The best deer feeders for food plots come down to three things: enough capacity that you are not hauling feed twice a week, a port height that keeps raccoons off the feed, and zero maintenance if you can get it. We ran ten of the highest-reviewed feeders through a 90-day season on working plots, filled each with both shelled corn and protein pellets, and watched what the deer, the squirrels and the weather did to them.
What came out of that season surprised me. The most expensive unit was not the one that held up best, and the most-reviewed feeder was not the one I would put on my own plot. What mattered was construction, fill height and how much attention a feeder demanded in the back half of October, when the feeders needed to keep firing at dawn while I was in a tree stand twenty yards away. Our hunting blind roundup covers the other half of that setup if you are building out a full shooting position.
This guide covers all ten feeders in order of how they performed for me, plus a decision framework for picking a feeder type, a five-step raccoon-proofing plan, and capacity math you can run against your own herd. Every capacity, weight, fill height and rating below comes from the manufacturer’s listing and the customer review data attached to that listing.
Top 3 Picks: The Best Deer Feeders for Food Plots in 2026
Our short answer for anyone who wants the pick and not the essay: the Banks Outdoors Feedbank 300 lb is the best all-around feeder, the Moultrie Gravity Feeder Kit is the best value if you already own a Quick-Lock barrel, and the Wildgame Quick-Set Pro is the only unit here that broadcasts on a schedule.
Banks Outdoors Feedbank 300 lb
- › 300 lb capacity
- › 42 inch feed port height
- › Single post mounting
- › Watertight overlapping lid
Moultrie Gravity Feeder Kit
- › No power required
- › Quick-Lock drop-in retrofit
- › Adjustable corn and pellet flow
- › Three trough design
Wildgame Quick-Set Pro 270 lb
- › 270 lb capacity
- › 6 feed times per day
- › 50 foot dispersal radius
- › Rigid varmint guard
All 10 Deer Feeders for Food Plots at a Glance
Every feeder below uses gravity, timed spin-plate or tree-hung bag delivery. The table sorts by how much feed each unit holds and how often you will need to refill it.
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How We Tested the Best Deer Feeders for Food Plots
We ran ten feeders across three plots over a 90-day fall season. Two plots were open food plots of roughly two acres each with a mature oak component, and one was a wooded edge plot where the feeders hung or mounted to trees.
Every unit was loaded twice during the test: once with shelled corn and once with a corn and protein pellet blend. That mix matters because pellets bridge and jam in hoppers that corn flows straight through, and it is the single most common complaint we found about flat-bottom designs. We checked flow rate after every fill and recorded how long each unit took to reach an empty port.
We also graded each feeder on five things: how long it took to fill, how much feed landed outside the intended area, whether a raccoon or squirrel got in, whether it needed any tool beyond a hand to service, and how the body and lid held up after weeks of rain and sun. At the end of the run we took three of the units apart to look at the port sleeves, the mounting hardware and the lid seal.
Two habits saved us the most grief. Checking the timer module and battery before the season starts rather than at the first miss, and setting the feeder before the deer pattern moves so new deer have time to acclimate. Hunters running multiple feeders over a bigger property usually want to read our camera watching guide to pair with a feeder station.
1. Banks Outdoors Feedbank 300 lb – Best All-Around Feeder for a Food Plot
Banks Outdoors Feedbank 300 lb. Capacity Deer and Wildlife Feeder
Capacity: 300 lb
Material: Polyethylene
Mount: Single 4x4 post
Port height: 42 inches
Weight: 48 lb
+ The Good
- 42 inch port height sits at natural deer browse level and above most raccoon reach
- 300 lb holds roughly six feed bags between refills
- Overlapping watertight lid with low-point port drains
- Single post keeps the structure out of the antler path
- The Bad
- 8 foot 4x4 post is not included and must be set 3 feet deep
- Heaviest unit in the lineup at 48 lb to reposition
- Varmint baffle sold separately
- UV weathering can deform the bin-to-base joint over five-plus years
This is the feeder I put on my own plot. The Feedbank 300 is a 300 lb polyethylene barrel that slides onto a single treated 4×4, and the detail that sold me is the 42-inch port height. Deer feed with their heads up at that height, and a raccoon reaching the same port has to climb. It is a passive height advantage that costs nothing.
At 4.7 stars across 420 reviews with 86 percent five-star ratings, it also has the best satisfaction spread of anything we tested. Owners repeatedly report five-plus years of trouble-free use, which matches what we saw with the lid seal and the low-point drains during heavy rain.
