new pic

[weekender]

been getting a lot of pics but nothing to brag about. Lots of 2 1/2s but waiting on their elders. Thought this pic was cool.

[saltwaterbucks]

Damn Hopalong, lol, you camo everything

[WAHOONBOX]

COOL PICTURE!

WEEKENDER......HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NC "BIG BUCKS" COMING OR NOT COMING TO A FEEDER? DO YOU FEEL THE NOISE BOTHERS THEM WHEN IT GOES OFF?

OBVIOUSLY NOT ....BUT I WANT TO HEAR YOUR KEYBOARD THOUGHTS HERE

I WANT TO HANG TWO FEEDERS THIS WEEK....


YEA OR NAY?

[pitch bait]

If you cover the metal thrower pieces with felt or rubber they are alot quieter. I have hear both sides some say it scares the big bucks other say it is like a dinner bell when the deer hear the feeder go off they come running.

[BluePrints]

I'd hang them in Jan or Feb. Every feeder I've put out or seen put out has scared them for months (bucks & mature does).

No problem getting them on it after it's been up a while but this close to the season I'd wait.

[calebw]

Personally I do not use electronic feeder. The feeders I use are made of 14in pipe with a small hole at the bottom, gravity fed. The pipe is about 3.5-5 feet long and most hold anywhere from 40-125lb of shelled corn.

Here is a little trick of mine to bring in the big boys, if you can find an area where lots and I mean lot of acorns are falling then collect them. Get a a large box of rock salt and pour it in a 5 gallon bucket. Now fill the 5 gallon bucket all the way up with acorns, now fill the 5 gallon bucket that has your salt and acorns with water. Let the acorns "soak" in your salty water. The acorns will actually absorb the salty water and swell with the salt water inside. Now take your acorns and spread them out on the ground, the acorns tend to clog my ghetto feeders, about 2 weeks before opening day. For the first week to week and a half the deer will be weary of these new acorns but once the start eating them it is like cocaine to them. The next you put it out it will not last one night. And the real secret is to get a bunch of acorns and let them soak for a long time. Then after all the acorns have quit falling, put these salty acorns out.

THIS BRINGS IN THE BIG BOYS!

[nautiduck]

Salted acorns that actually sounds brillant! I have almost 50 acres of white oak with acorns everywhere I make piles up by the house cause the wifey likes to see them. I bet that would bring them in even better. Do you have to smoosh them at all or will they soak it up with out.

[calebw]

Salted acorns that actually sounds brillant! I have almost 50 acres of white oak with acorns everywhere I make piles up by the house cause the wifey likes to see them. I bet that would bring them in even better. Do you have to smoosh them at all or will they soak it up with out.

If you give them time they will soak it up on there own. I like to soak them atleast overnight, personally I like to soak them 2 days to make sure they soak in as much salt as possible. If you pour them out and there is still some salt water pour it out also. They deer will actually dig in the ground from where the salt water was poured, just like they would around a salt block.

[weekender]

the biggest bucks we have seen on our property came to feeders on a regular basis last season. I have watched young deer react to the feeder going off, but not big ones. The little ones run off and come back in about 30 mins. Just have not seen the biguns be there when it goes off. We had 1 P&Y 130 and several 115-120 bucks using the feeders last year. This year they have not shown yet. We have about 6-8 young bucks coming in. I'm sure it will spook some, but also attracks so it's catch 22. Where I live, you can pour out how much ever corn you want, 25 -100 lb and three days later it's gone. What I like about the feeders is I don't have to visit the site as often so less human scent. Right now, we are checking the pics once a week. I think the scent would scare the big deer much more than the sound or site of the feeder. I have seen them standing within 10 feet of a Honda gas powered water pump while it's was running. It's whatever they get used to.

As far as the sound bothering deer when it goes off, 50-50, gonna scare some. We have never had deer come running in after it goes off like I have heard others talk about. But 10-15 mins later is not uncommon. Our trail camers tell us time so we judge by that.

Should you put them out? Why not give it a try. When you fill it up the first time, save 20 lbs of corn and scatter it really thin 40 yds around the feeder. We have found this will get them used to it really quick.

here's my final answer:

[nautiduck]

The deer here apparently dont like the noise. Cus there never there when they go off. But the corns always gone and Ive got deer on the cameras all through the day. I have them set for 30 minutes before dusk an 30 after dawn, the bad thing is they are light sensitive so if its really cloudy it screws up the timer. Ive actually had them go off in the middle of the day before a thunderstorm.