Texas Hunting Forum

Do you feed year round? How much?

Posted By: noose

Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/16/20 10:18 PM

I'm curious for those that run corn in their feeders all year... What times of the day do you run them and how much corn are you putting down?

I run mine about an hour after sunrise, noon, and about an hour and a half before sunset. This keeps the hogs away for the most part as the corn is usually gone by dark and the hogs are bedded by the time it goes off in the morning.

My feeder (judge) on the "high" spinner setting throws about 1/2 lb of corn per second. I run 6 seconds three times a day so about 9lbs total. This keeps them very busy and they come to the feeder off and on all day long. Does that sound like too much, too little, or about right to you? The most deer I've seen in a single frame on camera (I'm sure there were others outside the view) was 17.

I'm going to take my other judge back out to my property and set it up and run at night to get the hogs going consistently and will probably put down 5lbs per night around 1AM since I usually see them around 2 or so.

Thanks in advance for your input!
Posted By: ZK-315

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/16/20 10:24 PM

During season, my feeders range from 3-5 seconds (depending which feeder it is) twice a day. 7am and 5pm. During the off season, I turn the feeders back to 1-3 seconds twice a day but at the same time.
Posted By: dogcatcher

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 12:26 AM

We feed starting in late September, and quit as the feeders run out of corn starting at the end of the season.
Posted By: dlrz71

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 02:01 AM

I will typically fill my feeders on my last trip of the season and after my last morning hunt I will change my feedings down to 3 seconds or so. I try to keep them filled up until they have dropped antlers in hopes to find sheds close by. After that it just depends on when I can get back to the lease since it is 3.5 hrs away.
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 02:05 AM

I always feed corn year round. Not much, maybe 1-3 seconds depending on feeder and only in the morning but I always do. Keeps the deer hanging around and I like looking at game camera pictures so i have a steady supply that way.
Posted By: bigjoe8565

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 03:03 AM

Year around. Season I feed 10 seconds and off-season I feed 5 seconds.
Posted By: noose

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 03:33 AM

Thanks for the responses. Would y'all assume that most spinners throw about the same amount -- i.e. about 1/2 per full second?
Posted By: Stompy

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 03:39 AM

Corn - September thru February
Protein - Year Round
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 03:43 AM

Originally Posted by noose
Thanks for the responses. Would y'all assume that most spinners throw about the same amount -- i.e. about 1/2 per full second?

No. Way too many variables to even guess. Stick a bucket around the control box and let it go off, then weigh the corn to see how much you are throwing.
Posted By: Hudbone

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 11:33 AM

We fill up corn feeders now. Put it on for only a couple of seconds to spit something out. Beginning about April 1st, we move the feed times to be during the night. When it runs out, it runs out. Fill them back up Labor Day.

We also start out about now with our protein & cottonseed.
Posted By: BC211

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 01:15 PM

On our low fence lease we shut down about half of our feeders after they have all run out of corn - around early Feb - keeping the ones nearer to out the outskirts of the property running 3 seconds 2 times after/before in the hopes of drawing more activity from the surrounding areas. We have one in the center of the property running the same regimen about 100 yards from a 600lb gravity protein feeder that we will keep filled until next season starts. The feeders will last a few months, the protein will last much less than that. Deer can really crush some protein...
Posted By: kick2theside

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 02:19 PM

Off season corn feeders run 10 sec twice a day during season 24 sec twice a day. Cotton seed and protein year round, make at least 8 feed trips a year in the off season.
Posted By: PMK

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 02:38 PM

depends on the place for me.

East TX lease (MLD3), year around, Sept-Feb. 3-5 seconds and March thru August 1-2 seconds, twice a day, 7:20 & 5:00. not sure how much since my son and I both keep the 6 feeders filled, likely 10-12k lbs a year.

West TX lease, year around. Mid Sept - mid Jan 3-5 seconds and mid Jan - mid Sept. 1-2 seconds, twice a day, 7:30 & 5:00. average about 6000-7000 lbs per year thru 3 feeders.

Burnet county ranch (mine, wildlife management plan), year around, 2-4 seconds, twice a day 7:15 & 5:15. average 7000-8000 lbs per year thru 4 feeders (hogs keep tearing up a couple).
Posted By: redchevy

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 02:54 PM

We own 320 acres LF.

We buy 8000 lb of corn a year and use it all, we feed more during the season than the off season and I feed an addition 200 or so pounds every time we are down there through a road feeder that is added to the 8k.

Buy protein as we need it, usually comes out to 10,000 lb a year.
Posted By: Mr. T.

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by krmitchell
I always feed corn year round. Not much, maybe 1-3 seconds depending on feeder and only in the morning but I always do. Keeps the deer hanging around and I like looking at game camera pictures so i have a steady supply that way.

I also only feed in the mornings during off season, and three seconds instead of the 8 seconds during the season.
Posted By: Dalroo

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 03:42 PM

I feed year round, but back off a bunch in off-season. Actually set timer to alternate feed times between days. Morning one day, evening the next, repeat. Figure this saves me money in corn, but still keeps the deer patterned to hunt times. Seems to work okay for me.
Posted By: noose

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 04:53 PM

So many strategies. I need to start putting down protein of some kind now. I don't have time to tend a food plot yet so it'll have to be broadcast and I don't want to break the bank. Any suggestions?
Posted By: JDP Ranch

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 04:58 PM

I keep two feeders spinning during the off season - one in the central part of the property and one in the south that's within several hundred yards of my trailer. Supplement those feeders with summer food plots. I plan on turning down the spin time this year to 3 seconds or so.

Mainly keep those running for hog hunting and for the enjoyment of checking game cams. I have a protein feeder as a back-up in case the summer food plot fails, but generally won't feed protein if planting is successful.
Posted By: Jimbo1

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 07:59 PM

I slow my corn feeders down to 3 seconds twice a day for the off season. One protein feeder stays full year round.
Posted By: Brother Phil

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 09:33 PM

I fill my feeders in Oct and run them through February (for hog hunting). I have six feeders, on two leases. When the acorns dropped in the fall, the feeders were of little use. I try to find areas where I can see game, with, or without running a feeder. Sometimes a feeder will malfunction, and I don't want the hunt messed up. I shot four deer this season, and only one of them was at a feeder. I have a hunting budget, and it does not include year round feeding. If it works for you, and your situation, great.
Posted By: Wilhunt

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/17/20 10:15 PM

Feed all year, Sept. to February 3 to 7 seconds depending on which feeder. Feed times usually 7: 00 am and 4:30 pm. , length of time feeding will vary some in the spring. Want to have some on the ground to attract turkeys.
Posted By: Lotto

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/18/20 03:06 AM

I have four feeders on about 200 acres. Mix my Mummies apple scent and protein(peas etc.) and throw it pretty heavy(8seconds) in my 2 pasture feeders until about July and start reducing the spin. Start the other two in September...try to have wheat in the fields each year
Posted By: Txduckman

Re: Do you feed year round? How much? - 01/18/20 07:22 AM

We run 2 to 3 year round but only get hogs and turkey but they aren't penned. No deer ever come in. Maybe a doe or two once a week. If it fill one penned and put a cam on it deer every day.
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