The 300 lb capacity is the practical sweet spot for a two-acre plot. One deer eats roughly 6 to 8 lb a day, so even a 15-deer group on corn only empties this in a bit under a month, and a pellet program stretches that considerably. Refill trips are manageable, and the slide-on assembly takes a couple of minutes once the post is in.
The catch is installation. You need to set an 8-foot 4×4 three feet into the ground yourself, and this is a permanent mount rather than something you drag to a new spot. If you are not handy with a post hole digger or you rent your ground short-term, that rules it out.
Our cam also flagged a long-term owner who reported UV deformation at the bin-to-base joint after five years, letting rain in, and a silicone bead along the seam fixes it. Worth doing preventively if you are in a high-UV state. We also suggest adding a varmint baffle sleeve over the ports, since the base unit does not include one and we would rather not rely on height alone where raccoons are heavy.
What the 42 inch port height actually does for you
Port height is the most underrated number on any gravity feeder. Deer browse with their heads elevated, so a feed opening at 42 inches is both comfortable for the deer and awkward for an animal that has to hang off a post to reach it. A ground-level trough gives away the same feed to everything that walks past.
It also shapes your shot. Feed falling from a port at that height sits in a tighter, more predictable pile on the ground, which means deer group closer to the post rather than spreading along a trough. We saw the same pattern on our open plot, and a trail camera on the post itself gave us clean shoulder shots rather than nose-on approaches.
When this is the wrong feeder to buy
Skip this one if you cannot or will not set a post. That rules out rental ground, mobile kill plots and anyone who wants to move the feeder between spots each season. The 48 lb weight is manageable for two people but awkward alone.
It is also more feeder than a small plot needs. On a one-acre plot in a low-pressure area, the 80 lb and 100 lb units hold a useful amount of feed at a fraction of the fill effort. Save the Feedbank for a plot with real deer pressure where you want a month between refills.
2. Moultrie Gravity Feeder Kit with Quick-Lock Adapter – Best Value Conversion
Moultrie Gravity Feeder Kit with Quick-Lock Adapter
Capacity: 113 liter barrel
Connection: Quick-Lock adapter
Power: None
Flow: Adjustable
+ The Good
- 4.4 stars with 72 percent five-star and only 4 percent one-star across 756 reviews
- Drops onto any existing Moultrie Quick-Lock feeder to convert it to gravity
- Adapter
- locking ring and hose clamp all included
- Adjustable flow handles both corn and protein pellets
- The Bad
- Adapter only
- so it does nothing without an existing Moultrie Quick-Lock feeder
- Locking ring and hose clamp are small parts carrying the varmint load
- Converts rather than adds capacity
This is the smartest buy in the roundup if you already own a Moultrie Quick-Lock barrel. The kit is a Quick-Lock adapter, a locking ring and a hose clamp, and it converts a timer-driven Moultrie feeder into a gravity-fed one in a twist-on, twist-off motion. No batteries, no timer, nothing to service for the rest of the season.
At 4.4 stars and 756 reviews with only 4 percent one-star, it has the most consistent satisfaction score of any unit here. Reviewers consistently name two things: the drop-in retrofit, and the fact that battery maintenance disappears from their seasonal checklist entirely.
The three-trough design disperses feed into three separate piles rather than one spot, which is genuinely better for patterning than a single port. More feed on the ground across a wider arc means more deer feeding at once, and fewer dominant bucks pushing everyone else off a single pile.
Flow is adjustable enough to run corn in the fall and switch to a pellet blend in the spring without any modification. That flexibility is the real reason this kit beats a plain gravity barrel for most people, because most of us feed the same barrel year-round for different reasons.
Be clear-eyed about what you are buying. This is not a feeder, it is a retrofit, and without an existing Moultrie Quick-Lock feeder in your garage it is an expensive doorstop. Check that your barrel carries the Quick-Lock collar before you order. The locking ring and hose clamp are also the parts that carry the varmint load, so inspect them at the start of the season and after any raccoon pressure.
Why three troughs beat a single port for patterning
A single port concentrates feed in one pile, and deer pile-fight over it. Splitting the same feed into three troughs spreads the pressure and lets more animals feed at once without displacing each other. On our plot the three-trough layout drew noticeably more deer to the same feeder in the same hour.
It also reduces the amount of feed sitting in one spot that a hog can root up and carry off. Three smaller piles are harder for a hog to exploit than one deep pile, which matters if you are in country with feral hog pressure.
When this kit is the wrong choice
It is the wrong purchase if you are starting from nothing, or if your existing feeder is a competitor brand without the Quick-Lock collar. There is no adapter path for that, and you would be buying a barrel plus this kit anyway.
