Homemade Deer Feeders for Hunters
Deer are pretty skittish animals and creatures of habit. They are basically driven to sleep, eat and mate. They prefer heavy brush cover when they sleep, which is mostly during the day. Making a homemade feeder is very simple and helps ensure there is adequate food for the deer, thus keeping the herd near the feeding location. Most homemade feeders involve little more than PVC pipe, fastening material and a relatively large bucket and the feed of choice.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Threaded 6-inch diameter PVC tube, 4 feet long
- Threaded 6-inch PVC cap
- 5-gallon bucket or container
- Jig saw
- Drill
- ¼-inch drill bit
- Medium gauge wire
- Hose
- Large funnel
- Utility knife
- Needle nose pliers
Instructions
-
-
1
Drill about 10 or 12 holes into the bottom of the bucket. The bucket will serve as the feeder and the holes will allow water to drain from the bucket, keeping the feed dry and preventing spoilage.
-
2
Cut a 4-inch U-shaped slot in the non-threaded end of the 6-inch PVC. If both sides are threaded, pick an end that will extend into the bucket and cut the slot on that end.
-
-
3
Find a suitable area where you know deer forage for food. If the property belongs to you, you can attach the feeder wherever you choose. If it's public land, get permission from the local Fish & Game Commission or similar regulatory body to install the feeder. If it's private land on which the landowner permits hunting, get permission from the landowner.
-
4
Place the bucket at the base of the tree you've selected and place the feeding tube into the bucket, leaning it against the tree. Cut the hose connector from one end of the hose and wrap the hose around the feeding tube and tree to measure the length of tube you'll need to wrap it completely around. Cut the hose with the utility knife to the desired length. The purpose of the hose is to protect the tree from damage that could be caused by the wire tightened against the trunk. Feed enough wire through the hose to have 1 inch of wire exposed on each end. Twist the wire tightly using the pliers to securely fasten the feeding tube to the tree.
-
5
Lift the feeding tube about 6 to 12 inches from the bottom of the bucket. It should be held in place by the first band of hose and wire. Repeat the hose and wire measuring process two more times and secure the feeding tube, wrapping each wire and tube about a foot apart. Fasten all the wiring tubes tightly with the pliers.
-
6
Fill the feeding tube with corn or the feed of your choice. It will spill out the bottom of the tube and slot and fill the bucket to the top of the slot. Tighten the PVC cap to prevent water from entering the tube, should it rain. As the deer eat the corn, it will automatically re-fill the bucket as the level drops below the slot. Refill the tube as necessary.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit hungry deer image by Carol Wingert from Fotolia.com
