Feeding strategy ?

I’m in an area that has been void of hunters for 15 years, the game are skittish and wild. It is very remote in hill country. There are very few humans here and lots of acorns and water.

I’m getting hogs on the feeder (corn) but few deer. What would be the best times to set a corn feeder ?

The wind will always be in my favor and I have a blind at 200 yards from the feeder.

What strategy would condition more deer. Would a separate area for pigs be better though they have access to all ?

Thought about ASF EZ block feeders with protein blocks up pretty high where the deer have to stretch or stand on hind legs to nibble.

I have a deep hollow that looks like Arkansas but I don’t want to feed down there other than mineral blocks. I’d rather catch them moving through there via a tree stand.

I really didn’t want to fence off the feeder.

First question is how big is your property and how far away are neighbors who feed supplements? I would go ahead and set up a corn feeder and if necessary fence it off from pigs and let the other feeder stay unfenced. I'd start off with feeder throws at dawn, noon and dusk, throwing just a little corn. Keep a trail cam handy for both feeders and begin to log sightings/times etc. Adjust as needed. I like your idea of protein blocks, but wouldn't make them work for it.

Yeah I have it at dawn, noon, and an hour before dusk. Throwing just a bit of corn.

Nearest neighbor is miles away, many thousands of acreage.

I don’t mind making them work for it, I’ve seen them stretch six feet plus. I plan to set it at 50” at first though and if the hogs are successful, I’ll raise them.

I have Cell cams. For some reason I have AT&T signal and my favorite radio station, what more could one ask for.

Put out a protein feeder, some cotton seed or alfalfa as well. Give them something different to eat and see if they like it. Agree on putting a pen around the feeder. Hogs will keep deer off a feeder. Feed times for me would be right at daylight and an hour before dusk.

first of all where are you? give us an idea of the country you are hunting in?

If there are hogs or cows then you must fence off your feeders period. The time you set on your feeders does not matter this time of year - twice a day is fine - just keep it on a regular basis and they will figure it out and come in - again where are you hunting?? that info will determine alot

I’m in the deepest (crevices and hills) parts of the hill country with the most amount of rivers and springs, not gonna say specifically.

I was hoping not to fence them off but I get it, its hogs.

If you are in the hill country on many 1000 acres that hasnt been hunted in 15 years and you don’t have a lot of deer then I have no idea what’s going on but sounds strange.

Is there livestock on the ranch? Remote hill country as in the western part of the hill country out towards SW Texas? Just give a county, that will tell us what you are dealing with. If it is out around Rocksprings/Carta Valley you may have had anthrax wipe out the deer a couple of years ago. An area of the Hill Country with few deer is not common. What are you seeing on trail cam? IMO the hogs are keeping the deer off the corn feeder for what little you are feeding. Fence the feeder and you will have deer there. As far as deer blocks, deer only have lower teeth up front and no top front teeth.... so eating a deer block is impossible it the block is to high for them. .

I'd get a hog trap and try trapping some, just a little ways from the feeder. If the LO will let you come on in the off season, sit and shoot some hogs at the feeder. It at least temporarily makes 'em go nocturnal and will allow the deer to come in at your times. I'd get closer than 200 yards though. If you're closer, you might be able to get a bullet in a second one once the shooting starts. Just don't let them "own" your set.

I have 6 sets with no pens around the feeders. No livestock on the place. Lots and lots of hogs. There's plenty of deer that come in each spin. Gotta continue to pester the pigs though.

Would you eat after a pig? If not, set up pens around your feeder(s). Pigs take over and leave smells and other issues which ain't exactly what deer wants to be with, near or smell. Humble belief mine, allowing pigs free access to feeders limits deer desire to feed there.

hahaha
I was thinking exactly the same thing.
The last time I hunted a ranch in the HC that didn't have any hunting activity on it the previous 8 years the deer were everywhere and were dumber than a box of rocks....including mature bucks. Hell, I had to damn near bump them out of the way with the jeep when feeding roads and it was almost scary walking to the blinds when you had to literally chase off multiple deer to get them out of your way.

