Deer feeders and food plots?

[Dahitman44]

We have tried food plots but not with the best efforts or success, but the neighbors started using deer feeders and they saw a lot more deer than us last year.

Question -- what do you guys think of them? Is this like a NuKe Arm race ... he has one so I better get one or can they help?

thanks

Hit

[hockeybc69]

Well, first off....

Attracting deer over the winter months, or to get one to come in so you can shoot it?

Quote:

We have tried food plots but not with the best efforts

Well, if you dont put some effort in, dont expect results. Simple as that. Nothing will grow properly if you dont do the proper work. If you want a nice yard, you dont just walk out in the weeds and toss out grass seed and hope it takes over.

You prep, prep some more, and you get your reward. A nice lawn.

I will take my corn, beans, clover, and brassicas over dumping feed any day of the week/month/year.

[Code-Man]

Hitman! I am going to agree with the previous. Food plots are a lot of work and sometimes it is more having the right food plots that fit the equipment you have.

What did you try and how did it fail?

Feeders are nice don't get me wrong but they can be very costly when you figure in how much corn/soy/wheat your spreading out. They are nice on pieces of ground where you have lots of cover but no food source. I've never used one but during the summer for pictures from time to time I'll put some in front of my trail cameras and had good success but once the food is gone so are the deer. I know you don't deer hunt your backyard so you'll be making a few trips and buying Corn from Audubon unless you got a source closer and it will be adding up.

I'd try Alfalfa/Clover this spring before the frost comes out and see if it works but if a feeder is your choice that is your decision. It will help with rack growth because bucks will have better nutrition and it will help with healthier deer because they are feeding on corn/soy instead of grasses. Does will put out better milk ultimately meaning better nutrition for fawns/future bucks. My suggestion if you do get one set it at one of the lowest setting for spreading food out. Usually 1-2 seconds is more then enough then 5-10 seconds because now every week you will need to refill it.

Have you ever tried salt lick stations? I've had great results with salt blocks!

[Bear55]

Here is an idea for you, let the neighbor feed the deer and you provide the cover. Drop some trees on your to open up the canopy floor, everything will grow in very thick and you have yourself a bedding area. Setup in between your bedding area and the neighbors feeders and have some fun. It might not be a bad idea to have multiple bedding areas so after you hunt one for a while you can jump around and keep the deer guessing.

[lungdeflator]

If this is hunting.....then I would call TIP and report your neighbors. And be thankful you came here first to ask the question before you got busted for baiting.

If your talking about winter feeding, then yea I would try to feed them. Once the snow gets deep like it is and gets a good crust on it like it is, the deer have a very hard time digging through to the ground. In that situation a food plot wont do much good. If you can get a big alfa alfa bale and some corn and stick it as close as you can to the thickest cover on your property.

[Bear55]

I am just guessing but I assumed the neighbors had feeders out all fall and then pulled them just before rifle season.

[pureinsanity]

Your poor success is probably do to the fact your neighbors are feeding them constantly and they remember that. Sure they might stop by your food plot, but they know and like what your neighbors have and they remember that. If you got fed a free nice juicy steak every night, would you go back every night or would you stop by a place on the way for a hot dog instead?

I agree with making bedding areas and such. Also make sure your neighbors are promptly taking their feeders OUT plenty of time before season. Brush, trees, tall grasses. Anywhere you can get a deer to bed down or a big buck to hide in during the day.

Let your neighbors feed them! Now its up to you to make them want to come through your land to get there!

[Musky Buck]

Lots of variables. I'm up against huge odds in 1 area I hunt. mile away is a food plot seed seller, he has multiple varieties that are manicured to perfection. We still do well as rifle seasons have been mild and the rut is in gear and they are distributed fairly well, but forget muzzleloading, colder, rut is done, fields plowed under, generally snow on the ground, they seem to want to travel short distances from the thickest bedding for the best food in the area and his plots are packed and no one hunting or disturbing where they are bedding. But, I like his plots as they help turkeys, rabbits, grouse, pheasant, etc. providing a guaranteed food source year round.

