When the summer’s here, the deer come out to play. And if you’ve got a few deer on your farm, you should provide them with food and water suitable for them.
Most importantly, they need to be fed regularly. While you can do it yourself, the best option is to use a good deer feeder. It’s an ideal way to feed them quickly and efficiently, whilst ensuring that they are nourished.
If you’re looking for a deer feeder for your farm, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered some of the best deer feeders that you can buy today.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Moultrie Feed Station | Best Overall |  |
| Wildgame Innovations TREEHUGGER Tree Hugger Gravity Deer Feeder | Budget Pick |  |
| Moultrie Deer Feeder Elite | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. Moultrie Feed Station
Pros:
- Accommodate several animals simultaneously
- Stable canopy
- Easy to set up and reload
- Affordable price
- Durable
- Weather resistant
Cons:
- Easy for smaller animals to get food
- Soaked in rain, food may become moldy
- Can be hard to reload
Hunting game can be difficult, so you better be ready for all situations. That’s the reason why better and more hunters are using these feeders, and so should you. This feeder is a bucket, where food is placed.
The deer won’t even see the bucket, because the canopy is above it. Hunters will place corn on the feeding platform in the middle of the bucket, which will make the noise on the bucket.
Along with the bucket, the hunters get a hose ring for easy setup. This unit is swing-style, so it’ll be easy to set up. This feeder holds up to 40 pounds of food, so it’s more than enough for your game, and it’s rather affordable as well.
2. Wildgame Innovations TREEHUGGER Tree Hugger Gravity Deer Feeder
Pros:
- Excellent Price
- Easy to assemble
- Virtually tear-proof
Cons:
- Doesn’t hold heat
- Needs to be refilled frequently
- Drinks before eating if there isn’t enough water
If you want to get the most out of your deer feeder, and want to avoid making your game vulnerable to predators, this feeder is the perfect choice for you. This feeder uses a gravity method to convey the feed, making it possible for the deer to eat without making any noise.
This feeder is made from tear-proof material, making it nearly impossible for predators to chew their way through it. The pieces fit together so that there are no gaps that animals can graze on, making it their last choice.
We do recommend that you take frequent checks of this feeder. This way, if the feeder is low on food or water, you can top it off for another week of use. The top portion snaps on and off, and are easy to clean. In fact, there is no need to clean it, the deer will do it for you!
3. Moultrie MFG-13053 Pro Hunter Quick-Lock Feeder Kit
Pros:
- Easy to assemble, even for absolute beginners
- Lightweight
- Easy to move
- Unique shoulder carry strap
- Nondrip PDBP hoppers
- Comes pre-filled with Feederstar Pro Meal attractant
- 1 1/2 lbs of galvanized steel for durability
- Best for deer attracting
- Camo-look
- Flourescent orange feeding ports
Moultrie has been in the game for a long time and their hunting food products are topnotch. The Moultrie MFG-13053 Pro Hunter Quick-Lock Feeder Kit is sold complete with a 1-year warranty, but you can probably count on it being still functional even 5 years from now.
Like other feeders in this guide, the Moultrie Pro Hunter Quick-Lock Feeder Kit is equipped with a lockable lid that protects your food from raccoons, bears, and other wildlife animals. It’s thick and made from corrosion-resistant steel, and the hinges are stainless steel as well.
4. REDNEK Redneck Outdoors T-Post Gravity Feeder
This is one of the most popular deer feeders with redneck quality in mind. It is made of heavy-duty steel and comes in the classic red color. Depending on your level of tolerance for its color, you may want to rethink getting the product in red.
This gravity deer feeder offers a lot of hard-to-beat features that are among the top benefits of using such a feeder. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of a product.
5. AMERICAN HUNTER 5-Gallon Digital Hanging Bucket Feeder
Pros:
- Easy to program and operate
- It automatically shuts off when the lid is open.
Cons:
- The mechanisms are not entirely weather resistant.
