# !!!Deer not coming to feeder!!!



## killintime (Aug 15, 2005)

So we have a lease in Gillespie county and about a week before opening weekend the deer have just shut down coming to the feeders.. From June till about the end of october we always seen deer at the feeders and had them on our camera anywhere between 4-15 deer in the morning and evening. Is it really that much acorns out there is anyone else seeing this? I dont think it has to do with hunting pressure because we have some very secluded feeders away from every road and any human activity and nothing there either...I know last year was slow for alot of people last year i guess its going to be the same for our area this year?

Thoughts anyone else seeing the same thing around Fredericksburg area


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## TexSpec (Jun 28, 2006)

I hunt in Fredericksburg and was there from Wednesday night until Sunday. Last year was our first year on this lease and I thought we made a mistake. Deer everywhere on cameras at the feeders until late Oct. After that nothing. This year it started out the same. Tons of deer at every feeder. It has stayed pretty consistant so far. Not as many bucks this past week as we have been seeing. Although that may have been from the wind. I will say the deer are not staying at the feeder as long as they were. They come in get a little bite and leave. Hope this helps.


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## corndog 69 (Jul 14, 2008)

Killingtime

Don't feel bad we hunt just out of Fredericksburg around Cave Creek and were having the same problem. We had hunters there Thanksgiving for 4 day's and only two deer killed. The game warden came to our place last weekend checking and he said we should be a week or so for the rut, that it hadn't happened. There was one hunt that all 4 of us didn't see a deer. I believe it's the acorns still. all the deer on the camera are at night also. Hang in there hopefully December will be the month.


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*Rut is on...*

Say what you will, but I am convinced the rut is on big time. While hunting around Halletsville this weekend, very few deer at the feeders - but they were chasing the ladies around big time.

The guys at the house saw 4 big bucks chase down a doe right into a tank - the doe hit the water going full steam - and 2 of the bucks jumped in right after her and swam her down.

This was going on all over the ranch. Some say it's too early - but you could not convince me it's not on big time.


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## nhampton (Aug 8, 2007)

The rut may be starting but if the does aren't going to the feeders the bucks won't be there either. I've walked around on leases in Medina and Goliad Co. and some of the oaks have so many acorns under them it's a constant crunch when you walk under them. I've heard acorns described as meat, potatoes, salad, and desert for deer. Corn is candy. As long as the acorns are available and don't sour, the deer will stay on them. If you know the rut is on, you might try rattling around oaks with lots of acorns.


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## ROBOWADER (May 22, 2004)

Same here at our place. Acorns are everywhere.

I hunted 3 days this last weekend and not 1 deer came to the feeder. I had one little buck walk right past the feeder and not even slow down.


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## Mad Mike (Dec 28, 2005)

killintime said:


> So we have a lease in Gillespie county and about a week before opening weekend the deer have just shut down coming to the feeders.. From June till about the end of october we always seen deer at the feeders and had them on our camera anywhere between 4-15 deer in the morning and evening. Is it really that much acorns out there is anyone else seeing this? I dont think it has to do with hunting pressure because we have some very secluded feeders away from every road and any human activity and nothing there either...I know last year was slow for alot of people last year i guess its going to be the same for our area this year?
> 
> Thoughts anyone else seeing the same thing around Fredericksburg area


I hunt south of Fredericksburg in Gillespie county and have seen the exact same thing. The deer are on the acorns and won't touch the corn for the most part. Shot a doe passing opening weekend, and she was full of acorns.


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## Lancer00 (Feb 23, 2010)

I'm hunting near Ingram and sat and watched a doe at the feeder for an hour saturday morning and nothing came near it. I also so a small 6 point come out of the thick, go straight to water and right back in the woods. 

I did hunt about 30 miles east of there Friday morning and got an 8 point that was chasing does around like the entire TX population of deer depended on him to catch that doe.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> While hunting around Halletsville this weekend, very few deer at the feeders - but they were chasing the ladies around big time.


It would be the second estrus in Lavaca County. The rut there was on in October.

TH


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

We've got the same problem ... I suspect a few things really, but what I'm noticing is that our best deer movement is during the middle of the day from about 8:45 am - 2pm ... a feeder will habitualize a deer, but so will shooting them ... switch hit your hunting methods to remain sucessful.

This last weekend is the first time anyone on our place has hunted "all day" in years and we killed 5 bucks over 125" ... all management deer ... and saw JACK during the "normal hunting hours" except for a few young doe and bucks.

