[AKElroy]

This is my first season on a central Texas lease, 800 acres w/ 5 other guns. There are 50+ head of cattle, wild hogs, and an assumption of whitetail, although three trips in the last 4 months provides no physical evidence of such.:mad:

I am looking for feeder recomendations; daily intervals, how to keep the cows off the corn & how to keep pigs from detroying the rig, etc..I also need to set up this rig by myself, as no help will be available most trips.

Thanks in advance for the help--

[MCgunner]

For the cows, fence it. For the hogs, you'll have to tie it down or they'll knock it over. Drive rebar in the ground to tie to or use a dog tie out stake or something.

[hardluk1]

For hogs you will want some concrete mesh or something as heavy. If you can get it in the sheet type not roll you might get buy with cutting it in have and rebar to the ground.

[Flintknapper]

MCgunner wrote:

For the cows, fence it. For the hogs, you'll have to tie it down or they'll knock it over. Drive rebar in the ground to tie to or use a dog tie out stake or something.


+1


That about covers it. Anything less...and you'll regret it.

[mongo4567]

I use hog panels (heavy wire mesh with tight spacing at the bottom) and T-posts to make a pen for on-demand protein feeders. You need to make it big enough that the deer feel comfortable (5 or more 16ft panels).

I leave the corn spin feeders in the open and wire T-posts to the legs; the cattle can't pick up the corn very well and I eat the hogs. I highly recommend a really heavy feeder to start with if you can swing it: the crank up kind with 16 ft legs. I have never needed to stake these big feeders and nothing can mess with them. For a cheaper alternative, there are also local folks that weld up sturdier feeders with 50 drums and built in ladders. You will need a very good varmit cage. The plastic Remington or Moultrie feeders work fine for awhile, but they have flimsy legs and plastic funnels. You can weld or replace the legs, but the raccoons and squirrels give the feeder hell with the plastic funnel and top.

I throw about 30 minutes after dawn and an hour or two before sunset during prime hunting time; but try to leave it the same year round. It is 8am and 5pm now...which will be 7 and 4 after the time change and shorter days.

[LeonCarr]

Tie down the feeder legs, put a five gallon bucket on each of the ends of the feeder legs, make sure the buckets are flat on the ground, and then fill the five gallon buckets with ready mix concrete. Use a GOOD fence like the ones previously mentioned around the feeder to keep everything except deer out.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[Art Eatman]

Got any trees? Use a light-duty block & tackle pulley arrangement to lower it for filling, raise it for feeding. That's a lot easier than worrying with fences and weighted legs and all that. I guess medium-duty if you feed from a 55-gallon drum, though. 300 pounds or so of corn.

I like the solar-charged clock feeders from Spin Cast in San Antonio. You can make your own rig with a 55-gallon drum. Set it to feed out about 15 to 30 minutes after first light and the same again before sunset. A mid-day feeding can bring does in about the same time as Ol' Bucky takes his mid-day lookaround.

[AKElroy]

Got any trees?

I do, and I like this idea. It would actually be easier to move the stand to a proper vantage point in view of a tree, go high enough to not need a fence. That would make coons my only worry. I do not mind feeding the hogs, I expect to take a few. The only potential problem would be cattle hanging around. Might still need that fence---

[hpluseleven]

I'll echo the first couple of posts - the cattle on my family's lease have torn up plenty of fences. We finally sank 5" steel pipe into the ground at the corners of the fences and used the T-posts in between. That was the only way we could get the barbed wire tight enough to keep the cows out - remember, their skin is made out of the same stuff as the gloves you're wearing when you put the fence up.

We don't have many pigs, so we didn't go with hog wire - figured that no more often than we see 'em, it might be kinda fun to shoot a pig rather than a doe or spike...

+1 on rebar stakes to the corners of the feeders.

[tango2echo]

Suspended feeder as mentioned above. Try 2lbs 3 times per day. Check to see how much is left on the ground after a week. Increase poundage as needed. You want the deer to work for it, not have a buffet. Put up a trail camera so you know what is going on. At my stands you can find very little corn on the ground, and when the feeder goes off you can count on deer coming in 20 minutes later.

t2e

[kdstrick]

Hey Elroy... this is my first post on this forum.

I'm in Texas too, and have hunted here all my life.

Not to discount anything anyone has said above, in fact, the 'hog' or 'cattle' panels are a great idea. But here is the key... I know it sounds funny... but place the panels in a CIRCLE.

