Got a new lease and have been trying to break away from work and youth sports to go out to the land to put out feeders, stands, small food plot and cameras but have not yet.

I know sometimes feeders make deer a little hesitant at first, and I’d like to get everything done soon. Just curious how late in the season you guys have walked around in a new spot, got all your work done and still had a successful season.

I normally like to start feeding by Aug when I have an established lease and do some prep work on a food plot.

Not sure on my past but I wouldnt worry too much about it. Its better late than never.

'Depends on your definition of a "successful season" and where your lease is. Some places - 3 days before you wanna shoot something. Now a smart ol' boy is something differn't.

Got on a lease 2 weeks before the season started in 1998. Killed a nice 8 point on opening morning. Only opening morning buck I ever killed.

One year we were just so behind with work and whatnot we didn’t have a feeder going until the last week of November.

But, we hunted the place for 25 years prior so it’s not like the deer didn’t know what they were

I’ve put out new feeders on places and had deer on them the next day or the day after that. Depends on if they are conditioned to them or not.

Put a feeder up one time in the middle of September. Shot my biggest buck ever the first week of October on it.

I’m still finishing up moving after the LO sold my area. Never too late if that’s all you can do.

Red Randy put one up Labor Day weekend then shot deer under it opening day that was biggest taken in ranch that year.

I have moved feeders during season and shot good bucks at them within 2 weeks. Sometimes it is all about location.

I don’t fill the feeders until the weekend before rifle season starts. I’ll let one run out end of Jan and the other I’ll run till April or May. I don’t want groups of pigs year round. Seems to be working. Last one I saw during season in daylight hours was end of season ‘21. I get pictures of them once every couple weeks but not close to the numbers I used to have.

We keep some of our feeders going year round at the ranch. I also have a lease and try to get feeders going a month prior to hunting it. But, I have had situations where I couldn't get a feeder going until a week prior to hunting. As long as there is some deer activity already, you could have good activity within days. Get the feeder out as early as you can, but if you get delayed until a week before season, you aren't necessarily out of the game.

With work and the fact that I usually don't live anywhere close to my place, sometimes I don't have a choice. I've actually put corn out the day I started hunting (mid-November) and had no issues seeing deer that day or shooting deer that season.

Well....I never have to feel i must harvest a deer. I used to feel that way though. I know if I want to see deer every day I hunt, I feed every day of the year. Competition is what you will fight. If your neighbors feed heavy and you wait until the last day to put up a feeder don't expect to compete seeing deer. However, there were times when I didn't see a deer due to many acorns. When there are acorns I hunt harder and seeing nothing is very hard to hunt. Sooner or later I will see some nice bucks usually. Just be patient and put out your feeders and hunt when ya can. Be thankful you have a place to hunt.
Patience is the foundation for success!

A deer can smell corn almost 400 yards away. I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't on it the next day.

The price of corn has finally come down here in August so I will start to fill the feeders in September. I know that its been hot and dry this summer but the high protein brush was still green here in South Texas throughout August. I have seen hunters pulling trailers with deer blinds and feeders with bags of corn the Friday before opening day of rifle season. This I would not do!

When I was a kid, we didn't have feeders. We would just throw corn up and down the senderos on the way to the stand, we killed lots of deer.

I have been keeping my protein feeder full and I have numerous bucks still coming to it. I would say at least 20 different bucks. They drop by and eat a bit and are gone. I have only seen 1 doe at the protein feeder. My thinking is that the bucks will have free choice for another month or so and then switch to corn. The pigs can't get to the protein and with nothing outside the feed pen, they are not putting me on their regular places to be, at least until I get corn going. If the pigs show, the deer don't.

I think it depends where you hunt. If there is a low deer population, I would start a month or so before opening. I hunt in Mills County, it is loaded with deer. I could put out a feeder opening morning and do fine. I will add that the area where my stand is, does not need a feeder to see deer, although I do see more when I feed. My first three years on the lease I did not even use one.

I agree with everyone's post above. I'm restarting my one feeder next week when I'll be there for dove.

Ive put out a feeder on opening day before. Didn't have much luck that weekend Lol. But i ended up shooting my biggest deer that same season. I find that it takes them about a week to find the feeder in a new spot. Even less if the are used to deer feeders. Dont worry about them not finding it.