New to me lease last year and hunted a pretty heavily area with an opening prob 150x150 yards where I placed my feeder. I put my feeder on the SE corner of the edge of the open area with my stand on SW side so they couldn’t wind me with a common north or south wind.

Essentially I didn’t see a ton of deer and every time I did they’d always come out of the NW corner of the open area. Some would head towards feeder but most were hesitant it appeared even when I was sure wind was in my face and I walk in from the south.

Just wasn’t sure if the deer were just resistant to the feeder location and I need to move it or maybe they’ll get more used to it this year. There is not a fence around it, but legs are attached to Tpost as cattle are out there too. Feeder is right on edge of tree line, with me thinking they’d like that more than being in the open.


Other guys that have established feeders for 4 years out there have 5 times as many deer on their camera compared to me. 440 acres total.

Think I'd cut an opening in the tree line and move the feeder there.

I'd move the feeder closer to the NW corner. A wise man once told me, if you see deer, that's where you should hunt.

In your situation it seems like a good spot.
Unsure why they see more deer.
A place that small with that many feeders, I would think the same deer would be at all of them from time to time.
If you feed them, they will come.

Location sounds good and I agree with Freerange. Couple of things to consider; are the cows around your feeder more than others, is your hunting stand, tripod decently concealing of your movements, are you moving around, making more noise than the others leases, are you possibly being smelled by the door due to strong clothing detergents, deodorant, etc.?

It is not that much work to move a tripod feeder - I would move it. If the deer truly do travel the NW corner (for whatever reason) you will not be fighting against their routine. If for no other good reason, it will boost your confidence and that will lead to more patience and time in your stand. If you don't move it you will spend all season watching that NW corner and kicking yourself every time you see deer step out.

The other guys do have their feeders fenced off with cattle panels which might help. Yesterday was the first day at the lease for me since last year and I didn’t see much cow poop on the ground, and the few I saw were super dry.

During the season I did see the cattle on my camera a few times, and once on a hunt, but the other guys saw them too periodically. So that could be the issue, cattle disturbing the deer but not 100% sure.

I spend time finding their walking trails and get it close to that line in the open. Sling enough corn on their trails to get them happy and have them walk towards the pot of gold. I sit a protein feeder on the opposite side of my hunting lane in the woods so they follow the trail. Snagged several great doe last year doing that

I just moved (with neighbor’s help) a feeder from a good place to a better place. Looking forward to hunting there this season. It has always been a high traffic area for deer and pigs.

It’s usually best to put feeders right on a fence line.

Hope you're not talking about a bordering fence line.

Of course he is. It's called a "dry" sense of humor. I hardly ever fail to see deer right on a 90-degree border fence corner on my place. I don't know if the fence gives them a sense of security, or what. I wouldn't put a feeder around it, but I have just set one up not too awful far away from there...and by a brand new well and water tank I put in.