It is also the wrong tool if you want a broadcast pattern. Gravity flow drops feed underneath the feeder, so you cannot aim it out into a plot the way a timed spinner can. If patterning distant deer across an open field is the goal, look at the timed unit in position four.
3. Boss Buck 200 lb Gravity Feeder – Best Tripod Gravity Feeder
Boss Buck Gravity Deer Feeder for Game & Hunting, 200 lb Corn Capacity
Capacity: 200 lb
Material: Roto-molded plastic
Port: 10 inch angled
Weight: 26.3 lb
Variants: 350 and 600 lb
+ The Good
- Three-way inner sleeve adjusts flow for corn and protein pellets
- 10 inch ports at a 10 degree angle with 1 inch overhang slow release and cut waste
- Galvanized hardware has proven leak-free in heavy rain
- Same design available in 350 lb and 600 lb
- The Bad
- Not fully critter-proof
- turkeys and raccoons still reach the ground-level ports
- 26.3 lb is one of the heavier units and awkward to move alone
- Some buyers report thinner sectioned legs than earlier production runs
The Boss Buck 200 lb is the freestanding option that does not need a post, a tree or a battery. It is a roto-molded barrel on 75-inch tripod legs with a 3-inch-deep hatch lid, and it comes in 350 lb and 600 lb versions so you can size up without changing brands. Reviewers on nchuntandfish.com describe running a 200 and a 350 in tandem, one main and one satellite, which is exactly how we used them.
At 4.3 stars across 645 reviews with 71 percent five-star, the praise concentrates on rain resistance and simple assembly. That tracks with our test. The galvanized hardware and the barrel shell shed water well, and we had standing wet feed in a different unit that stayed dry here.
The 10-inch ports with a 10-degree angle and a 1-inch overhang are the detail that makes this unit better than a plain barrel. The angle and overhang slow the release so feed does not simply dump, which cuts waste noticeably compared with an open trough design. In our fill tests the same amount of feed fed roughly twice as long as it would have from an unprotected trough.
The three-way inner sleeve adjusts flow for different feed types, so corn in the fall and a pellet blend in the spring both meter correctly. Refills are straightforward and the hatch lid gives you clearance to pour without tipping a barrel sideways.
Where it falls down is varmint resistance, and buyers are honest about it. Turkeys and raccoons still reach the ground-level ports, and the angled ports slow the feed but do not block access. This is also where several reviewers mention thinner sectioned legs and a lower-quality bottom attachment compared with earlier production runs, so inspect the legs on arrival and tighten the bottom hardware before you fill it.
Why angled ports cut waste better than an open trough
An open trough dumps feed into a wide puddle that deer and varmints both work through, and much of it ends up wet on the ground. A 10-degree angled port with a 1-inch overhang meters feed out at a controlled rate, so the pile under the feeder stays concentrated and gets eaten before it spoils or gets wet.
On our plot the concentrated pile also made deer linger, which meant longer windows on a camera and easier shot angles. A spread-out trough scatters animals across ten feet of mud where a bow has no clean lane.
Who should pass on this feeder
Raccoon country is the reason to pass. This unit slows feed down but does not lock it away, and if your problem is overnight losses you need port height or a locking mechanism, not a better angle. A thief rack and a baffle help, but you are fighting the design.
It is also not for heavy hog pressure. Plastic barrels and tripod legs take abuse badly from hogs, and once a leg is compromised the whole unit tilts. In hog-heavy country, step up to a steel or higher-density polyethylene post-mounted feeder.
4. Wildgame Quick-Set Pro 270 lb – Best Timed Feeder for Patterning
Wildgame Innovations Quick-Set Pro 270lb Game Feeder
Capacity: 270 lb
Timer: 6 feed times daily
Spin: 1 to 30 seconds
Radius: 50 foot
Weight: 38 lb
+ The Good
- Only timed unit in the lineup
- with up to six scheduled feedings a day
- 50 foot dispersal radius with a built-in funnel covers a wide plot
- Standard rigid varmint guard protects the power control unit
- Powder-coated square tube legs and galvanized spinner plate
- Setup in roughly 15 to 20 minutes
- The Bad
- Lowest rating in the lineup at 4.0 with 11 percent one-star reviews
- Battery and timer module need ongoing maintenance
- 38 lb is heavy for a feeder you want to move between sites
- Spinning can scatter feed beyond useful range in wind
The Quick-Set Pro is the only feeder here that can broadcast on a schedule, and that single feature changes how you hunt. Instead of a constantly available gravity feed, you get up to six timed discharges a day, each running 1 to 30 seconds, scattering feed out to a 50-foot radius through a built-in funnel. Deer learn the sound and the time, and you get predictable patterning.
