DIY - Bear Proof Deer Feeder Setup
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- In places like Pennsylvania and other area where bears are prominent setting up your normal deer feeder is just not an option. As I’m sure you know a bear can and will just about destroy your corn feeder if in reach. There are about a half dozen bears on the mountain that already thwarted my attempts at hanging a feeder up.
Saw something on the internet that pointed me in this direction. Figured I'd build a DIY deer feeder. Found two trees about 10 to 13 feet apart, strung a 20 foot chain between them about 16 feet off the ground and connected the chain quick links to hold it in place. Have a pulley in the center of the chain help hoist the barrel. To do that I used a 1200lb boat winch, you don’t need that much pulling power, but that’s just what I ended up using.
Have a list of every part I used and how much it cost. Check it out at: www.sintax77.co...
Feel free to ask me any questions about the setup.
I feed deer year-round in Fl, and I use 55 gal drums. I have one lid that rotted after about 10 years, what works for me is a water heater tray. Put that puppy on top of that barrel upside down and you're in business. They're made of plastic and metal, you may have to gerry rig it a little to get it to fit, but they work great and only about $8 at HD.
I am in Tx and I just buy a can of Rustoleum Rust Treatment primer for $7 and put 3 coats on each lid about 2 months before deer season starts when we tune up all the feeders. One can for $7 can easily treat about 3 lids. You could honestly probably do it just every 2 years, but I do it every year. It takes about 5 mins to put 3 coats on each lid and after 6 years, there is ZERO rust on the lids. We also repaint the 55 gallon drums every 5 years as well with the rust stop primer and again, never have any rust. All the hardware we use is hot dipped galvanized (don't use electroplated galvanized) or stainless steel as they will last MANY years. Hot dipped galvanized is the best bang for the buck though and will last just as long as stainless steel.
I’ve lost 5 tripod feeders to bears, squirrels would gnaw the aluminum funnels so we switched to steel funnels then the bears came in and bent the tripods and ripped off the dispensers.
This is a great idea, we sustain the deer herds through the winter so they don’t starve to death.
Acorn crops haven’t been consistent through the years so this is a necessity for hunting properties
Hope this helps, it's not completely fool proof (bear proof), but it should save a feeder or two.
We use Water heater tray to cover the lid of the drum. Good video thank you for all your useful advise!
This is exactly how we build our feeders in southeastern KY. They work great but you have to put them far enough from the trees so the bears can’t reach them and make sure you have a strong cable because the bears will swing on them. We go to our road department and get an old stop sign and put them on top to stop the standing water. Also Sunthrower spinners have solar panels and I’ve had one up for three years now and not had to change batteries
One of the best DIY feeder videos ive seen.
Good stuff here. I use a L hoist with a crank about 8 feet up the tree and then wrap the tree below the hoist in sheet metal, they can't climb the metal, they try but no cigar. I do have to access the crank from an elevated position on the side by side but it works. We are in the North Georgia Mountains and covered up in bear.
Thanks for the info!
Find an old small satellite dish to put on top of your lid to keep the water off. Strip everything off it and you'll have a nice curved dish to put on top. They're metal and you won't have to worry about squirrels or the tarp materiel deteriorating in the weather.
Three things I do different after trying to outsmart bears in Western North Carolina. 1. Use 1/4" aircraft cable between trees. 2. sleeve cable with 3/4" pvc pipe because it will spin under a bears paws as well he cant get a grip on pvc pipe. 3. put a piece of burlap around the bottom of feed barrel far enough to catch and drop the corn as it's thrown out otherwise it will throw it 200 foot away from the feeder an deer have a better chance of getting to it before the almighty squirrels do. Great video tho, your on the right track.
Good info, thanks Sam.
nice setup. Consider some input? run that chain through several 2 foot sections of PVC pipe that spins loosely on the chain. it'll keep the critters from getting to the feeder. also a second pulley at the end of the chain closest to the tree with the winch. just a thought. good luck up there!
