Deer feeders can be a controversial subject. Wherever your opinions lie or your state laws dictate they’re around and there’s many to choose from. The best deer feeders make it easy to feed wildlife through tough winters, supplement their antler development during the growing season or funnel them into the range of a trail camera. The fact is they work.
Just like a shepherd with his sheep, it is your responsibility to tend to your herd and its well-being. You want to have the best deer feeder, best area of placement, and perfect timing in order for a great hunting experience in the fall and winter months. So where do you start in order to meet all of nature’s requirements?
The below table shows the top 5 deer feeders varying in different types. You can click on each to take you to Amazon for pricing and more customer reviews.
*Updated: These top 5 have been updated and reviewed in 2018
Feeder | Type | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
Gravity | A | |
Hanging | B+ | |
Wooden Trough | B | |
Electronic Tripod | A | |
Electronic Tripod | A+ |
*Our rating takes in to account the features, the type, the capacity, and the price...giving our recommendations on value for money. However every hunters' needs will be different therefore we have picked a feeder in each style and price range. Keep reading or use the quick navigation for more details on each.
Choosing a Deer Feeder
Feeders come in all shapes and sizes. The majority of feeders are basic models that do one job; distribute feed for wildlife. The design of the feeder is what makes the difference. Hunting over a feeder requires knowing a general time the deer will move into an area. While photographing deer only takes getting the deer to eat the feed.
Look for a model that is as compact as possible. Sometimes that’s easier said than done but remember; you not only have to carry the feeder out, you have to carry the feed out. If you choose a really awesome location but can’t get a truck or ATV out to refill the feeder it makes it arduous and time consuming to maintain it. Refiling some of the larger 300lbs tripod feeders without equipment is simply impossible, figure out the best deer feeder food logistics plan before you figure out which feeder to buy.
The Best Deer Feeder Setup
Deer are going to find the feed or bait. Nothing fools a whitetail’s nose so if the deer want to eat it they’ll find it. The trick is placing it to make them comfortable. Deer are attracted to areas they frequent so setting them up near major game trails is a nice boost to the feeder.
Setting up the feeder should not only be in the best place for deer, but also in the best place where other woodland animals, such as squirrels, raccoons, and wild boars, don’t have a chance of disturbing the deer feeder. To prevent the hassle of the unwanted varmints, special guards are recommended to keep them out and let the deer in
The other things to consider is food competition. Placing a 50lbs sack of corn next to a 300acre corn field isn’t going to bring in the bucks. Neither will putting feed where there’s no deer.
Cover is next; if you put a feeder in the middle of a field rest assured they’ll never eat from it during shooting light. Putting a deer feeder in dense cover means the deer will be nervous when they approach and then “camp out” on the feeder. When placing the feeder look for an area that is semi-secluded, maybe a thicket surrounded by light brush in big woods.
The best place to put a feeder is in an area that is mid-way in between a main bedding area and a principle food source. This is because deer will move in on the feed while on their way to, and fro, the principle food source and will hang up during shooting light. This makes hunting, photographing and re filling easier. The deer will be there generally just after first light, and just before sundown leaving the middle of the day free to refill and maintain the feeder.
Another factor to keep in mind is the safety of the location of the feeder. The areas where predators often hunt and mate should be highly avoided. It's a good idea to be aware of any area where harm would likely be caused to the deer, such as close frequently traveled highways, housing areas, and/or parks or recreational places that are close to the woods. For the most part deer usually do not travel in places where they feel unsafe, but we on the other hand don’t need to lure them to unsafe places either.
Knowing the Best Deer Feeder Times
With the help of game cameras, the aspect of perfect timing can be easily executed. With the ability to look at time stamped pictures on the game cameras, you can see exactly what times of the day or night the deer frequent the specific area you have chosen. If a game camera is out of reach, simple tracking and observance of the deer in your wooded area can also give you a round about time of when to have the feed out and ready to go.
If a feeder with a timed dispensing system is in your future or already in your possession, you particularly need to know when the deer travel through your area in order to time the feedings correctly. Some timed feeders also allow the amount of feed dispensed to be controlled. In times of high traffic the feed should be dispensed at the right moment and in plentiful amounts in order to keep a steady feeding pattern.
Most deer populations tend to move more at dawn and dusk, of course when we legally have to be in from hunting. With that in mind, if a game camera or time dispensing system are lacking in your life, these are the best times to have your feed and feeder up and ready.
Deer feeders can be essential in any season including the hunting seasons. Some tend to use their feeders during hunting season as a way to get the deer into their sights and hopefully on their walls. Also, some hunters feel the need to keep their feeders maintained all year long for better results during hunting season.
Deer Feeder Management
It is important to make sure that you check your feeder regularly to ensure that it is working properly. If you have a mechanical motorized feeder, be certain that your batteries are fully charged or replaced when needed. If you have a gravity based model, the inspection for blockage should become a regular routine when managing the feeder. You also want to make sure that any type of feeder you have is set up properly without any obstruction to guarantee effectiveness.
5 Best Deer Feeder Reviews
These are reviews of the 5 best feeders. There is a feeder here for everyone, depending on your needs.
Redneck Outdoors T-post Gravity Feeder
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. This feeder is one of the simplest designs on the market. Its gravity fed and holds 80lbs of corn while only weighing 10lbs itself. The feeder is constructed from tough plastic (highly durable polyethylene which is perfect for all weather conditions) with one hole for the deer to feed from where the corn falls into reach.
The back of the feeder is curved with molded in lashing points for ratchet straps to hold the feeder securely to a large tree. The feeder is unique in that it comes with a molded in channel in the back to accept a T-post perfectly if there’s no tree to be found. The height of the feeder depends on how high you mount it and it couldn’t be simpler to set up; Just strap it up!
