Critter Proof Your Game Feeder
Contributors to this thread:Oklahoma
From: Gampaw On The Road
21-Sep-12
Last year a critter, probably a raccoon from the claw marks, shimmied up the leg of our game feedes and destroyed the solar panel. I think we found a way to deter the rascal this year............barbed wire
From: Bowme2
23-Sep-12
They'll eventually use your barbed wire to get up to it. I've tried barbed wire... zip tie-ing carpet tack strips. They started using both as steps (more or less) to get up and spin the spinner plate and empty a feeder in half the time as usual. I simply apply bearing grease to the outside of the poles. Problem solved!
I do hope your coons have more tender feet and this does work for you. :)
From: Bowme2
23-Sep-12
Even the deer got wise... notice the coon walked right over the tack strips.
From: Bowme2
23-Sep-12
This is how they work... he couldn't climb up the legs so he climbed this sapling to the point where it bent over and tried to get to the feeder. It's like crack to the coons!
I cut the sapling down next time out. :)
From: toehead
23-Sep-12
saw a product caled shark teeth that work on the premise of the barbed wire only more severe. supposed to keep cattle off the legs as well. dont' have a link though
From: Gampaw Retired
23-Sep-12
Bome2. Thanks for the tip about bearing grease. That was my first thought, but I didn't know whether the odor would bother the deer. How much area did you cover with the grease?
Those pictures are just too funny!!
From: Gampaw Retired
23-Sep-12
BTW. What camera did you use?
From: Bowme2
23-Sep-12
I cover the outside of the poles so that the corn doesn't contact the grease. I start about waist height and go up level with the spinner. They (coons) don't like getting it on their fur so it doesn't take them long to leave it alone. The rain will wash it away also... so you might have to re-apply later in the season. Also... it never has bothered the deer or the pigs. But... really don't care if it bothers the pigs, I HATE THEM. :)
Camera is an old D50 moultrie.
From: Gonzo
24-Sep-12
Our critters are a little peskier than the ones you are talking about and have done a ton of feeder damage in our area...
From: Gonzo
24-Sep-12
So we had to get more creative on the feeders... 12 foot up, at least 6 foot from the tree and at least 8 feet down from the limb above. We wrap the tree itself in razor wire from the base to as high as we can reach to keep the bears off the tree... These are 30 gallon American Hunter barrels from the tripod feeder kit and we just turn the ring the feeder legs go into over and run the chains through the holes the feeder legs occupied to make it hang from 3 points. We use Moultrie feeder motors, A chain is wrapped aroung the limb it is hanging from and a pulley and boat winch/cable system is used to raise and lower the barrel. make sure to lock the boat winch as some of our bears have figured out how to trip the catch and have them freefall...