+David Burstein Thanks for the info, going up in a few weeks to get it set back up.
You could try a plastic trash can lid that is bigger than the top and notch the sides to fit between the chain to hold it in place. Being bigger than the barrel, water will cascade outside the barrel circumference and possibly have less water dripping down the sides too. You might have to bend it a little to get it between the chain.
For your lid put a metal funnel over your cable just above chain using a hose clamp under it to secure it the clamp holds it up and also allows it to pivot and spin keepin squirrel from getting on feeder I made mine out of aluminum coil stock
I made a similar set up in smaller scale. Ended up putting deflectors that hung down so it didn’t fling the corn in a 40 foot circle. And a side note. You are trying to beef up the deer. Try cracked corn instead. If they don’t chew up whole corn it still comes out the other end as whole corn. Overall a good setup.
Thanks for the info, will have to try cracked corn.
Bro, the water will dry out on the top in 48 hours after it rains. For the cost of replacing that tarp every 4 months, you can simply buy a can of rustoleum rust stop and spray the lid once a year. That is all I do and I have had the same lids on my 55 gallon drum feeders for over 6 years and there is no rust. One can will easily treat 3 to 4 feeder lids. Just put 1 coat on the lid, wait a couple minutes, then a 2nd coat, wait a couple minutes, then a 3rd coat, and then wait 30 minutes and reinstall the lid and your good. One can costs about $7. I'll bet you could probably even go a couple years between the new paint, but I do it every year. We never have any rust.
Came to that same conclusion, wasn't worth trying to cover it. Thanks for the input!
I think it looks great, and some great thinking on your part. The 12v or 6v rechargeable batteries with a solar panel is also a good idea.
Thanks, changing out the spinner box this spring to the Moultrie version. End of season sale at Walmart, about 20 bucks. Looks nicer than the Wildgame one I'm using now.
Just in case you are interested, I picked up a Moultrie Panoramic trail camera this week. It normally sells for $299 and I got one that had an open box...for $158. There is still 1 more on there for $148, slightly used at B&H video. 12mp, and has 4 resolutions where 1080P is the lowest res. I can't wait until I can get mine out
this spring. Too much snow here in Maine. Love what you are doing, and i also do something similar, but I also have problems with bears Alot of them.
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/1224931/?c3api=1876%2C72118895162%2C&gclid=CjwKCAiA8bnUBRA-EiwAc0hZkzcGvPTMIpUSdP6M8elpx2BYoRfUNxHcFuya20MWSHnLxk5aQoeyNRoCtwUQAvD_BwE
Thanks for the info, will check it out.
At work, we have drums of glue outside in the elements. We take a strip of cloth rag and drape it over the top and side of the barrel and it wicks the water off.
Good idea, thanks!
Bears are hard to defeat. We have more in NW Florida than you can imagine. I have built a lot of bear proof feeders, some on the same principle as yours. As close as your feeder is to the tree, it wouldn't last here. Their reach and strength is beyond incredible and they have nothing but time. I would recommend the feeder be eight feet from the nearest perch. Even then, the bear will climb the trees, shake the chain or cable to get corn to fall, eat and repeat. They will eventually debark and kill both trees.
I did have to move the feeder, you're right the trees where too close together. Seemed to be pretty good except now I have squirrels. Put a solar panel on it and they would jump on that then down to the spinner platform. Going to put a squirrel cage on next spring.
Squirrels can be a pain too. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I worked as a power company lineman for 35 years and made a lot of overtime money from those committing suicide. They can be kept off most feeders too but it takes some work.
@@whiterook85 www.academy.com/shop/pdp/american-hunter-varmint-buster-for-r-and-rd-kits
You could cut a circle out of anything for the top. It doesn't matter if its tapered as long as there is small over hang
When the wind blows the trees will not move the same and it might break the cable, had a very large lag screw break that way on a swing between two trees in back yard. Good luck.
