# Feeder pin size question?



## Clint Leopold (Mar 7, 2006)

I recently got a new deer lease that has established corn and protein feeders. All the feeders have pins around them to keep the hogs and cows out. I filled the feeders up about a month ago and can't get any deer to jump into the pen. You can pour corn around the outside and they'll tear it up. The pins are I believe between the 28 to 32 inch tall range. My question is what do you think I need to do to get the deer inside the pin? I'm thinking maybe the pin is to small in diameter. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## ksk (Aug 9, 2008)

What is the size of your pins?


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## Clint Leopold (Mar 7, 2006)

ksk said:


> What is the size of your pins?


Probably between 20 to 25 feet across.


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## MoonShadow (Jun 3, 2007)

Too small. Our feeder pen is at least 50 feet in diameter and the deer eat up the protein. assuming you put your feeder in the middle of a 25 ft. diameter pin you only have 10 ft before the feeder.


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## Rusty S (Apr 6, 2006)

I usually do 30'x30'x30'x30' and deer jump in and out all day long, 48" tall, feeder in the middle. rs


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## ksk (Aug 9, 2008)

We use 16 foot hog panels. 4x16= 64 feet for one side.


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## Sean Hoffmann (May 24, 2004)

Pins? Or pens?


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

IMO, the pen needs to be at least 40' in diam.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Here was my feeder pen.
8 - 16 foot hog panels.
Dia = 40 feet

The deer would not just the fence. Corn would be everywhere inside the fence; however, not corn outside the fence.

I finally took it down.

This has to be big enough. not sure why they would not jump the fence.

blue.dog


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

when we used to have to build pens the bucks did not jump in it near as much as the does but the bucks would always come by and check it out. I would always spread corn out starting from the front of the pen on up to around 20yds out from my stand and in the road leading to and from my blind. Bucks would always hit the corn that I spread out.


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## dolch (Aug 19, 2005)

I have pens about the same size as Blue.Dog shows in his pictures. I have no problem with deer jumping into my pens. I did however cut some smaller holes so that fawns could get in easily. Now all my does use the holes, and the buck jump the fence. Just make the holes ~18" off the ground and the pigs won't figure it out.


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## dolch (Aug 19, 2005)

If I remember, i'll take a couple pictures for you this weekend.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

I've always used at least 7 - 16ft panels. That will make approximately a 35 ft circle.


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

not to hijack but what have yall done for making pens in areas you couldnt drive a t post in? my place is solid rock after about 8" and we have gotten some stray goats on our pasture that have been killin the protien feeders.


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

LongRodMaster said:


> not to hijack but what have yall done for making pens in areas you couldnt drive a t post in? my place is solid rock after about 8" and we have gotten some stray goats on our pasture that have been killin the protien feeders.


we rented a hilti drill and brought the generator with us. worked fine, instead of t=post we used rebar


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Minimum bo 12 16 foot panels for a pen. 

Charlie


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## Rusty S (Apr 6, 2006)

CHARLIE said:


> Minimum bo 12 16 foot panels for a pen.
> 
> Charlie


Whats a bo, you aint gone Obama on us have you?:smile: rs


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

CHARLIE said:


> Minimum bo 12 16 foot panels for a pen.
> 
> Charlie


Dang Charlie. That's a minimum of 60 ft. You building pens or fencing the pasture? LOL


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## troutslayer (Feb 7, 2006)

I second the hilti drill.....if you are using t-posts....use a 1 1/8" bit....works great
As for the size of the fence.....we used almost an entire roll of wire bought at Lowes 330"....makes a pen about 75' X 75' you have enough room for two feeders if you want.................I wont be doing that but have heard it works great to split the timers feeding time


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Yall know I have no clue as to what a bo mite be. But been using 12 panels when we have them. Lots more when available. We put up and tear down so have a stack of panels and not buying any. Those things are high.

