Hunting isn’t just about purchasing the best carbon arrows and hunting equipment to easily target and shoot your game. You’ll also need to take account the various hunting strategies to make a successful catch, from planting turnips for deer or even using a deer feeder to have your prey come to you! You can find a ton of deer feeders for sale online, or you can also make a homemade deer feeder to save on money while still attracting deer and other animals.
But how do you even build one? Read on as I show you all about this hunting tool and how to make a deer feeder to achieve your hunting goals.
Why Make a Homemade Deer Feeder?
Deer feeders are usually put up by gardens or fields with the sole purpose of providing deer (and sometimes other animals) the proper feed to sustain their good health and meat. But because there are a lot of natural resources in areas where deer and other animals live in, what makes it so beneficial? Here are the advantages you can reap once you have a deer feeder to use for hunting:
- Having a homemade deer feeder will be able to attract deer because of the nutritious food you’ll be able to give them. The more deer you attract, the more they’ll visit your area and make it an easier target for you. No need to spend hours hunting and looking around, because you can simply stay on an elevated stand and have the deer come to you.
- Speaking of nutritious food, the better healthy deer feed you offer to animals, the better meat they will be able to have. Just like humans, deer will grow better with the right type of food, so the better feed, the bigger they are with good meat for selling or eating.
- Having a homemade deer feeder is easy to maintain and more inexpensive to have as compared to investing in other deer feeders. So if you have the time and the skills, you can create your own with ease.
These are just some of the reasons why you find hunters using deer feeders on fields or near their areas.
See also:
- The Best Deer Attractant You Need To Lure and Hunt Deer Successfully
- The 4 Best Deer Calls You Need to Attract Deer For Better Hunts Now
- The 5 Best Deer Decoy Reviews For The Best Hunt You Need
How to Make a Deer Feeder?
Deer feeders are indeed beneficial, but how can you make your own? You’ll be surprised to know that it’s very easy to do! This creates the basic deer feeder using just a PVC pipe. It’s easy to create and fill and does the job in feeding deer quite well. Here’s a step-by-step process on creating a homemade deer feeder:
Here are the materials you will need to prepare:
- PVC Pipe with a four-inch diameter
- Hacksaw or a PVC Cutter
- Metal wire, a rope, or strong string
- Two pieces of PVC pipe caps with a four-inch diameter
- PVC Glue
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Tree or post
- Deer feed
Once you have everything prepared, here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Depending on how long you want the deer feed to be, cut the PVC pipe to your preferred length, using the tape measure and marking it. I cut my deer feeders to 30 to 31 inches.
Step 2: Once you have made the mark and measurements, use a hacksaw to cut the marked line.
Step 3: Use the PVC glue to stick the cap onto the pipe, which will then be known as the bottom of the PVC pipe. Take note that the pipe should only have the cap glued to one end.
Step 4: Cut an opening on the PVC pipe (at the bottom with the cap) to let out an opening where the food galls out. Put a mark on the area you want to cut on the pipe. I prefer it to be about an inch or so from the glued cap. Create the mark and use the hacksaw, cutting the line halfway through the PVC pipe.
Step 5: Cut diagonally from an inch above the cut you just made until it meets to first cut. Remove the wedge shape piece of the pipe, and this will then be used as the opening for the food to come out.
Step 6: Put the feeder on any tree or pole you want to set it up in, somewhere that can be viewed by you and deer. Wrap the pipe around the pole with the wire, rope, or string. Tightly tie it around so it won’t fall off.
You can set up the deer feeder on the ground, but I recommend you to set it up on a tree branch about four feet off the ground, making it high enough for deer to eat from, but not accessible for creatures like squirrels or raccoons.
Step 7: Once you have the PVC pipe tied and ready, you can put the feed into the feeder on top of the pipe. Once you have filled up the pipe with the amount of deer feed preferred, add in the second cap on top of it. There is no need to glue this cap so you’ll be able to refill it later. And you’re done!
Tips on Utilizing the Homemade Deer Feeder
Now that you know how to make a deer feeder, the question is: How can you utilize it to ensure that you attract deer and feed them well? Here are some tips to follow when using a homemade deer feeder:
- hand-o-rightMake sure that you invest in the proper deer feed. The food you give has to have an equal amount of protein and fat, with minimal carbohydrates to avoid harming the deer. You can also combine deer feed with plants you have in your garden to make it more nutritious and enticing.
- hand-o-rightWhen choosing an area for your deer feeder, I recommend you to place it somewhere near our area, but not too near to have deer sense where you are. Set up your deer feeder early for deer to familiarize themselves with the feeder. That way, they will return.
- hand-o-rightDo NOT dress caught deer near your feeder, as it may discourage deer from coming back.
- hand-o-rightYou will need to check with the state laws before setting up your deer feeder, as there are certain areas where it is illegal to bait animals, such as birds or elk, especially on public property.
In Conclusion
When it comes to creating a homemade deer feeder, you’ll be able to reap a ton of benefits, which include saving money and attracting deer to catch right in the comforts of your field. Plus, it gives you the healthy catches and quality deer meat from the food you feed your game.
I hope that this article on how to make a deer feeder helped you figure out what you can do to improve on your hunting sessions and have you catch the quality meat you need for either selling or consumption. So what are you waiting for? If you’re planning on investing in deer feeders, try making one on your own today and taking advantage of what it has to offer today!
If you have any questions or would like to share your tips on how to make a deer fewer, then comment down below. I would love to had what you have to think.