In this article, we are going to cover the top best deer feeders for the money (and after our reviews, we go into detail as to what criteria you should look out for when selecting the ideal feeder).
Here are our recommendations for the 4 best deer feeders on the market:
Wild Game Innovations Pail Deer Feeder
Unlike many other deer feeders that are designed to be set up on a stand, the Wild Game Innovations Pail Feeder is designed to be hung from a tree. You can accomplish this with either rope or bungee cord that is wrapped around the handle and then around the branch of a tree, and it will work beautifully. Featuring a thirty feet and three hundred and sixty degree range, the pail of the Wild Game Innovations can hold up to fifty pounds of feed. The dawn and dusk feed times are powered by a 6V battery operation, though as you may have guessed the battery is not included in the package. The steel spinner plate is galvanized so that it avoids rusting.
Moultrie Easy Fill Deer Feeder with Quick-Lock Hopper
The Moultrie Deer Feeder Pro is one of the bigger names in the deer feeder world. The Deer Feeder Pro is a deer feeder that you can assemble in less than five minutes with just a few tools. All you need to do is take the hopper and fasten it with the wing nuts, followed by screwing on the cap and twisting the feeder kit. After that, all you need to do is secure the legs and you are all set. What’s even more unique about the Deer Feeder Pro (see full specs), however, is the fact that it comes with a timer where you can schedule six feedings a day. This is easily among the best deer feeders on the market.
Moultrie 6.5GAL Quiet Deer Feeder
Just like our Wild Game Innovations model, the Quiet Feeder instead is designed to hang from a tree. Camouflaged with mossy oak and equipped with a programmable digital timer for up to six feedings a day, forty pounds of total capacity, and a built-in guard against other varmints that would try to access the food. This electronic feeder dispenses the feed exceptionally well and is easy to program. It can operate on either four AA-cell batteries, but either way, it still has a very long battery life. Last but not least, you can easily transport the Quiet Feeder from place to place thanks to its light weight.
Redneck Outdoors T-Post Gravity Deer Feeder
This is a heavy duty deer feeder, and thanks to the polyethylene material, it can sustain abuse and be out in any kind of water that you want it in. You would think that that would cause maintenance problems to be an issue with the T-Post Gravity Feeder, but just the opposite is true. There are no mechanical parts on this feeder, so it’s simply not going to break down, including in harsh weather. Total feeding capacity of the T-Post is eighty pounds. The cover is easily removable for quick filling. Hands down, this is one of the best deer feeders period.
Tips on Selecting and Using a Deer Feeder
Deer feeders have turned into quite the popular accessory over the years for both nature lovers and hunters. But in the end, all people who purchase a deer feeder buy them for the same purpose: they want to attract deer over to their area.
It’s pretty straightforward in regards to how you buy a deer feeder. It’s simply a stand with an open container that holds food the deer like. You have a few options available for you. Some deer feeders are very durable and large and have an automatic feeder. Others are even more complex and will only feed the deer at times that you set, and are rechargeable with either solar panels or batteries.
It is also highly recommend that you purchase a feeder that is made out of some kind of steel or metal or other tough material (like Redneck’s polyethylene). Not only is this resistant towards bad weather conditions but it’s also an excellent deterrent against squirrels and other rodents that could try to actually bite through the feeder to access the feed inside.
Ultimately, though, any deer feeder and certainly any one of the four that we listed are suitable for their intended purpose. But the real trick isn’t what kind of deer feeder that you buy. It’s how you use it.
When setting up your deer feeder, keep the fact in mind that other species of animals are likely to become attracted to it. Examples include birds, turkeys, squirrel, and perhaps even bears. Assuming you don’t want to set up feed pens and varmint guards, you will have to either hang or stand your feeder so that it’s too high for other kinds of animals but low enough for deer. Usually, the height of the feeder is enough to dissuade other animals from trying to get to it.
Install your feeder in an area that doesn’t have any cliffs, sharp rocks, or uneven terrain that would deter a deer from trying to get to it. It’s also wise to set up the feeder a good distance from roads, homes, and hiking trails. A much better place would be a quiet, open area in the middle of the woods or at the edge of a field.
In regards to what to the kind of food you want to put in your container, a mix of rice and corn works the best. For added effect, add sliced apples into the mix and consider setting up a bucket or trough of water nearby as well. With these instructions in mind, buy the best deer feeder you can afford and you’re sure to be up and personal with deer soon. Good luck!