If he left a little slack in the chain to allow those trees to sway some, I think that would solve that problem. That said, that chain is pretty heavy duty, I doubt those trees swaying will snap that chain. But leaving about 24 in of slack in it would solve that problem. Personally I would just find a oak tree and hang it off of a large branch. Seems easier.
@@Steven-gv1ke doesn't work, bears climb up pull and jump on it until the branch goes...
Granger sells yellow ones that you can paint. I think they are about $13. I have one and it works great!
I ran up on a feeder system like this while mushroom hunting one spring. I thought the guy that put it up was pretty smart. He had stove pipe around the tree with barb wire on it. On a bigger tree I think you could use metal roof flashing around it. I dont believe a bear or anything could climb it then. One of these days im gonna put one on my property. That stove pipe trick has always stuck in my mind. Thats been thirty years ago. Just a thought.
I think just wrapping razor wire around the tree for about 10 feet up would stop them from climbing it and razor wire is not very expensive. I have used coke cans and cut the lids and bottoms off, then cut the center open and wrap them around the metal pole legs of feeders in the south (no bears) to keep Raccoons from climbing the poles and messing with the feeders. You just make a bunch of slits on the edges of the can and then alternate pulling the "blades" out opposite directions on each tab and it makes like a saw blade, then you use a self tapping screw into the leg, and you have these sharp aluminum teeth running up the legs of the pole that will slice up a raccoon if he tries to climb it.
take flat sheet metal cut from one corner to center pull each side of cut corner to form a Chinese hat shaped cone pop rivet and silicone trim circle 3 inches bigger than barrel then cut slits around outside to fold inward and downward use a piece of yard edging to go around outside pop rivet and silicone edging to sill from leakage drop over the lid and fasten however you choose
Really enjoyed watching this video, thanks for the ideas! I wonder if a small spare tire cover might work over your bowl to keep the rain out. Elastic band, could probably get the color you wanted easily, and might last a few yrs. Thanks again for the video!
Thanks Ed, 5 years and still going strong. Just went to the normal lid without anything on it. Seems fine, will just have to repaint it every once in a while to keep it from rusting.
Nice setup, but I would like to make one suggestion. Add another pulley on the chain at the tree where the winch is located. We have had pictures of bear grabbing the cable and shaking it to get corn to fall out. We do the same setup as you, except we are using 5 gallon buckets. We started putting two pulleys, one in the center and one on the chain at the tree the winch is in and the bears haven’t been able to get to the feeder or pull on the cable. Again, great setup! Thanks for sharing. We may go to a 55 gallon drum. Juddie - J & J TOA
Thanks for the suggestion!
Who cares about the look of the lid. This is a great setup! Good job!
Thanks Scott, found that bed liner spray from the auto store is the way to go. Water won't run off, but it's protected.
You can buy a American Hunter lid ..it fits perfect that's what I did.its flat and galvanized I painted mine green
I did pretty same construction. But during the winter the wire was fully rusted and the feeder dropped down. Then I just hanged it on the chain.
Well done, that's an awesome feeder. Love the way you dressed it up.
Regards
Mark
Academy sells 55 gallon drum Barrel lids and funnels work on the inside as well, didn't look like you had a funnel for the corn.
No, I didn't add the funnel to get that extra little bit of corn that hangs up on the bottom of the barrel. It's a good extra item to add to your feeder. Thanks!
@@whiterook85 feeders are taken very serious in Texas, lol. I took a 30 gal moultrie feeder, eye bolts and made a funnel with a burlap bag and hung it here.
Sounds like a good one, as long as the bears don't make it that way you should be good to go.
@@whiterook85 your idea will work in Texas as well. I live in Tx and I have been thinking of doing something similar to your idea because the hogs are smart down here and these 350 lb hogs will knock the legs out from under the feeder. They will dig and dig around the legs until it falls. The simple solution to me seems to be just to hang it like you did.
try the 58 gallon plastic barrels they have the screw on lids with a rubber O ring and you can buy them from around 25-35 dollars each.