I also noticed that we'd find deer on corn lines (does) before we found them at feeders ... if the doe are there, the bucks won't be far behind right now.


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## electrichicken (Aug 29, 2009)

*Vector Tables*

Are you following the vector tables? They pay off well!


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## killintime (Aug 15, 2005)

10...4 i always use lunar tables for info

Im glad to hear we are not the only ones having the issue....


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## TXwaterfowl (Mar 28, 2006)

I hunt next to the Gillespie county line, maybe 20 miles from Fredericksburg and all throughout bow season, the corn was piling up under my feeder. Now, bucks and does clean it up every morning and afternoon. I have seen alot of doe chasing too, including one huge, mature buck with only one thing on his mind. That buck I killed there stunk to high heaven and his legs were soaked with **** as well.


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## killintime (Aug 15, 2005)

TXwaterfowl said:


> I hunt next to the Gillespie county line, maybe 20 miles from Fredericksburg and all throughout bow season, the corn was piling up under my feeder. Now, bucks and does clean it up every morning and afternoon. I have seen alot of doe chasing too, including one huge, mature buck with only one thing on his mind. That buck I killed there stunk to high heaven and his legs were soaked with **** as well.


TX WATERFOWL

Thats weird you are seeing that completely the opposite for me and what everyone else has said on here...hmm Wish i was having your luck


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## asolde (May 22, 2004)

*Llano*

I'm in Llano county and it is very slow there. Not sure why they are not coming to the feeder except they have a better food source some where else ( acorns ). Or maybe the coyotes and hogs bother them?


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## Thunder (May 22, 2004)

Trouthunter said:


> It would be the second estrus in Lavaca County. The rut there was on in October.
> 
> TH


I have hunted Southern Lavaca County every weekend since the season started and I am just now seeing bucks chasing does hard. I don't think rut was on in October at my place.

I am having the same problem as everyone else here. Deer just are not coming to feeders. But the will stop and eat hand corn. It's very baffling. I'm hoping the rains we had recently will start the souring process. Maybe the freeze this past weekend will help too.


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## wellconnected (May 30, 2005)

We hunt between freer and george west and this weekend as nice as it was turned out to be bad. We do not have a acorn issue but went from seeing 10-15 deer a hunt (half bucks) to seeing almost nothing. Weekend before last was slow but this past weekend was horrible. Deer just totally stopped going to the feeders. Hopefully the freeze that occurred this weekend will get them moving to corn again.


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## catfishcaldwell81 (Jan 14, 2009)

My lease is in Stonewall, and the rut started the week of opening weekend. We filled feeders Halloween weekend and they were already starting to run. Shot my 9 pointer opening night, he stunk bad, followed a hot doe in from the neighbors pasture. I counted 23 deer at the feeder 2 weekends ago. There are a ton of acorns all across the place, freeze this week should help knock them down. I will say that feeding corn and protein year-round has made a difference for us in terms of the number of deer and the types of bucks showing up.


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## Buzzbait (Jun 20, 2004)

We hunt out past the airport in Fredericksburg. We were there this past weekend and the deer are all over the feeders. Hmmmmm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TXwaterfowl (Mar 28, 2006)

I wish I had an answer for you. Last year was slow for me in that area. I never even pulled the trigger. This year is proving to be much better. I hope things get better on your place real soon. They should, with the freeze and all.


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## yakfinaddict (Jan 25, 2010)

Trouthunter said:


> It would be the second estrus in Lavaca County. The rut there was on in October.
> 
> TH


Same around the Morales area. The first cold front stirred the girls up, but this second one got them going really good. Sat on the edge of an oak mott and saw plenty of does and most of them had a buck on their tale or close behind. My brother-in-law shot his buck around 11. I believe they are moving a little later in the day with cooler weather and does in heat.


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## SpeckReds (Sep 10, 2005)

We own around 700 acres in Limestone county and it is solid oak trees. Acorns everywhere. The deer are not coming to the feeders. They are coming to the food plots some, but they do not stop at the feeders. We see mostly deer just passing through.
We have had very little rain and all types of animals are coming to water. We are seeing deer come to water regularly. We have a few stands by ponds and water holes and they have been the only places we have seen numbers of deer. They come get a drink, maybe nibble in a food plot and move on, but ignore the feeders.


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## Swampus (Sep 1, 2005)

Looks like we gonna have to get "NinGin" on um' this weekend!


