Feeders offer a great way to help pattern deer and present temporary holding areas for deer in their normal traveling corridors. In this video, Bill Howard shares how to build and set up a gravity-feed deer feeder. For less than $20 and in about 10 minutes, you can build a feeder that is much more efficient than just dumping corn on the ground, yet costs much less than broadcast feeders.
The gravity feed feeder consists of standard 4-inch PVC pipe and fittings, all of which can be found at the local hardware or home improvement store.
A drain grate is used on the bottom of the ‘Y’ fitting to allow rain water to run through the corn and drain through the bottom to help keep the corn located in the bottom of the feeder from molding.
When placing the feeder, be sure to set the feeder perpendicular to your intended stand location. Using a standard ‘Y’ fitting like in the video, the deer will face straight into the feeder so the right angle can give you the broadside shot hunters look for. You can also substitute a double ‘Y’ fitting to allow for multiple deer feeding, but again, have the openings perpendicular to the stand. Also, be sure not to place the feeder too high. As a rule of thumb, set the opening somewhere between 2 to 3 feet high.
This particular feeder, with a 5-foot section of 4-inch pipe, will hold approximately 25 pounds of corn and can last several weeks depending on deer traffic. You may find the 4-inch pipe in sections of 10 feet, which can be cut in half for multiple feeders.
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