Buy them where?
Great Project ,and nice and solid .
Like that setup should bring them around, lots of vegetation here we are looking for another area for a stand, Everything is high and green here with vegetation.I use the same corn , they will keep coming for it too even after its gone for a while. 16:24 Them Bears gotta love em.. I wish I had that problem here. To bad you couldn't put some kind collar on the tree so the bears cant climb up the tree.
1digitalwatcher Those bears are pretty smart, and stubborn. They would figure something out to get around the collar. Just want to be able to feed the deer, (and the bears) without them eating it all.
whiterook85 They are strong too , you have a decent amount of corn for the deer that's good cause it can be a pain in the butt lugging it out there all the time. 16:04 I still have my trace mineral block I left it on private land and it is still half as big as it was last year.
1digitalwatcher You said it, those 40lb feeders are good, but need too much attention. This should go for quite some time before it needs a refill.
I like the top idea with the tarp. I will do that on mine.
I copied this design for my deer feeder. Works great good idea
Glad it worked for you, I've since put a solar panel on it to keep the spinner batter charged up.
Good morning from Texas. I do have an idea for your lead that the water will just slide off all sides. If you have a sheet metal fabrication shop near where you live the can make you a lid with a cross break lid and the water will never accumulate at all. It will slide off perfectly. The reason I know this is my husband and I own a sheet metal fabrication shop in Texas. We made our air compressor a lid with a cross break as well so it doesn't get wet and the water will slide off with no problem. I hope this helps you we are actually about to make a 2 in 1 deer feeder for my aunt we are adding solar panels on top and adding led lights on the bottom to shot at night.
Thanks for the info, going to spray it with bed liner for now. Should do the trick. Sounds like a nice feeder, I did add a solar panel also. Thanks again!
Take a 30 gallon hot water tub at Lowe's and turn it over top 10 dollars thick plastic ours have last year's
No water on lid
Thanks Greg.
We had hogs and bear's destroy all our feeders then we bought one and done feeders had no problem except tops leaking we fixed it by buying 30 water heater tub and turn it over put it on top and put a center block on top to hold it on
Squirrels chewed a hold in the tarp before he got home, but it was worth a try...
Most likely, gave it a shot.
You did a nice job, but I guarantee you a florida bear will tear that system down.
We do about same thing but.
Put galvanized sliding about ten feet up all three of your trees so bears cant climb them.
3 trees Yes move you which much higher up its tree also an wrap that tree with galvanize sliding also
Bear will tear that which right off.
Good luck
Happy hunting
Have the bear pulled that winch off yet? Secure the chain on the barrel to the chain that runs horizontal for a more secure bear proof feeder. Also you can used a tar type filler or rubber matt for the top of your barrel. And secure that winch to the tree so your board doesn't get ripped off from the pressure or a bear.
+LMAO0O0O0 Three years so far and no issues with the winch. It's on the tree good, even if a bear stood on it (which I think they have), it hasn't been an issue.
That's cool, I like watching your videos, thanks for posting them. I was thinking of setting up a corn feeder here in the northeast. Would like to set up a ground feeder with just a gravity tube but am wondering how long before a bear messes up that set-up, I had a bear come in once to my site but never saw him on camera again. That site had a 5 gallon bucket just hanging on a tree branch up high. He didn't climb up the small tree so got lucky there.
LMAO0O0O0 No bear is pulling the winch off our set up. impossible. it would take thousands of pounds to pull the lag bolts out.
Did they break the board off yet ?
Whiterook85 you should do a video of why you think the deer population has decreased so much and what the pgc can do to bring it back. Thanks.
whiterook85
It reminds me of American Sniper. Gain their trust with candy and when they trust you shoot them.
I use use a 2 block pulley then you can raise it with the battery drill.