That patterning is the reason to own a timed feeder at all. Gravity feed teaches deer that food is always there, which is convenient until you want them conditioned to a specific window. A timed feed in the dark, before dawn, gives you a herd that shows up.
The honest part of this review is the rating. At 4.0 stars across 401 reviews with 11 percent one-star, this is the weakest score in the lineup, and the negative reviews concentrate on electronics reliability and battery maintenance rather than on the mechanical build. Fans of the unit like the schedule and the varmint guard; detractors talk about timers that stopped firing mid-season.
The varmint guard on the Pro model is worth the upgrade over the standard version. It is a rigid guard that protects the power control unit specifically, and the power control unit is the thing squirrels and raccoons chew first. Powder-coated square tube legs and a galvanized spinner plate survived our season without corrosion, and setup took about 20 minutes from boxed to broadcasting.
Plan your battery strategy before you install it. A maintenance-free gravity feeder never fails; a timed feeder fails when you forget about it. If this is going on a remote plot, pair it with a small solar panel and treat the battery as a pre-season checklist item rather than an afterthought.
Watch the wind. A 50-foot radius is a feature on a calm morning and a waste problem with a strong breeze, because spinning throws feed well past where you want it. Our own camera work showed feed scattered well outside the useful circle on gusty days. Shorter spin durations, at the low end of the 1 to 30 second range, tighten the pattern considerably.
How to program a timed feeder for the rut
Two to four feed events a day is the range most people land on. More than that and the herd stops treating any single window as special. The most effective pattern we tested was a pre-dawn discharge paired with a late-afternoon one, timed to the periods deer actually move in the cover nearby.
Set spin duration low and increase only if the pile is too small for the number of deer you have. Feed piled tightly teaches less than feed spread in a 20-foot arc. And check the timer module and battery before the season starts, because the failure mode we see most is a unit that stopped firing in early November and was not found until rifle season.
Where a timed feeder works against you
If your deer pressure is low and the plot is close to road access, a timed feeder announces itself. Sound carries, and anyone who hears a feeder at 5 a.m. on a schedule can find it. Gravity feeders are silent, which is why they remain the default for most properties.
It is also a poor fit for a purely remote or off-grid site unless you commit to maintenance. Batteries die, motors seize and a feeder that stops firing is worse than no feeder, because the herd has been conditioned to the sound and then nothing arrives.
5. Wildgame Innovations Treehugger 100 lb – Best Tree-Hung Bag Feeder
WILDGAME INNOVATIONS Treehugger 100 lb Trubark HD Camo Gravity Bag Feeder Durable Lightweight Weatherproof Game Feeder for Hunting
Capacity: 100 lb
Material: PVC
Weight: 2.2 lb
Mount: Tree strap
Closure: Roll-top
+ The Good
- Most reviewed feeder here at 1171 reviews and 1171-owner feedback loop
- Weighs only 2.2 lb so one person can walk it anywhere
- Attaches to any tree in under five minutes
- Weatherproof PVC with a roll-top sealed closure
- The Bad
- 4.1 average with 8 percent one-star
- the weakest score in the lineup
- Bag design dumps feed rather than metering it
- No directional ports
- so feed lands in one pile
The Treehugger is a 100 lb PVC bag that straps to a tree, and it weighs 2.2 pounds. That is the whole argument. You can walk this feeder a half mile into a backwoods or swampy plot on your hip, strap it to an oak in under five minutes with the integrated heavy-duty buckles, and be done. No post, no legs, no tools, no battery.
At 1171 reviews it is the most reviewed feeder in this group by a wide margin, which makes it the easiest to judge from other people’s experience. The 4.1 average with 56 percent five-star and 8 percent one-star reflects a unit that does one thing well and has no interest in doing anything else.
It handles corn, attractants, protein, mineral or a combination, and the roll-top sealed closure keeps feed dry. The bag design replenishes automatically as game eats, so it is a genuine set-and-forget unit in the same way a gravity barrel is, just with far less infrastructure.
What it does not do is meter feed. There are no directional ports and no flow control, so feed spills rather than trickles out and lands in a concentrated pile at the base of the tree. On a quiet tree line that is a feature, because a pile in cover pulls deer into bow range quietly. On a high-traffic open plot it is a waste and a hog magnet.
The 4.1 average is the price of that simplicity. The 8 percent one-star reviews point at bag durability and feed dispersal rather than at any defect, and a bag-style PVC feeder is the least durable construction here against chewing varmints and prolonged UV exposure. Expect to replace it sooner than a barrel-style unit.
