Whether you hunt with a bow, crossbow, rifle, or handgun, one factor is constant: you have to be able to locate the game. It’s a known fact that most types of game will return to a location with a reliable source of nutrition. With herbivores, that could be a patch of vegetation that bears fruit or seeds. For carnivores, it’s wherever they can find prey.
Game feeders can establish a nutrition source location for the local wildlife. From your perspective, it’s like hunting a watering hole or a deer path — only you get to decide the location. But there’s a lot to know about using a game feeder. This article will discuss the nuances of using a game feeder to draw prey and make a few recommendations about which feeders are best for you and how to deploy them.
Attracting Specific Game Species
Naturally, the food you bait your feeder with should closely match your prey’s diet. For example, deer are drawn to high-protein feeds, particularly when their antlers are growing in the spring and summer or when does are pregnant and nursing. You may want to consider soybeans, alfalfa, cottonseed, or corn. You can increase the attraction with apples, acorns, or peanuts.
Hogs, on the other hand, are drawn to corn, which is both affordable and easy to pack into the feeder. You’ll want to place your feeder in areas with dense cover to match the areas where hogs forage.
Not only is it essential to get the feed right, but you also need to think about smart placement. Where do the animals seek food? Turkeys, for instance, are most comfortable feeding near open fields or near the edges of wooded areas, where they can seek refuge if they’re threatened. If you’re hunting ducks or geese, you would need to set your feeder at a location close enough to the water to encourage target game.
The closer you’re able to match the animals’ natural experience, the more successful you’ll be. That means understanding what the local game eats, the times of year that their diet changes, and the scents that attract them.
Timing and Frequency of Feeding
If you’re using a gravity feeder or a trough, you may not have a choice about the timing or frequency of feeding. The animals will eat your feed until it’s gone. Smart feeders can give you the ability to time the feeding.
Your feeding times should align with the eating habits of your potential prey. For deer, you should set your feeder 30 minutes before sunrise and an hour before sunset. Hogs are nocturnal, so their feeding times are during the dark hours. Whatever you’re hunting, learn about their peak feeding times. Also, consider seasonal differences in the time of day that your prey eats. For instance, many animals eat more in the fall. Some prey will eat during the warmest part of the day during the winter.
Maintenance and Refilling
Gravity feeders and troughs require the least maintenance since they don’t need a power source. Some feeders use solar panels and rechargeable batteries to minimize maintenance trips.
Legal Regulations and Guidelines
Before you invest in a game feeder, you should research the local laws and regulations that might affect placement. This is particularly true if you hunt on public land where feeders may be prohibited. For example, some jurisdictions may prevent feeding stations. Particularly in ecologically sensitive areas or in regions with endangered species.
Make certain you acquire the necessary permits before purchasing a feeder or deploying it.
Wide Selection of Game Feeders
If you’re considering adding a game feeder to improve your hunting environment, FeraDyne can help. Shop our wide selection of rugged feeders today!