Do you think it is possible to keep the hogs around and have separate feeders and not scare the deer off? By that I mean say a fenced off feeder for the deer and then 1/4 mile away an fenced feeder for the pigs? I would like to do what I can to help the deer but the hogs don’t bother me. They are a great hunting opportunity. We don’t have an abundance of deer but have plenty hogs so it is something we can go hunt year round with as many guests as we want and don’t worry about shooting too many deer,

Yes, you can even set up your feeder on the edge of the pen so hogs can consume outside of the pen. Hogs will wallow out underneath a feeder and their scent will stay long after they are gone. They will pack the wallowed out area and then it will hold the nastiest smelling water you can imagine when it does rain.

There are plenty of deer but they aren’t corn feeder friendly right now.

I’m a hunter not a corn feeder guy by nature but I’m looking at new options.

Looks like the most trouble free option is just to fence it with panels and post at 30”

I did notice by cam pics that more deer would come in when set for brief feedings maybe 10 second throws

"corn feeder friendly"? Yeah, and I know a guy who doesn't like corn dogs.

I dont consider 10 second throws to be “brief”. But I hate corndogs, so maybe I’m off base.

"But I hate corndogs, . . . " - that's just not right.

That’s called a Baffin Bay Saving Fest!!!!!! First Stripes coming in from Bird island!!!!! On water before day light and hope to be at stripes by lunch!!

Un-American to hate corn dogs

I have a ASF stand and fill and it doesn’t seem to throw that much in my opinion compared with others.

It also throws out to about 65’ and will draw blood if one hits you.

You must have one of the bi-polar ones.

Do two corn feeders, one in the open for the hogs and another 50 yds away in a pen with protein or the cottonseed mentioned for the deer. My deer pen corn throws were 3-4 seconds, twice a day.

I don't have this as scientific fact, but I've heard it estimated a typical feeder will throw 1 pound on a 1 second spin. I've observered generally the same thing on timing refills with an ASF corn feeder.

You don't need a yellow carpet, just some groceries on the ground.

Charlie

Charlie, no scientific fact here either, and they can all throw quiet a bit different, but I think a better rule of thumb is a little less than half pound per second of throw.

Maybe my feeder is defective. Maybe 1 cup in 30 seconds.

Is there a flow adjustment?

Check to make sure you have enough distance between the hopper opening and your spinner, you can adjust the timer box up and down. Also make sure you don’t have some corn sack paper inside the hopper, blocking the opening. I’ve had the top of a sack end up in there a couple times.

Charlie

^^^^All good info. I will add that for me about a half inch space is good.

I don't like a bunch of space between the opening and the spinner. Prefer to have it tight and run it longer.

Can you adjust it while its full, from the outside ?

Yes

I have a cage of 1x2 welded wire that is the diameter of the barrel and 2 foot tall. Keeps everything out except for sparrows. My feeders go off at 7:45 AM and 4:30PM from September through January. Everyone arpund me is covered in hpgs, they feed year around. I rarely see a hog.

Yes as STx said, just take your time and move it down slowly and don’t take the thumbscrews all the way off. Do each side a little at a time to nudge it down.

While you’re doing that, I recommend adding the ASF remote, sure is nice to do a throw from the blind remotely.

Charlie

Thanks

Very.
This place should be over loaded with deer.

Plenty of deer, they are wary of feeders apparently.

I hunt across many states in areas I consider fairly remote but the behavior here is wilder and more wary than I’ve ever seen. I don’t feed in those other states, just scout me a spot and thats it. I’ve had a lifetime of tremendous successes at regular hunting.

Game cam pics are picking up

I throttled back the corn throws and have the ASF Block feeders at 50” high. This might be what produces my intended outcome within the year.

Might put up a bunch of pig pipes on the other side of the property to see if it will keep hogs busy there.

You mention many 1000s of acres. It seems you would probably have many other hunters. If thats the case, are they experiencing the same thing?

Put up a pen with a corn feeder throwing 5 plus pounds twice a day, a cotton seed feeder and or protein/alfalfa feeder.

Mix up several 5 pound jugs of Tannerite for the hogs and wait patiently for a clean shot.


As far as setting the spinner plate height I have all of mine set at 1/2” and they run for 5 seconds and throw roughly 7 pounds of corn. You can set it off and hold a bucket around the housing and then measure the corn to figure out how much each second throws.

Thanks for the information from the informed, it is very informative.

I’m out of the thread.