Charlie


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## Bone Pile (Jan 23, 2009)

Blue Dog, Good chance they have a lot to eat other places,judging by the vegetation around the feeder area. Don't worry about them getting in there. Like the saying goes,Build it and they will come. Make sure your pen is large enough where they have to jump in to get corn. Too small and they get their fill outside of the pen. Once the season starts and they get used to jumping in you can scatter some corn around the outside for better looks and closer shots for kids.
As far as making it sheep proof. Good luck. They will always find their way in but never find their way out. If just a cuople of strays haul to the local auction barn or make coyote bait out of them.


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## dolch (Aug 19, 2005)

Eight panels seems plenty big. Here's a picture of one of my pens with 8 Panels. 

i wouldn't recommend taking your panels down after the season, leaving them up year round lets the deer get used to them.


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## JWS.HOOKEM (Jun 24, 2008)

I use 5 16 ft hog panels, will go to 6 per side, square pin. Have no problem with the deer jumping in.


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## Swampus (Sep 1, 2005)

Here is a figure 6 hog trap I put up--5 16'ers--worked very good--caught a boat load of hogs--water tank for the deer and hogs--and a feeder just outside later and doubled up on T Post's--good setup for me.


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## uncle dave (Jul 27, 2008)

I make my pens 60 ft. in diameter, one corn feeder and one protien feeder. Bucks like a lot of room.


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## Encinal (Jan 18, 2008)

Ours are square and 40x40 but I would make them round now...


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## Jfreeman (Nov 3, 2004)

I make mine round 50' in diameter. Have some that are a bit bigger. Several bucks will jump in the 50' pens at the same time so i don't see any point in making them to much bigger unless your going to run more than 2 feeders in each one.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Maybe from these pictures you mite get an idea as to our pen sizes.


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## Clint Leopold (Mar 7, 2006)

Charlie, any idea on the diameter of your pen and about how many panels are in it? BTW, nice looking setup and deer.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Clint

Dont really know what the diameter is. Its square with (caint remember) how many panels on a side its 5 or 6 16 ft panels. Its either 80 or 96 ft across but I now build round feeders. This is an old square one.

Charlie


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## Coach_Stew (Dec 29, 2004)

i use 12 hog panesl (16ft) and 24 t-post and make a round pen.... the radius is 30.5 ft... plenty of room for the deer....


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

CHARLIE said:


> Clint
> 
> Dont really know what the diameter is. Its square with (caint remember) how many panels on a side its 5 or 6 16 ft panels. Its either 80 or 96 ft across but I now build round feeders. This is an old square one.
> 
> Charlie


Charlie:

If you were a bowhunter you could put your blind inside the pen.


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## Encinal (Jan 18, 2008)

TXPalerider said:


> Charlie:
> 
> If you were a bowhunter you could put your blind inside the pen.


I have seen pics of people leaving a hole in their pen or a funnel to a deer blind so they don't have to shoot arrows through the wire.


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## Blackgar (Aug 4, 2004)

In my opinion you should place your protein feeders away from your hunting areas. We never shoot into a feed pen. We want them to to feel secure while hitting the protein & just feed a minimal amount of corn from a feeder on the sendero to keep'em interested. It's worked well for us


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Most of ours are 20' by 20' square... I've seen as many as 8 mature deer in one at once. Never had one that a deer wouldn't get into... heck, we catch deer in hog traps occasionally.


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## MoonShadow (Jun 3, 2007)

As stated in earlier post. One roll of wire from Tractor Supply will make 2 feeder pens 50 feet in diameter. I think our pens are 39 inches tall. I think we used hog wire. Smaller mesh at the bottom. We spaced our T-post about 5 ft apart around the circumfence of the pen. Be good to buy corner post set-ups for the gate.


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## Encinal (Jan 18, 2008)

Blackgar said:


> In my opinion you should place your protein feeders away from your hunting areas. We never shoot into a feed pen. We want them to to feel secure while hitting the protein & just feed a minimal amount of corn from a feeder on the sendero to keep'em interested. It's worked well for us


We shoot over 100 deer a year and have a corn feeder and blind at most of our feeding stations. They feel fine coming to them... after all almost nothing bothers them for 8 months out of the year going to the feeder.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Speaking of pens, that pen in the picture is inside of a 7 acre barbed wire fence that tries to keep the cattle out. We plant it occasionally but since it never rains down there nothing ever comes up.

Charlie


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