Nice idea, thanks!
killdeerz57 a 98 volt binford 6100 drill or de walt?
try a kids snow saucer, couple bucks at walmart. and its paintable. best part is its cheap
Thanks, just took it off and it seems fine. If it needs a repaint will go with the pickup bed liner spray.
Nice video and ty for the list --- for a lid I use a Galvinized trash can replacement lid on my feeders with a spring
when I was on a lease - I did not have bear problems - but am looking for ideas to help my good friend he just joined a lease here in FL and they have a lot of bears in the area -- Gary
Thx 85
Do you still use this feeder? I took this idea and changed it up a bit. Works amazing. I used water pressure tanks, boat winch, welded a frame to hang off tree.
Didn't last year do to the logging, may get it back out next year. Good idea on the mods.
cool looks like it kept the bears off
It works pretty good.
sure looks like 55gal drum i know they will hold 300 lbs. but a great idea
I use 55 gal drums and they hold 300 pounds work good
You could use rechargeable batteries with a small solar panel then it will always be charged...
Thanks George, yes did that a while back, works great.
You should have used a trophy rock.. they really work ..put out a camera over a trophy rock and see the results
Yep, I'v e switched to those, makes a pretty good difference in activity.
Been doing this for years now. You must have gotten my idea from someone in Pa
That I did.
This was great. Will be using this in NJ. Nuisance bears are getting worse and worse, thanks to our Governor.
Thanks and hope it works for you. The lid you can spray with some a can of bed liner spray you can get at Walmart, etc.
The TEKTON 5552
1200-lb.winch cable is ~$ 129 Not $34.99 as described in the Gear Link. You sure about the model number?
That was almost 5 years ago, prices may have changed since then.
Thank you. How much cable are you running on that winch?
Ac sheet metal or frig works good
Great Idea
WHY NOT JUST USE A 55 GAL PLASTIC. DRUM THEN INSTALL THE CONTROL ON THE BOTTOM ?
Were im at squirrels chew holes in any plastic feeders
Heck of a squirrel to chew through a plastic drum.
@@Robert-rk8xu Here in Texas they chew through plastic drums too. In fact we have had them chew through aluminum covers under the eaves of the house to get into the attic. They will chew through anything with enough time. They are a major pain. You have to use steel drums to keep them out.
Whiterook, how well did you feeder work out last year? Any videos of photos of the deer and bear at the feeder? - Ant
+Anthony Bianchini Turned out great, corn lasted for a long time. Bears couldn't get all the way too it. There were some scratched on the barrel where they were trying to swat at it. But they didn't do any real damage to it. This spring will check the length between the trees I have it connect to and see if I can go a little farther apart. That should do it.
+whiterook85 next time that I'm up your way maybe we can all catch up again. Had some luck the past few years down here.
+Anthony Bianchini Sounds good.
@@whiterook85 how far apart were the trees?
granger supply drum lid
A round pice of playwood work good i do my self
Thanks for the idea, going to try the rubber pickup truck bed liner on it.
Whats the length and diameter of the cable on your winch.
It's 65 feel, not sure about the diameter of the cable.
Winch is on the wrong side of the board.
There is a lot of pressure on the winch, not sure I would like it on the other side. Going to put another pulley up from the winch, should help with the cranking and it wont rub on the board.
10 4, just a thought..
Thanks, I certainly don't mind the suggestions.
Roger burgess, no the winch isn't on the wrong side. you would be an idiot if you put it on the other side cuz then your handle would hit the board. thank about it. duh.
Russell G Dang, cool your jets. just making an observation.
Nice. You spent way too much time/effort trying to center the pulley between the trees, tho, IMNSHO. Sweet set up, though. Thanks for posting!
OCD!!
@@whiterook85 Yeah, me, too.... LOL
Buy a cheap plastic dish/disc/saucer type kid’s snow sled and trim it to fit over the top!
