feeder question

[woodshed]

I'd like to buy 1 to 2 feeders. Last year I put corn on the ground in front of my trail cam. It worked great and I got lots of pics.

With that success, I'd like to go a step further. I'd like a feeder.

What do you recommend I look for?

1 property will be on property close by and can easily check/fill/ feeder and camera each week no problem.

The other is 40-45 mins. away. I don't want to go there to often except to get my pictures say every 2-3 weeks or even less.

Both spots will be tough to use hanging feeders because most trees are very tall with few if any low branches to hang from.

I'm worried about how hard it is to fill a tripod feeder. How tall are they?

I'm also wanting the more affordable ones.
How much better is a programmable timer verses a photocell?
I do have a feeder spin motor. How hard is it to build the rest? with legs?

thanks.

[wtnhunt]

I'd like to buy 1 to 2 feeders. Last year I put corn on the ground in front of my trail cam. It worked great and I got lots of pics.

You can get away with gravity type feeders made from pvc, but if there are racoons around, they will eat a good deal of your corn.

Both spots will be tough to use hanging feeders because most trees are very tall with few if any low branches to hang from.

I'm worried about how hard it is to fill a tripod feeder. How tall are they?

If you go with a commercial feeder, some of the smaller bucket type can be rigged with pulleys to raise and lower them.

I'm also wanting the more affordable ones.
How much better is a programmable timer verses a photocell?
I do have a feeder spin motor. How hard is it to build the rest? with legs?

Have used pvc type feeders here some and just at camera sites. If I were to buy one it would be a programmable timer type. Building a feeder and how easy or difficult it would be would depend on how handy the person is. Dont think it would be at all tough to build one.

[Finn]

I used to use an automatic feeder and had it strung between two trees with cables so the squirrels etc couldn't get to it. Worked like a champ. It's been a couple years, so not sure what a good model would be. Think I had a moultrie and game country and both worked well.

I'd think the gravity ones need to be checked often if you have much activity there. 10 deer can eat a whole lot of corn that's just waiting to be ate.

[bowhunter56]

It might be less expensive, to just buy the timer unit, if you can get a 55 gal, plastic or metal drum, you can just cut a hole in the bottom, screw the timer on, and either hang or make a tripod to hang the feeder. If you buy a feeder all together, check the timer, some only go off at dusk and dawn, some you can set how ever many times you want it to go off. most timers come with a 6v lantern battery system, you may want to get 2 re-chargable batteries, and a charger, that way you always have a fresh battery. Think about placement, consider bears, mainly, racoons, and the smaller beggers, you can deal with, but a bear will destroy a feeder if he wants to..hope this helps..Andy

[wtnhunt]

if you can get a 55 gal, plastic or metal drum, you can just cut a hole in the bottom, screw the timer on, and either hang or make a tripod to hang the feeder.

If you do this, might want to check into the adjustable funnels that go inside the barrels. Cabelas used to sell them, pretty sure they still do along with anything else you might need to build your own.

[riverBottom]

If your going to buy used barrels make sure they are food barrels and not industrial. I have 2 feeders up, I just purchased the barrels, the timers and then cut some pipe and made brackets to attach the pipe to the barrels. If I back up to the barrels in my truck I can fill them with corn standing on the side of my truck bed. I agree with the previous post, good idea to get some adjustable funnels.