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## Shorty Bang Bang (May 6, 2005)

*The deer are coming to our feeders*

I hunt just North of Menard. I was there for 7 days last week and saw alot of deer. I would throw out 25 to 50 lbs. of corn a day, in addition to what the feeders are throwing. I had deer all over the corn, 20-25 deer per hunt. Most of the time, I sat there much later than I wanted to let the deer leave so I would not spook them when leaving the area but they stayed until they ate all the corn. We had some issues back in October when the acorns starting falling but most of the acorns are bad now so they are hitting the feeders hard. We also saw alot of rut activity. We hunted one particular buck and my son was able to take him on the last hunt. He came in to chase some does that were eating the corn we had spread out away from the feeder. Not sure what is going on in your area but we have good movement on our place.


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## Del Magic (Mar 19, 2008)

We hunt out of Willow City and it has been spotty at best. I went hunting with my dad because nothing was coming to my feeder. I hunt in a large fairly open area with many live oaks in it. When the acorns are a factor I see plenty of deer under my trees. I'm not seeing that this year. One side of our ranch has corn piling up under the feeders till the hogs clean it up at night. The other side where my dad hunts is covered with deer. He always has 20+ deer at his feeder. The rutting activity seems to be finally heating up. We'll see this weekend.


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## Del Magic (Mar 19, 2008)

Oh, I forgot to say, I have a friend in Harper and he is not seeing deer come to the feeders as well. This not a localized issue.


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## Bukmstr (Nov 12, 2004)

*Lee County*

I had deer all over my feeders in September using game cameras. From Opening weekend until current I have piles of corn under my feeders. Acorns are everywhere! I am just waiting them out...


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## Txfirenfish (Jan 8, 2005)

Took my son to Comfort on a youth hunt with TYHP this past weekend and didnt see one single deer all weekend. We hunted am and pm on Saturday and am on Sunday. If you would have told me you could hunt the hill country of Texas in late November and not see one single deer, I would have called you a liar.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

After this front froze much of the land north of I-10, there should be a complete turn around with animals coming to the feeders.

I do have a question for many of you. When did you start your feeders up? What month?


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## Del Magic (Mar 19, 2008)

We've been feeding year round for eighteen years. With many feeders in the exact same spot.


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## Bloodstain (Nov 20, 2009)

I hunt in menard and to tell you the truth the deer have been hitting my feeder all year. The only thing that helps me is that there are large acreage on both sides of us that was once cleared for farming and hasn't had time to brush out. But i do agree they should start hitting them hard do to the freeze


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## Bukmstr (Nov 12, 2004)

Texas Jeweler said:


> After this front froze much of the land north of I-10, there should be a complete turn around with animals coming to the feeders.
> 
> I do have a question for many of you. When did you start your feeders up? What month?


Started mine in Early September...Mid September I had as many as 5 bucks at one time on them. Cleaning the corn up every day. October hit and the brakes were put on. We have 13 feeders total and they are all like this. We see deer but, they walk right past the feeders.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> I have hunted Southern Lavaca County every weekend since the season started and I am just now seeing bucks chasing does hard. I don't think rut was on in October at my place.


If you have any does on your place then yes, it was.

TH


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## Hoggin' it (Oct 27, 2006)

Coleman County -
Corn getting cleaned up daily, but not during normal hunting hours. Corn left on ground after morning hunt is all cleaned up when we return for the evening hunt. I think i will sleep in next weekend and go to blind about 8:00 am. and sit till 11 or 12.


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## Tex-Cajun (Sep 14, 2010)

I hunt in Polk County and have been having the same problem.

Feeders have been up and running since mid Sept. Youth weekend we saw deer but since then have only seen a doe or spike here and there. 

I have gone to check my feeder or spread corn between 12:00 and 2:00 and have seen more deer then all the time I have spent actually hunting. I think I will adjust my hunting times. Instead of going 5:30-10:00am and 2:30-6:00pm, I will just make one long 9:00am-2:30pm Hunt.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

We run 16 feeders on the property we hunt and manage, the deer clean up the corn on most within a hr after going off, yesterday eve I had 12 deer eating corn both under feeders and where I had put it out around the food plot, several of them spent more time in the food plot. The day before I only saw 4 at the same stand but they spent most of their time in the food plot and ate VERY little corn. I need to check back and see the majors n minors for yestreday as the deer were out in force, wife had 9 eating corn and her stand sits on Pine Island Bayou with Oak trees EVERYWHERE. I guess some days they want steak and some days they want hamburger....WW


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