Originally Posted by Forrestgump1
Originally Posted by joshm28
Originally Posted by Forrestgump1
I think it’s wishful thinking to have a 5 plus year old buck come feed out of a feeder whether it’s gravity or spin during hunting season. The idea is to keep the does and younger bucks around, which in turn, could lead to an older deers death.



You couldn’t be more wrong. It’s absolutely possible to get mature 5yo deer to eat at a feeder. You just have to start when those mature deer are yearlings. I have 4.5 yo deer at feeders regularly but those same deer have been eating at feeders for 4 years now.


To say I’m wrong is a little out there. Anything could happen, that’s what makes hunting fun. Playing the odds it won’t happen though. How many 5+ year old bucks did you kill over your feeders last year?


Oldest buck I have killed at a feeder was professionally aged at 7.5 years. I have killed 6 that were over 4.5 in the last few years that were at feeders of that were eating from feed spread in the previous 1-2 hours, and I have seen 40+ bucks over 4.5 years old at feeders, just not deer I was allowed to shoot as a guest on that club.

Again, it's what they get used to seeing/hearing. I do not believe that you would have a good chance killing a 5 year old the first season that a feeder is in operation, but once it has been running for 5+ years, they are used to it. The key is year round operation. I never let mine stop running, just adjust the time down when feed starts to build up.

I have also killed mature bucks within hours of filling a feeder, but it is in areas where they are used to feeders being filled, as well as after using a road feeder on my way to the blind.