How long did that corn last
+John Viers About 20 days.
@@whiterook85 How often was you feeding them? 35gal or 55gal?
LOL thought you couldnt bait in PA :)
That was very early in the year. Long gone by October.
whiterook85 have you had any bears try to hang on the chain and work their way over to the feeder??
Not that I had pictures of. This setup has seemed to take care of the bear issues. Now, bears being bears, they may hangout under it for days waiting for that spin.
great! installing one of these very soon in the U.P. of Michigan. Love your channel!!!
Thanks Brian! Any questions let me know. Glad to help.
How high do you have the chain suspended between the two trees? Installed mine today and once the weight got on it it kind of pulled the chain down some. Bottom of the feeder is still 7 feet of the ground. Would have went back up and moved the chain higher but I busted my ankle on a tree root and had to shut the project down for the day...
Correction it’s about 8 1/2 feet off the ground.
Yogi would lower the winch.
You know it, with a little help from Booboo.
Haha yea it does look like a mushroom and my paps farm has about five of those he uses
ball park price to set up?
The parts I used totaled about $147, but should last a long time.
Nice idea, and thanks for responding. I'm in pa as well. Relatively inexpensive project.
Thanks, could be a little cheaper if you have some of the parts in the basement or out in the garage. Good luck this year!
Nice Video Whiterook! Did you happen to get your idea from my post on the PA Hunting Forum? www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2923871&page=1. If you did that's awesome! If you didn't then we think exactly alike! hahaha. Im RedWolf23 on there. I've been building bear proof feeders since early 2000's. I've changed and added and revamped them over the years making them as bear proof as they can be and really got an awesome set up. I only added one thing to my set up since I posted to the PA Hunting Forum a few years ago. Ill take a pic of the latest rev. and send it to ya. Let me know if you got your idea from me? I would love to know. take care man!
+Russell G RedWolf23, I would have to say YES, that was the best one I could find online. Checked CZcams and didn't see much there at all. The setup you had was just what we need there to keep the bears from damaging anything else we could put up. Thanks great design, though it did cost a bit more that yours, LOL. I think I did say that I saw something online that pointed me to this, should have given you more credit. Thanks again, good luck this year!
+whiterook85 Thanks for the reply! That's awesome it worked out good for ya! Im so glad! You didn't have to give me any credit I posted it to help others. I been meaning to make a video for years now but just never did. Yours is great!! Very Nice! As far as the cost.... yeah mines probably gonna be cheaper then most could make it for and the reason is I'm a toolmaker by trade for the powder metal industry so in my area we got 55gal drums and threaded rod and nuts and washers and lags all for just about nothing. I already had the feeder and spinner only thing that I had to get was the chain and few quick links and the winch. So depending on what a guy has access too will change the cost of this feeder set up. But either way at least you have a very nice bear proof feeder. The bears in our area just destroy everything they can get their paws and teeth on. All my friends and family have this set up because any other set up the bears get to and destroy. So cost isn't that bad figuring if a bear pulls over a few tripod feeders or wrecks any other set up. This is cheaper in the long run for sure. Hahaa Years ago before this set up bears tore down multiple feeders of mine and my dads. So that cost me hundreds to fix and replace them back then. Send me your email and ill email ya one very small important change I made on this. you will understand when u see it! :) take care man!! -Russ
+Russell G Thanks again for the idea, I had tried the lightweight version a few years ago with a 6 gallon feeder and a cable, but they still go to it. This one is over the top great, I think that threaded rod through the center makes all the difference. Will send my email in a PM, Thanks!.
+Russell G Hello Russ, getting close to time to hang the feeder again now that spring is almost here. Was wondering about that change that you made to feeder. If you have a few minutes can you let me know what it is so I can make the change. Thanks again for the great plan.
wild animal dont care what it looks like. lol
Rodney Wroten i see your comments on lots of different videos i watch on different subjects. you seem like a really nice fellow always optimistic!