Hogs are smart. Some folks say they are smarter than dogs. But something about their mind does not comprehend the circle shape. They will walk around and around the feeder fence looking for a corner or flat spot to bash through, go under, or through. After a while, there will be a trail circling the fence around your feeder.

I've seen 'em do it... it is actually kind of funny. All of my feeders have the dirt circle outside of the fence.

Use T posts and rebar to secure the pannels to the ground. Drive them deep and wire them tight. Hogs are tough on a fence. Make sure they are higher than 3 feet or the cows will step over, crushing the wire down (don't ask how I know :uhoh:)

For feeders, I use self feeders. Some people call them protein feeders. They take no batteries and the deer can eat all they want, any time they want. I've found that with protein supplement our deer are far more healthy and have been producing 'twins' far more often. The racks on our bucks have significantly improved also.

Good luck with your hunting. Don't forget to circle your panels, it works.

[41 Mag]

I have gone to simply hanging them. Much easier to deal with and no post or fencing to keep up or crawl over with bags of feed.

Pick a good live 8" or so diameter limb you can back your truck up under and set the top of the feeder where you can reach it standing on the tail gate. You want the motor up high enough that cows cannot reach it. IF need be set a piece of 3/4" plywood across your bed rails to get a bit higher.

Or use the pulley method. IF you go this route I suggest using 1/4" coated cable and two of these type pulleys I get from Tractor Supply or similar places,
http://www.tractorsupply.com/wcsstore/ConsumerDirectStorefrontAssetStore/images/products/150/3551458.jpg

Attach a boat winch to the trunk of the tree either with chain around the trunk or using lag bolts or both. I prefer the chain since it doesn't mess up the tree as much. Use a piece of all thread as a tensioner. Once you get it hung and filled, and before you crank it up, you will want a stop of some kind on the cable that will not go through the pulley. This will keep you from accidentally smashing the motor in the event of something dislodging the release on the winch or if you should loose control of it while cranking it up while full. Once you get it up in the air remove the handle and slide it down through the middle of the winch to keep it handy or take it with you. I always try to affix some extra piece of cable to the main line so that in the event a cow somehow pushes against the release it will catch things. So far in 10 years of one hanging from one particular tree I have never had an issue. But it only takes once.

Regardless of how you hang it or by what, be sure you and anyone else helping you stays clear of it while filling it up just in case something lets loose. I have had big limbs break, chain break, cables break, and none were fun for the motors on the bottoms, for the most part simply trash. However this has all been over some 30 years of using these in many places and most of it was due to nature in one form or fashion. As for coons they will not pose any issues with this type feeder other than raising up the lids if not tied down. Squirrels and wind storms are your worst enemies.

If you want I can pull some pictures of a couple I have hanging this weekend and post them up when I get back. They are all that but have been working fine for quite a few years with not much other than a paint job here and there.

[MCgunner]

As you can see, Art, I don't have the block and tackle in the tree option. I don't have cows, but I do have hogs. I tied it down today. Went by there on my route which takes me within a mile of the place. I staked it with tent stakes, will have to do until I can get something better. Seems to be holding for now and the rope I used has elasticity to it. Hogs had knocked it over and kicked the heck out of my timer. I put another timer on it, put some corn in it, and got it going again. We'll see if it stays put this time.

[41 Mag]

MC,

The thing I have found with the hogs, is if they got it down once they will work on it again. Damn smart critters. They will concentrate on one leg and work it until they get the thing tipped. We watched them do this with an almost empty one late one evening. Course we interviened before they got it down.

My best luck with keeping them upright has been using one of two methods, taking a piece of plate steel and cut or have cut, around a 6 - 8" circle to which I weld a foot long or so piece of round stock, pipe, rebar or what ever. Then when I set the legs for the feeder I will drop these bar up into an 8 - 10" hole set the leg on top of the bar, and fill in with dirt. After a good rain, if we ever get it, they are very solid and generally stay put like they were cemented in.

The other thing is using similar method with a bolt through the bottom of the leg to hold the bar on the plate in place also the plate has a 3/4 - 1" hole on one side. I generaly use this wall pipe for these. Apply similar to above only with no diggin of a hole. With plate bolted in place rotate the leg until the drilled hole is close to the inside part of the leg when looking down, then drive a 2' piece of rebar through the hole until it is around 6" from the top of the plate then use a piece of pipe or hamme to bend the top over somewhat square to the ground and drive it the rest of the way down.