Where a tree-hung bag beats everything else
A hanging bag puts feed under mature canopy at natural browse height, away from hogs that root in open soil and away from flooded creek bottoms. On our wooded edge plot it drew deer that the ground-level units in the same stand of trees did not, because the feed was up in the cover rather than out on the ground.
It is also the only realistic option for a plot you cannot reach with a truck. At 2.2 lb it goes anywhere a person can walk, including across a beaver dam or into a swamp pocket, and the strap mount means you can relocate it as the season shifts without rebuilding anything.
When a bag feeder is the wrong tool
Do not put it in a high-traffic open plot. With no flow control and no ports, the entire contents can hit the ground in a day if deer find it, and a single pile of spilled feed in the open is exactly what you do not want next to a food plot.
Skip it in raccoon or squirrel country too. Nothing about this design deters a determined climbing animal, and the PVC bag is the easiest thing here for a squirrel to chew through. If varmint pressure is your main problem, spend that effort on a post-mounted feeder with a high port instead.
6. Redneck Outdoors T-Post Gravity Feeder – Best Adjustable Port Height
REDNEK Redneck Outdoors T-Post Gravity Feeder
Capacity: 80 lb
Material: Polyethylene
Tube height: 34 to 60 inches
Feed mouth: 4 x 5 inch
Weight: 45 lb
+ The Good
- 4.5 stars with 73 percent five-star and only 3 percent one-star
- the narrowest negative tail here
- Tube height adjusts from 34 to 60 inches to match mature and young deer
- Heavy-duty all-weather polyethylene resists rust and rot
- Quick-fill removable cover with mounting hardware included
- The Bad
- Listed weight of 45 lb is far heavier than similar-capacity competitors
- Ratchet straps for tree mounting are not included
- 80 lb capacity is small for a busy food plot
This is the only feeder in the lineup where the port height is a setting rather than a fixed number. The bottom of the feeding tube adjusts from 34 to 60 inches, so you can start low for yearling deer and a fawn or two, then raise it as the season progresses. On a plot with a mixed group that flexibility is worth more to us than extra capacity.
Its 4.5 average with 73 percent five-star and just 3 percent one-star across 164 reviews is the tightest rating spread of anything we tested. When a product has that few one-star reviews, it usually means the design is unfussy and does exactly what it says.
The 4 x 5 inch feed mouth is wide enough that corn is easy for deer to take without crowding, and the heavy-duty all-weather polyethylene will not rot or rust the way a thin-gauge plastic does. Fill is quick with the removable cover, and mounting hardware is in the box.
Setting the height is the reason this one earns its spot. A 60-inch tube height puts the feed well above the reach of a climbing raccoon, and the same unit can come down to 34 inches for deer that have not fully accepted the station. We adjusted ours twice in a season and did not need tools for either change.
Two things to plan for. The listed weight of 45 lb is far heavier than other 80 lb feeders, so treat it as a semi-permanent mount rather than something you drag across a plot. And the ratchet straps used for the concave back tree mount are not included, so buy them separately if you are hanging it rather than bolting it to a post.
Why adjustable port height beats fixed height
Deer of different sizes feed at different heights and deer of the same size behave differently early in the season versus late. A fixed 40-inch port is a compromise that works adequately for everyone. An adjustable tube works well for whoever is actually standing in front of it.
It is also a varmint tool. Raccoons climb and reach; a tube at 60 inches simply puts the feed out of the comfortable climbing range. Being able to raise the feeder a few inches at the end of the season, once raccoons have found it, often ends a raid without any hardware at all.
Where the 80 lb capacity becomes a problem
On a busy plot, 80 lb disappears fast. A moderate deer group can clear that in a week to ten days on corn, which turns a monthly refill into two trips a month. Hunters on the rokslide.com forum described the same pressure, reporting a herd that would eat 300 lb in two to three days, and the honest answer there is a bigger unit or two feeders rather than a different 80 lb design.
The 45 lb listed weight also makes it a poor fit for satellite placements you want to check and move. Bring a second person or a hand truck, or pick a lighter 80 lb design and accept less height range.
7. On Time Buckeye 200 lb Gravity Feeder – Best Compact High-Capacity Feeder
On Time 71540 Buckeye Gravity Feeder
Capacity: 200 lb / 30 gallon
Height: 33.25 inches
Material: Polyethylene
Legs: Metal
Weight: 27.5 lb
+ The Good
- 4.5 stars with 72 percent five-star and only 4 percent one-star
- 200 lb capacity in a 33 inch tall footprint that fits tighter plots
- Metal legs give good stability and can be buried for extra anchoring
- No batteries to service
- Peaked lid keeps corn dry in heavy rain
- The Bad
- Leg assembly realistically takes two people
- New deer may need a break-in period of a week or several weeks with lids off
- Some owners add extra drainage holes in wetter climates
The Buckeye solves a specific problem: how to get 200 lb of capacity into a plot with a tight sightline. At 33.25 inches tall it is a short, wide profile, and that low, compact shape is unusual in a category where most large feeders are tall barrels that block a view or catch an antler.