[pureinsanity]

Ask him if you can hunt on his land

[Dahitman44]

good info guys -- thanks

[Dahitman44]

so food plots can be as good or better and easier and legal year round? that is what I am hearing. Am I getting this right?

Our area has been hit very hard for the 10 mile radius around my wife's family farm.

It was in the area zone 241 where u got a LOT of permits. up to five per person. One family really got after them in that area ... shooting as many as 60 deer a year.

Has really hurt us where we are.

Was hoping that a nice food plot / feeder would help keep them closer?

Does that make sense? What would you do?

[Code-Man]

Hitman I would do food plots...maybe drop a few trees in key spots depending on the land but spread some clover just something as simple as that will help big time. I can bow hunt it and tell you what I see! Heck if I get something big enough I can even let you put the picture into the paper!

[TooTallTom]

If you're dead set on having a food source, food plots are legal year-round and can be hunted in MN. They're also more hassle than just buying a feeder and setting it up. But all in all, I think food plots are a better solution than feeders.

The advice to provide cover in an area rich in food sources (don't know if your area is more ag or forest land) is worth checking out. If it's appropriate for your area, you could plant a good-sized stand of corn and provide both cover and food.

[Dahitman44]

well -- our area is AG, but nice partial sections of woods all around us.

We just need to do something to keep what is left of the deer population near us so we can try and do some selective harvest.

[TooTallTom]

Ah, if you're in the center of a shelter doughnut which is surrounded by food sources, that's pretty tricky.

Just keep in mind that deer (and wildlife generally) like transition areas. If you can set up your property to maximize these, that might help. Also, even in wildlife, scarcity creates demand. If food is plentiful and shelter is not, more food isn't as attractive as good shelter. Same with water.

Try and look at the areas around you, identify travel corridors and gathering points, and do something (not necessarily provide more food) that will set your property apart from the surrounding areas and also hold deer. Perhaps some deep, nasty cover that doesn't get hunted AT ALL (not even on the fringes) might work to hold them if they feel safe there. You can always ambush 'em on their commute. Or maybe a good, dependable water source would do the trick.

[Bear55]

Ok I think we need some aerial photos if possible, it's too hard to guess what you need when we can't see the lay of the land.

[Dahitman44]

photos are a good idea - -how would I do that?

[Code-Man]

Hitman try Google Earth

[grate8]

perhaps y'all need to stop focusing so much on food plots and deer feeding (they're both baiting) and start focusing on hunting.

[Code-Man]

Last time I checked Food Plots are legal in the state of Minnesota unless you know something we don't?! Usually the people who saying they are baiting don't own the land or aren't willing to put in the time and effort to make a food plot work. I've done a few but with so much agriculture land around me it don't really work that good.

[BLACKJACK]

Even in a heavy ag area, food plots, especially corn, will work well for the late season hunts.

[hockeybc69]

+1 on what Blackjack said.

We are in Ottertail County and I wouldnt say heavy ag area, but still plenty around.

My plots get good activity year round.

[Code-Man]

Corn works great except when your in a river bottom and cannot get equipment down in the the bottom and it floods if we get a lot of rain during the summer plus when you hunt 40 acres and there are 32 acres of tillable I don't have much for cover so trails are my best bet. I still use canola around my stands to try and help sweeten the deal but sometimes they still wont stop when heading to Soybeans or Corn so being on main trails is vital but I do 90% of my hunting with a bow.

[Bear55]

photos are a good idea - -how would I do that?

Hitman

Download Google Earth and fire it up, zoom into your hunting area. Then go to File - Save - Save Image. From there you can upload the image through FM or get a free photobucket.com account and upload it there. Then you can embed the image in a post or link to it.

[charliepete]

My neighbor has food plots and illegally baits. I still take more and better quality deer than him. Some of them I even pattern heading for his place. I'll take woods knowledge and funnels over a food plot any day.