Maintaining your deer feeder

For those deer hunters out there who like to use deer feeders as much as I do, we all know how troublesome they can become. Sitting in your favorite blind chasing after that world class whitetail deer, watching the sunrise on a cool winter morning and seeing the deer migrate to a recently activated deer feeder can be one of the most enjoyable moments in a hunter's world. But when that particular deer feeder you were expecting to go off fails to do so, it becomes very aggravating. A recently introduced device called a Deer Feeder Helper saves incredible amounts of time and frustration dealing with most, if not all, of the problems hunters will encounter while using deer feeders. With this device you can remove clogs instantly, swap timers in seconds, clean your barrel, empty a feeder to relocate it, take corn from a deer feeder to refill your tailgate feeder, remove your timer for safe storage during the off-season, easily make a protein feeder and/or turn off your feeder without changing the timer settings. Frankly, I wish this product existed when I first started deer hunting.

Here are some pointers I'd like to share with you to help minimize those disappointing deer hunting trips. First, try to buy re-cleaned corn which has had most if not all of the stalks, rocks, cobs and such removed. This will keep the deer feeder from becoming clogged or worst yet, breaking the motor shaft by trying to remove the clog. There are also screens, which appear to be very effective, being made for deer feeders that will filter out debris. Next, build a solid pen around your deer feeder using cattle panels, a minimum of 42 inches inches tall, in a circle fashion large enough for deer to feel comfortable and not confined. This will allow them to hop right in and will keep out undesirables such as feral hogs and cows. Cows can lick a deer feeder empty in hours, knock it over and destroy the timer by stepping on it in an attempt to get more corn. If you decide against a feeder pen, consider placing and anchoring a cattle panel below the feeder to prevent a huge mud puddle from forming. Always anchor your deer feeder to the ground at each leg; empty feeders are easily blown over by the wind or knocked over by livestock. I like keeping a varmint guard around the timer. Raccoons will consume large amounts of corn by climbing the legs and turning the spinner plate to feed their friends down below. Raccoons can climb any surface with ease, period, you cannot prevent it. Plus, they can be quite destructive to the timer by opening latches or by hanging on wiring harnesses causing electrical break down. Squirrels and birds will get their share also, don't allow that if possible. Using live traps can be effective but take considerable time checking and working them. Never abandon a working trap, animal cruelty charges could follow if you leave an animal to starve to death. Solar chargers are a good investment and will ensure your battery won't die a week before opening day. The new, improved way of mounting these panels is not on the barrel or legs anymore, it is directly to the timer housing, straight up and down. Rumor has it that this is just as effective as the horizontal method and doesn't leave any wires exposed. Make sure your lid doesn't blow off - try securing it with springs to the barrel or by using a weighted object, such as a rock. I also believe it's important to clean out the barrel at least once a year to remove any unwanted debris that prohibs a smooth flow of corn to the spinner. Even feed dust can accumulate slowing efficient feeding to the spinner plate. I've discovered that it's better to leave your timer functioning when the season is over, even if it is out of corn. This keeps the shaft turning and other components from breaking down or locking up. Similar to an engine, it is not good for either to sit for any period of time.

I hope this information has been beneficial and wish you many outstanding hunts. May yours be the bigger, better buck.

Thank You and Happy Hunting, Chris Nicholes