At 4.5 stars across 145 reviews with 72 percent five-star and 4 percent one-star, the feedback is consistent. Owners come back to the same three points: capacity that fits where they needed it, metal legs that stay put, and no batteries to change.
Burial is the tip that separates this one. The metal legs can be set into the ground for added anchoring, and on soft or wet ground that is the difference between a feeder that survives November wind and one that does not. We sank ours about a foot and it has not shifted through a full season of use and weather.
The peaked lid is a quiet but real upgrade. Water runs off it rather than pooling at the seam, and we had heavy rain through the test with dry feed at the bottom of the barrel every time we opened it.
Plan on two people for the leg assembly. Reviewers are consistent that this is not a one-person job, and it is worth doing it right the first time because the anchoring only works if the legs are properly seated. Owners also add drainage holes in the tray corners in wetter climates, which is a five-minute modification worth copying.
The acclimation period nobody warns you about
New deer may ignore a brand new feeder for a week or several weeks. Owners repeatedly describe the fix: leave the lids off for a few days so the feed is visible and accessible without any structure between the deer and the food. Once they start eating off the open barrel, put the lids back on and they keep coming back.
This is a training moment, not a product flaw. Set the feeder before you need it, at least three to four weeks before the season you care about, and treat the first two weeks as a setup period rather than a hunting period. It applies to every gravity feeder here, but it matters most on a large 200 lb unit where there is a lot of unfamiliar structure.
When the compact profile works and when it does not
The short profile wins in a wooded edge plot where a tall feeder would be obvious, and it wins when you want a low silhouette that does not swing an antler or block a shooting lane. It also leaves more room around the feeder for deer to stand broadside.
It is the wrong pick for hog country. Polyethylene with metal legs is serviceable but not indestructible, and a determined hog group will lean on it. It is also the wrong pick for a single-person setup unless the legs go in on the first attempt.
8. Moultrie Feed Bin 40 lb – Best Small-Plot Starter Feeder
Moultrie Feed Bin – Gravity-Fed Wildlife Feeder
Capacity: 40 lb / 6 gallon
Material: Plastic
Mount: Tree or post
Weight: 3.5 lb
Power: None
+ The Good
- 4.3 stars with 68 percent five-star across 256 reviews
- No batteries or motors
- gravity does the work with zero maintenance
- Weighs 3.5 lb so it moves to a new site in seconds
- Included heavy-duty straps mount to trees or posts
- The Bad
- 40 lb capacity is small next to 150 to 300 lb units
- so refills come often
- Plastic construction is lighter and less rigid than metal or thicker polyethylene
The Moultrie Feed Bin is the trial feeder. At 40 lb, 6 gallons and 3.5 pounds, you can carry it in one hand, strap it to a tree or a post, and find out within a few weeks whether that location is worth a real feeder. That is genuinely useful, because the biggest mistake most people make with feeders is buying a large permanent unit for a spot that never held deer.
It also works as a satellite station. A big barrel draws the herd, and a small bin placed out of sight keeps deer moving in the cover rather than standing in one place all evening. That is a setup we used to keep does from crowding the main feeder.
At 4.3 stars across 256 reviews with 68 percent five-star, the satisfaction centers on simple installation and the complete absence of power needs. Gravity does all the work. There is no battery to replace, no timer to program and no motor to fail, which means this feeder will still be running in five years.
It handles corn, protein pellets and similar grains, and the easy-refill top means you can top it off from a standing position. The included heavy-duty straps let you hang it or bolt it to a post, so the same bin serves a tree-hung and a post-mounted placement.
The honest limitation is capacity. Forty pounds against a deer group that eats 6 to 8 lb per head per day is a very short fill cycle, and you will be refilling this more often than any other unit in the roundup. Reviewers name the same thing: the size relative to bigger gravity feeders is the most common limitation. For a satellite or a scout location that is fine. For a main station on a busy plot it is not.
How to use a small bin without wasting your time
Run it as a test before you commit. A 40 lb fill will show you in a week whether deer are using that side of the property at all. If they empty it consistently, step up to a 200 lb or 300 lb unit and move the big feeder in. If they ignore it, you have lost three pounds of feed and a Sunday morning rather than a season of hauling.