- The plastic is not entirely resistant to UV rays
FEATURES:
This deer feeder from American Hunter is one of the very best you’ll ever have in terms of operation and practicality. The feeder features a 500-pound capacity, and is constructed of high-quality, all-weather resistant plastic.
Programming this feeder is easy and straightforward, and it’s simple to use as well.
6. Moultrie Deer Feeder Elite
Pros:
- Made for low-maintenance
- Low profile
- Water resistant
- Easy to set up
- Compact design
- Affordable price
Cons:
- No timer options
- Has only one hopper size
The Moultrie Deer Feeder Elite Series will meet the needs of a beginner to a beginner deer feeder. It's designed for low maintenance and has a compact design. You can set this feeder up in less than 15 minutes. It's fairly easy to operate it.
The Deer Feeder Elite is built with Moultrie's patented Twist and Lock technology, which allows you to fill your feeder easily without having to open the lid or the housing.
With the Deer Feeder Elite, you'll get a 4 port gravity fence. It's easy to install and you don't have to worry about it being tampered with. The 4 ports on the gravity fence are located at the back of the feeder and can vary if you get a 5 port gravity fence.
7. AMERICAN HUNTER Sun Slinger Directional Feeder Kit
Pros:
- Directional design reduces wasted feed
- Easy to install
- Free of maintenance
- Includes 1 bag of feed
This feeder kit from American Hunter includes an electronic timer that automatically opens each time a deer approaches.
A solar panel keeps the unit charged so it’ll be able to run continuously. It’s made from lightweight but durable metal and plastic to ensure years of use.
When in use, the timer can hold up to 1,600 lbs of weight. It also has a safeguard that prevents it from falling over when it becomes over-filled.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best deer feeder on the market?
Deer feeders are great for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts alike. The critical component of a good deer feeder is that it be able to resist the elements. This means that it must be able to stand up to heat, rain, cold, snow, dust, mold, oil, and more.
Selecting the best cattle feeder for your needs is an important decision, so spend some time doing a little prep work and decide on what you really want prior to purchase. Is the deer feeder for attracting deer to a hunting area, or for feeding deer in a preserve so you can get good head shots? Are you only interested in feeding during the summer months? All of these questions will play a part in helping you select the best deer feeder for your needs.
What is the best deer feeder timer?
Now that you've figured out how much time you need to spend feeding your deer, you are ready to start looking for the best timer for deer feeders.
You have two options:
- a corded timer with a battery back up
- a battery-powered timer
Combination timers with both options are also available.
What's best depends on your situation, but the generally, if you have outlets convenient to your deer stand, then you should get a corded model because it will pretty much run all day without a battery. If you only have batteries available, then get a battery-powered model.
How long will a 55 gallon deer feeder last?
If you live in an area that has a lot of wildlife then a deer feeder is useful for providing food during the winter. Even where there is limited wildlife, the feeder can provide many benefits. Deer feeders can attract deer to your yard where you can watch them. The high-nutrient feed will help them grow bigger, stronger, and healthier. If properly placed, deer won’t get in your garden.
Of course, if you do live in an area where there is a lot of wildlife, especially if you live next door to a national park or in the woods, then a deer feeder can become a necessity. The wildife will be hungry in the winter and their natural food supply will not be available. You can help by providing a safe warm environment with their food.
How many feeders are needed per acre for deer?
It's tough to say exactly how much food is needed to satisfy a particular number of deer because the number of animals that can be sustained in any given area depends on a lot of other factors (food availability, weather, predators, etc.). What I can tell you is that many landowners have reported being able to support one deer per acre (on private land only), and most people agree that 1-2 deer per acre is a fair target.
To feed enough deer to meet this standard, you'd need about 30-60 pounds of food per acre. If you don't have that much land to work with, factor in what land you can, and plan on stocking that much meat.
Conclusion
Deer Feeders: The Set-up
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Moultrie Feed Station | Best Overall | |
| Wildgame Innovations TREEHUGGER Tree Hugger Gravity Deer Feeder | Budget Pick | |
| Moultrie Deer Feeder Elite | Upgrade Pick | |