Greg Slone

Are deer feeders right for you? Now days, there isn't a piece of hunting land around that doesn't support a deer feeder of some type. Is feeding deer from a feeder a good thing or a bad thing? There is no debate that deer feeders bring in all kinds of critters to eat the lush food in the barrel. Deer feeders are not legal in all places, so before setting one out you will need to make sure they are legal.

No matter what type of property you have there is probably a deer feeder to accommodate your needs or wants. There are feeders that range from a 5 gal. bucket to a couple of hundred gallons. They range from all day feeders or buffet style to ones that are on timers to only feed in the morning and evenings. They can also be controlled as to how much you feed them in a given time. What ever you want it's out there.

One thing to remember is that a deer feeder is not a supplement food for deer, it is simply bait. There is nothing wrong with baiting deer but be realistic on your expectations of what it will produce. Feeders are simply a way to attract deer to a given spot. Deer are after foods that are high in fat and protein for the most part. So by putting out some corn or deer feed I wouldn't get my hopes up to much in bagging a monster buck just because you put out some corn. A lot more goes into that antler growth than you see on the T.V. commercials. Raising deer of this caliber comes from countless hours of working large food plots and very nutritious foods. Genetics also plays a huge roll in the antler mass a deer has.

So, I guess what I am saying is that feeding deer is an awesome way to bring a lot more deer into range than not feeding them. This is also a super way to introduce youths into hunting because it provides a lot more activity than usual. Nothing will beat proper deer management in producing big bucks but feeding them doesn't hurt either.