling the trigger your very first morning there. I have held off my first day on some leases and wound up regretting it.
...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
Will do. It’s 38 inches tall all the way and when I got home looking at the pics I thought about cutting the front down a foot. Or just rolling the panel down
Deer have really poor depth perception and small pens with a lot feeders, trees and brush in them will generally not see very high traffic. If it is very dry and they need the feed then they will jump in, just not in high numbers IME. I get very few deer in a smaller pen the one in the OP pic. I built a new pen in new feeder location back in March. That new pen is 14 of the 16' hog panels in size and I had multiple deer in it that same night. My other pens are 10 of the 16' hog panels.
Deer are flight animals. They are constantly looking for a way out rather than a way in. The smaller the pen the more constricted they feel. I inherited a spot with a smallish pen already built. Not much activity. I increased the size and it made a noticeable difference.
B1, just give it a chance. I have seen a dozen deer in small hill country pens. Bigger is better, no doubt. Also more expensive and harder to put up. Check out your activity prior to revamping everything. You did the right thing. Separating the hogs from the feeder is the best thing you could have done. A bigger pen would have likely been better, but you have still accomplished what in my eyes would be goal numero uno. In addition, I don't believe there is any reason to cut down a 38 inch panel. Fawns won't get in, but you likely won't be shooting them anyway. Myself and many others here hope you gain solid results with your pen. I hope they make it crowded.
My square pens are three 34 16 foot, 34 inch high hog panels. I think I made my one, circle pen with 11, but that thee is fuzzy now.
Thanks for the advice. I hunted in Abilene for 7 years with no hogs and never had to build any pens. So this is a first for me. I have couple other feeders going and haven’t had any hogs on them yet. Key word is yet. I have more room in those areas might try little larger pen like you showed me.
Glad they were not bothered by the new feed pen. It is good you started in August when the conditions are not as good as in the spring. The only issue you may see is when the bucks get into hard horns and the rut gets closer is that size may limit the other deer from jumping in with a dominant buck in the pen. They tend to keep all the other bucks away and sometimes even the does. Do you road feed or feed extra corn when hunting? That may be a way during hunting season to increase your buck or total deer activity by feeding an area outside the feeder.