I hunt in Harison County in ETX. 30 acres, heavy heavy hunting pressure all around me. I run 2 spin corn feeders year round. Never see deer. I planted a food plot last year. 1 deer all season. I considered protein but I really don't think it is worth the expense for 30 acres. I am considering different options. Maybe go to 1 spin feeder and try PVC pipe gravity feeders?

No harm In adding timed protein feeder. Just an additional attractant

What did you plant in food plot and did you put a grow cage in to gage utilization?

Food plot was a mix from the local feed store and no cage.

Doesn’t sound like you’re doing anything wrong. Simply sounds like there aren’t many deer in the area due to pressure. A food plot and a single feeder would be my route so I’m not throwing money away with a second feeder, especially on 30 acres. Are you running cameras and seeing deer? Seeing a bunch of pigs? Are you seeing a lot of acorns on the ground? If you’re seeing deer on camera but not when hunting, maybe change your approach to your stand, consider the wind direction, or consider setting up on a trail or near some hardwoods.

I'm assuming you have some cover on that 30 acres. While my lease is just 73 acres in East Texas, I only hunt about 1/4 of it that has good cover. Are there any acorn trees or other natural browse on the tract that deer prefer over feed? Have you looked for trails that show a lot of tracks? Lots of variables can impact how many and how often deer will be in the area.

Look for trails and tracks. Hunt those. Use hand corn 🌽. Or tailgate feeder on areas you want to hunt.
Never had much luck with feeders, except for hogs.

I use tailgate feeder along tree lines. Gets them out a bit more.

Definitely need to fence in feeders.

That's a tough setup to manage. Only 30 acres and a lot of pressure = very few opportunities. First thing I would do is try to hunt more during the week when pressure should be less. Second I would try to time the rut and spend as much time in the stand as possible. If your 30 acres has reasonably thick cover, you might try staying off it during the off season as much as possible and maybe the deer will start treating it as a sanctuary spot to bed up during the day. Good luck!

Not much you can do that you aren't already. Of course, you didn't state what your terrain is. Is it thick woods or pasture? Water? I have 30 acres in Freestone Co. and see deer all the time. I don't have pressure around me like you do. I have mostly woods, a pond that has never dried, and one feeder. Are you there all the time, or weekends? Do you have poachers on the place?

You are not going to see many deer with heavy pressure all around you and the deer density is something like 25 or more acres to a deer. Hunters will hunt hard and harvest all deer they have permits for. If P&W are issuing too many doe permits there will be no deer to hunt. How many acres for each doe permit do P&W issue? However, the hunters around you are hunting and harvesting deer you should see some deer sometimes. For you to not see a single deer in a season is bad news. I would go out at night and count the deer with a spotlight. If deer are not coming to corn they are not going to come to protein. Look for tracks and droppings and any other signs of deer every day. You also need brush to have deer ...if ya have little brush you don't have a chance. Are the feeders you have going piling up corn or is the corn gone in the mornings? How much scent are you putting out if any...scents are necessary right now while the rut is going on..keep scents out all the time from now on.
Give up more information...

sweet potatoes

What part of Harrison county are you hunting? I also hunt in Harrison on the southwest corner south of Longview and our deer sightings are way down. The area I hunt has been clearcut in steps over the last 4 to 5 years and I think it has changed up their patterns along with removing about 90% of the mature Oak trees.
Less than 5 miles to the north, the deer numbers are still where they were 5 years ago, maybe even higher.
What is going on around you will make a big difference in deep population and daytime movement. Also having water on your place is a very big attractant.
Best wishes.

do you own or lease this place?

Thanks for all of the replies. More details - I own the 30 acres. However, I do not live there. I live in Killeen which is 41/2 hours away. My property is North of Waskom. I go 4 or 5 times during hunting season and about once a month during the off season. My mom and sisters live on the property.


It is pines and a hardwood bottom with a creek running through it. In 2017 a tornado came through and wiped out almost all of the hardwoods along the creek. Now, it so thick in brush and briers you cannot even walk in there. I hunt the pipeline. My homemade blind sits on an old railroad tram and my feeders are set 1 to the East and 1 to the West on the pipeline. I just set a camera Veterans Day weekend on a pile of rice bran. I will check it at Thanksgiving.

I have thought about going to PVC feeders