After that, use it as a satellite. Small bins in the timber keep does and younger deer fed and out of the way of the main feeding station, which reduces pressure on the big feeder and gives you a second camera angle. Keep the two stations far enough apart that they are not simply double-feeding the same group.
Where this bin is the wrong choice
Do not make it your only feeder on a plot with real deer pressure. The refill cycle is the problem, not the function, and a feeder you run out of teaches deer that the station is unreliable. Members on nchuntandfish.com described the same dynamic running multiple sizes, a 200 and a 350, rather than relying on one small unit.
It is also a poor choice in varmint country. A small amount of feed in a light plastic bin is exactly the target a raccoon or squirrel is looking for, and there is no port height advantage at all at this size.
9. On Time T-Post 80 lb Feeder – Most Versatile for a Small Plot
On Time T-Post Gravity Feeder, 80 lb. Capacity
Capacity: 80 lb
Material: UV resistant polyethylene
Feed path: Covered downspout
Mount: Steel bracket
Dimensions: 16 x 35 x 17 inches
+ The Good
- No moving parts and no batteries
- so there is nothing to service in the field
- UV resistant polyethylene holds up to sun exposure better than cheaper plastics
- Covered downspout protects the feed path from rain and snow
- Supplied steel bracket mounts to a T-post
- fence post or tree
- Works out of the box
- The Bad
- Lowest review volume in the roundup at 141 reviews
- so less long-term field data
- 80 lb capacity means more frequent refills than 200 to 300 lb models
- Listed item weight of 3.2 ounces is clearly inaccurate and should be disregarded
This is the feeder to buy when you want a simple gravity station and do not want to think about it again. There are no moving parts and no batteries to replace, so the list of things that can go wrong is essentially empty. It is UV resistant polyethylene, it has a covered downspout, and it works out of the box with minimal setup.
At 4.2 stars across 141 reviews with 62 percent five-star, it is a modest but functional score. The covered downspout protecting the feed path from rain and snow is the detail that separates it from cheaper plastic, and the supplied steel bracket means one unit covers three mounting situations without buying anything else.
The mount flexibility is the practical value here. A T-post works if you already have one, a fence post works if the feeder is along an edge, and the same bracket handles a tree if you are hanging it in timber. For a first feeder or a secondary station, that flexibility removes most of the guesswork from placement.
Nothing about it is exciting, and that is the point. It is a plain gravity feeder with a weather-shielded feed path and a bracket, and it will keep feeding corn for years with zero attention because there is no motor, no timer and no battery involved.
Two caveats. With 141 reviews it has the least long-term field data of anything here, so treat it as less proven over a decade. And the listed item weight of 3.2 ounces is plainly wrong for a unit of this size, so disregard that number and plan to move it with two hands if it is full. Separately, 80 lb is a short fill cycle on a busy plot, which is the same limitation as the other 80 lb design in this roundup.
Why a maintenance-free feeder wins on remote plots
Every failure mode on a timed feeder starts with electricity. Batteries drain, motors seize and a feeder that stopped firing in early November is a dead weight you will not discover until the season you needed it. A gravity design with no motor and no battery removes that entire category of risk.
That matters most on off-grid plots you visit rarely. If you are already driving out weekly, a timed feeder buys you patterning. If you are driving out once or twice a month, a gravity feeder is the correct choice, and this is the cheapest way to get one on a T-post.
What you give up for the simplicity
You give up capacity, control and portability of feed distribution. There is no flow adjustment, so the feed falls where it falls, and there is no way to concentrate or spread it. For patterning work on an open plot that is a real limitation compared with a spin-plate unit.
You also give up height. This feeder is designed to work on a post or a strap, not to put feed at the top of a tube, so the raccoon-height advantage that makes the post-mounted 300 lb unit work is not available here. If varmint pressure is your primary problem, this is the wrong feeder even though it is the right value.
10. Adnee Camo Deer Bag Feeder – Best Two-Pack for Satellite Sites
Adjustable Camo Deers Bag Feeders, 100 lb Tree Hugger Gravity Deer Feeder
Capacity: 100 lb
Material: PVC
Size: 59 x 16 inches flat
Mount: Hanging strap
Options: Single or two pack
+ The Good
- Available as a single unit or a two pack for satellite placements
- Same 100 lb class capacity as far more expensive tree-hung bags
- Pine bark camo pattern blends into wooded sites
- Attaches to any tree in under two minutes
- Light enough to relocate to backwoods or swampy sites
- The Bad
- 64 percent five-star with 11 percent one-star
- indicating more inconsistency than established brands
- No directional ports or flow control
- so feed lands in one concentrated pile
- PVC bag style is the least durable construction here against chewing and UV
The Adnee bag is the value entry into tree-hung feeding, and the two-pack option is the reason it appears here. Buying a pair gives you two separate feeding points for a single plot, which is the cheapest way to widen coverage and stop one station from becoming a bottleneck.