With the anchor on the inside of the leg, you take away most of the movement they use to their advantage. They generally puch the legs from inside out.

ANyway good luck with all of your's I know I am tired of fighting them and spending WAY too much money on feeding the suckers.

[Art Eatman]

Make stakes from re-bar. Grind points on the ends. Drive in at an angle to the feeder's legs, and tie together with hose clamps. Or, use a piece of light chain vertically and horizontally through the "X" and snug tight with a bolt.

McG, it's a heckuva note when a guy out in a desert has more and bigger trees than a guy who lives where it rains. Heck, plant a sycamore or cottonwood. Three or four years, it'll be 30 feet tall. See, you didn't take Ladybird's advice: "Plant a flower, a shrub or a bush." Naw, you just went out and voted...

:D:D:D

[MCgunner]

Well, when I went out there, the empty feeder was still up, so maybe the hogs are a little more stupid there, LOL! We'll see, and thanks for the tips! I do need to get something in the ground better than tent stakes, just didn't have anything better. I was going to use a dog tie out stake, but left it at home.:banghead: I'll get that out there later. If my lab can't pull it out of the ground (he's a hoss), it should work decent. I need to rebar the legs, too, will help.

Art, I think I have two things going against me for big trees. First, we get fires out there occasionally. I'm really shocked we haven't had one this year dry as it's been. I had ONE nice oak down there when I bought the place, fire killed it and burned the platform out of it I'd built. :banghead: These little scrub oaks that grow up on the mots don't get that big.

Ever been down at Fulton/Rockport? The soil and the scrub oaks on my place are like down there, same biome if you will. Same fine sand (used to be a beach), same mots (used to be dunes), and same scrub oaks growing on the mots. Grass in the flat areas that flood in wet years.

Out on Aransas NWR, they also have a similar biome, but the trees have gotten bigger due to fire control out there over the years. The only fire control we have is when the ranch next to me discs next to the fence to keep it from burning down. Does that okay, but makes a mess out of the "road" if it happens to rain. There have been years I could only get in there by foot because of that.

See, this land ain't worth a crap except for hunting. No road access, no electrical access, but every year the county tells me it's worth more. Right now, they're telling me it's worth 4,800 an acre!:mad::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: Guess I shouldn't gripe too much, but hell, if it goes up much more, I could lease some major acres for what the taxes run. It's really miffin' me off lately. The state can drop the tax rate, the county just ups the evaluation and there ain't a damned thing you can do about it. You can protest it, lotsa good that does. :banghead: In 1988, I bought it at 1180 an acre and they had it evaluated for 750 an acre. Bend over and spread 'em. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'm way off topic. LOL Back to the feeder, I need to go find some chunks of rebar at the hardware store. My torch is out of acetylene, but I have an angle grinder and cutting wheels.

[dubbleA]

+1 on the circular pens, they work well.

I use hog/cow panels and "T" post to make them 60-70 ft diameter. Never had a hog in one that I know of.


The main purpose is to keep hogs and javelinas out.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/dubbleA/Deer%20Blinds%20n%20Feeders/DeerPen2.jpg


But still allow the deer to jump in
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/dubbleA/Deer%20Blinds%20n%20Feeders/DeerPen.jpg

I build my own feeders and make them bullet proof, cows, hogs, vermin dont bother them
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/dubbleA/Deer%20Blinds%20n%20Feeders/IMG_5183rx.jpg

[LeonCarr]

Varmints will tear up a feeder motor something fierce without one of those "varmint-guards". A good investment.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[MCgunner]

Coons got to one of my timers and messed up the photocell. I repaired it with a photocell from an old timer. That's the one I have on it now.

I've gotta get me a game camera to see, but I think those coons get in my hog trap, trip it, eat the corn, and open the door and get back out. If there's anything smarter than a hog, it's a danged raccoon.

[Longhorn83]

I builder feeder fencing out of the tall cattle panels. I use 7 panels, overlap the ends by 2 squares, and use hog rings to join the panels. I then stand it up, join the 2 ends, again overlapping 2 squares. End result is a big circle, where deer feel comfortable. I drive ribar into the ground at 4 points along the bottom, and wire the panels to the ribar to prevent movement. I then use bolt cutters to cut two 3 foot tall openings, about 3 feet wide, for the deer to enter (and for me to step over when filling the feeder). I orient the openings depending on the view from my deer stand. Works like a champ, and they can be turned out quickly when using the hog rings. And my cattle do not bother them.