This design is great for many reasons but the two best are the fact it can be completely hung off the ground and doesn’t leave food on the ground and also forces deer to compete with only one small hole to feed from.
Being able to lash the entire feeder out of reach of wild pigs is extremely important if putting the feeder out to supplement the deer population. It reduces competition with other animals and only feeds the deer. Being able to strap it to trees or T-posts make set up a breeze and can be put virtually anywhere. This is especially useful in marshy areas where other feeders would either sink or dump feed into the water.
The benefit of the single hole is simple; it causes deer to leave safety sooner to get the food. When deer find out they have to wait in line they try to be the “Early bird” and will walk into shooting light and expose themselves to legal hunting. They feel more secure than a battery operated unit but aren’t as conditioned.
Although this is an easier model to keep up with the only downside is the inability to control the feed could pose a major problem when trying to manage your deer population.
Moultrie 5 Gallon All in One with Timer
The Moultrie 5-gallon feeder is a unique unit. It’s completely assembled in the box, all you have to do is pull the 6lbs unit from the box and fill it with feed. The design is a collapsible bucket with the electronics mounted on the bottom of the unit and it couldn’t be better for putting a feeder way back in that old reliable honey hole.
The 5-gallon capacity is very little, in fact this isn’t the unit to use long term but for short term feeding for wildlife photography, trail camera surveys or short duration sites this is the ticket. Of course the unit hangs from a tree, which can be difficult in some areas to find a suitable branch but overall the unit is great. The durable plastic housing sheds rain water and the electronics are easy to use and last a long time. This is by far the best hanging deer feeder.
The best use of this unit is for wild hog hunting. The unit can’t be toppled or shook if you hang it in a sturdy oak or cypress tree the hogs are already drawn too. The hogs will pick up on the bait very quickly and hogs can be harvested before the feed runs out and then move the site to keep them from patterning you. This is a reliable way to control a wild hog population as part of a larger wildlife management plan.
Deer and Livestock Feeder by Zenature
There’s nothing simpler. It’s a simple trough to put out feed and it’s just a step above spreading feed on the ground. Deer will normally become accustomed to these contraptions faster than any other feeder and will generally be less spooked than other types.
This model is made solely out of pine wood, which holds up well against weathering factors and also features nonmetal hardware, which is also beneficial against nature’s elements. There is an easy cleaning feature where the bottom removes and there is the option to drill holes in the bottom piece for drainage purposes.
Putting these out is simple; carry it out to your chosen spot and set it down. It’s that easy. These types of troughs work great if you have a short term trail camera survey and need to put out multiple sites or just want a simple way to put feed out but keeping it off the ground.
This simplicity comes at a price: all kinds of wildlife can eat at it, hogs have been known to topple these things and eat all the feed in minutes, and the feed gets wet and will mold in a few short days.
The upside of the simplicity is it’s cheap and easy to use. Many can be bought and maintained for low cost. These are great niche pieces of equipment that do make a difference when used in the right circumstance.
Wild Game Innovations Quick Set 270
The classic electronically controlled feeder. The timer can be set to distribute the feed for the time you want it too. This is the main advantage of these tripod style feeders. Because you control when the feed gets put out the sound of the spreader going off is like the dinner bell ringing to nearby deer who become conditioned to swoop in and get theirs before it’s gone.
This Wild Game Innovations feeder is a great opting because the plastic weather proof hopper is just big enough to not disturb the woods but not too big or heavy to make putting this thing out impossible. The design is solid and the electronics are quality. Setting up a time is easy and the batteries last ample enough time so you won’t be spending too much time maintaining the feeder.
The wild game innovations feeder offers a 30ft, 360 degree throw of feed from the 270lbs hopper. This is a no joke feeder for serious wildlife management or hunting. This comes with one of the best deer feeder motors; it’s plenty strong to sling corn for years at the best deer feeding times, when you need it most. The supports are plenty strong to handle a fully loaded feeder and the feed inside is dispensed in increments that you set up and stays dry and ready until it’s empty.
These designs of feeders have one major flaw, they’re big targets for bears and wild pigs. These animals are big enough to knock over and tear open the hopper running the feeder site and literally eating your money away.
If you have pigs in your area stay away from these designs, even if you dig deep and stake the feeder out, the pigs will turn the ground underneath into a huge rooting site and rain water will turn it into a small pond weakening the support.
Moultrie Easy Fill Feeder 30 Gallon
Another particular tripod, hanging model, the Moultrie Easy Fill seems to have just what every hunter, trying to manage a population, needs and desires.
With a tapered design it allows the feed to gradually travel to the bottom of the feeder. Another great add-on is the built in mounts for easy game-camera hook up, allowing a great way to monitor feeding habits and watch over your deer population.
This particular feeder offers an easy setup, with no tools required and also offers a programmable timer that lets you choose up to six feeding times per day. This is a plastic model, which can be problematic for some areas, due to varmints and other opposing factors, but in other certain areas can be highly beneficial for the deer population.
Based on features alone this is with out a doubt one of the best deer feeders out right now!
Bottom Line
Even the best deer feeder won’t perform if you don’t place it in the right location, fill it with effective feed and maintain it.
Being well educated in your potential feeding area is the only substantial way to manage your deer population. The amount of time and money you can invest, your specific area and obstacles, and your overall goal for your feeder should be the main factors in your decision making process. If your intentions are to have a successful deer feeder you need to consider all aspects in order to make an educated purchase.
Using the best deer feeder could be the difference between a successful year and just another building year. Go out and do your job, so the feeder can do it’s!
