Game feeders are a great way to concentrate wildlife in a small area for hunting, photography and wildlife viewing. While they are not legal in all areas and certainly not suitable for regions were wildlife are susceptible to certain diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), they are perfect in many areas. The harsh Texas brush country is rugged and unfriendly. Supplementing feed increases antler growth and provides the necessary nutrients to sustain deer and other wildlife during critical seasons.
Recently, I was on a ranch that used Moultrie Feeders and had a chance to check out the Moultrie Pro Hunter 30-Gallon Tripod Game Feeder in action. It is a very impressive unit. The ranch’s Game Manager, Brian Flaherty, prefers it for a few reasons: cost, durability and battery life. He uses plenty of other models, including bigger ones for more remote areas of the ranch, but the 30-Gallon was a favorite.
Game feeders are ideal for concentrating game for hunting or wildlife viewing.
“Programming the electronic controller was surprisingly easy and overall the unit is very stout. The legs are my only complaint. One thing to keep in mind if you live in hog country such as Texas. Pigs and cows will knock over your feeder, so it will need to be anchored. I’ve bent 48-inch long rebar in half (U-shaped) and drove it through a hole in the feet. I have also used fence posts to shore up the legs and had good success,” said Flaherty.
Flaherty keeps a unit close to the house where he and his family can watch deer through the large picture window in the living room. He typically fills it with about 200 pounds of feed. Although not typically in the description, Flaherty uses the included D-Cell battery adapter on a couple of units, but prefers the 6v with a solar charger when possible.
Texas is typically a warm weather area, so batteries have a longer life. Flaherty reports using a 6v-battery on the Moultrie unit for a minimum of two years without a problem. He typically sets the Moultrie Feeders with a six-second run time that is triggered twice a day. Of course the battery life is longer with the solar setting.
