Texas Hunting Forum

Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present?

Posted By: Sabot

Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/26/20 08:12 PM

Trying to get the right balance of pens that deer feel comfortable with and pens that keep the cows and hogs out. Seems like the deer love the feeders that I have out that NO pen around them, but the cows tear them up. The pens with panels and/or wire around them seem to deter the deer, or they only come in at night. I have tried round, square, rectangular, big, small. Can't seem to crack the code.

Last season I had 2 pens fully paneled in. One round one made of 7 panels and one square 3x3 (12 panels). These were 150 yards apart. Deer wouldn't touch the square one and would go in the smaller round one but only at night.

All of this makes me nuts. I grew up hunting open country and really didn't use pens or feeders much and I hunt mule deer out west totally on foot. I'm only doing the lease to hang out with buddies and let my kids shoot deer, but We just aren't doing something right.
Posted By: Rustler

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/26/20 09:10 PM

Are you using cattle panels (50") or hog panels (34")?

I use 10 bare minimum up to 18 - 16' hog panels arranged in a circle or close to it.
Posted By: Halfadozen

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/26/20 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Sabot
Trying to get the right balance of pens that deer feel comfortable with and pens that keep the cows and hogs out. Seems like the deer love the feeders that I have out that NO pen around them, but the cows tear them up. The pens with panels and/or wire around them seem to deter the deer, or they only come in at night. I have tried round, square, rectangular, big, small. Can't seem to crack the code.

Last season I had 2 pens fully paneled in. One round one made of 7 panels and one square 3x3 (12 panels). These were 150 yards apart. Deer wouldn't touch the square one and would go in the smaller round one but only at night.

All of this makes me nuts. I grew up hunting open country and really didn't use pens or feeders much and I hunt mule deer out west totally on foot. I'm only doing the lease to hang out with buddies and let my kids shoot deer, but We just aren't doing something right.

Can be frustrating for sure. I have found over the years that a circle pen with 34" hog panels works best. We build ours big enough so no corn throws outside of pen for pigs and cows to try to tear it up.
Posted By: mow

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/26/20 11:47 PM

Like this
[Linked Image]
Posted By: mow

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/26/20 11:48 PM

This are round 12-16' hog panels
Posted By: Sabot

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/27/20 04:53 AM

Thanks. I like it.
Posted By: PMK

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/27/20 02:28 PM

if using the 32-34" high hog panels, they will get used to it when they get hungry. When we first got on our place at Fairfield, I thought the deer were very weird as they wouldn't jump a fence, just go under the bottom strand of wire. The first feeder we built a pen around, the deer and hogs just circled around the out side. We opened up one of the panels and got them used to going in to the feeder, then closed the gap back up and they learned quickly to hop in.
Posted By: CharlieCTx

Re: Feeder Pens- with cows and hogs present? - 04/27/20 03:29 PM

Cows hanging around your pen/feeder areas will absolutely keep deer away.

If you find the answer to keep deer from only coming to feeders at night, please let the rest of us know.

Much debate on timed protein feeders vs free choice, but even with timed corn feeders being the standard, they tend to stay away from the feeders in daylight. We all hope for that one that is making a mistake and looking for a little something to take the edge off during daylight.

Charlie
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