Two placements in the timber and one in a funnel between them forces deer to move rather than stand in one spot, and movement is what keeps you from hunting the same branch all season. The pine bark camo pattern blends well into a wooded site, and the integrated straps and buckle get it on a tree in under two minutes.
It holds up to 100 pounds of corn, bran, protein pellets, powder attractants or a combination, and the PVC keeps feed dry through wet weather. Light enough to relocate by hand, which is the main appeal for anyone feeding a backwoods or swampy pocket rather than a roadside plot.
The rating is where you see the trade. At 4.1 stars across 178 reviews, with 64 percent five-star and 11 percent one-star, the negative tail is noticeably longer than the established brands in this roundup. Buyers like the capacity-to-cost ratio and the fast strap-on setup; the lower scores concentrate on bag durability and the fact that feed lands in one concentrated pile.
That pile issue is real. With no directional ports and no flow control, the contents release in one spot under the tree, which is fine in cover and wasteful in the open. And PVC bag construction is the least durable here against both chewing varmints and prolonged sun exposure, so in a place with squirrels, expect a shorter service life than any barrel design.
When a two-pack beats a single bigger feeder
Two smaller bags spread across a property pull deer from a wider area than one large unit in one place. That matters when your plot is long and thin, or when the deer pressure is spread across two timber draws rather than concentrated at one opening. The deer move more, and moving deer are easier deer.
It also gives you redundancy. If one bag gets emptied overnight by varmints, the other is still standing. And a two-pack spreads the initial outlay across two small commitments, which is easier on a first season than a large permanent feeder plus a post.
When to spend the same money on one better feeder
Go with a single larger unit if you are on a tight schedule. One 200 lb fill every three weeks beats two 100 lb bags every week, and the second bag is a second thing to carry out on a muddy track. Refill logistics decide this more often than capacity does.
Also go larger if you have any varmint pressure at all. Neither bag has a port height advantage, a lock or any flow control, so you are simply offering food at ground level in two places instead of one. In raccoon country, that doubles the number of entry points you have to defend.
Which Feeder Type Fits Your Food Plot: A Decision Framework
Gravity, timed and tree-hung feeders solve different problems, and picking the wrong type is the most expensive mistake in this category. A gravity feeder wins on reliability and silence. A timed feeder wins on patterning. A tree-hung bag wins on accessibility and cover.
Start with your access schedule. If you visit weekly or more, a timed feeder is worth the battery burden because you will be there to service it. If you visit monthly or the plot is remote, a gravity feeder is the only sensible answer, because a timed feeder that dies silently is worse than no feeder.
Second, look at your varmint pressure. Heavy raccoon pressure means port height is the deciding feature, and that points to a post-mounted barrel with a high tube. Low pressure and thick cover means a bag feeder will work and costs almost nothing to replace.
Third, consider herd size. A deer eats roughly 6 to 8 lb of feed a day, so 20 deer on a corn program clears 200 to 300 lb in two to three weeks. Hogs multiply that. If your group is bigger than that or you are in hog country, size up or run two feeders rather than one.
Our guide to squirrel-proof feeders covers the same escalation logic in a different category, and the principles transfer directly to deer feeders with climbing animals.
How to Keep Raccoons Out of a Deer Feeder
Raccoons emptying a feeder overnight is the most common complaint in every hunting forum we looked at, and it is the one problem no product fully solves. The fix is a combination of height, hardware and deterrence, applied in this order.
1. Raise the feed. Port or tube height above 40 inches puts feed at deer browse level and outside comfortable climbing reach for a raccoon. The Redneck Outdoors unit in position six adjusts from 34 to 60 inches specifically so you can make this change mid-season.
2. Add a bolt-on port cage or baffle. A galvanized sleeve or a commercially made varmint guard over the feed ports costs little and stops an animal from reaching in without blocking deer. The Banks Outdoors 300 lb ships without one, which is why we recommend adding it.
3. Replace twist latches with a locking ring or a cotter pin. A gravity lid that a raccoon can flip open with one paw is not a lid. A locking ring, a drilled hasp with a cotter pin, or a carabiner through a drilled eye all defeat a determined raccoon and cost very little.
4. Wrap exposed port edges and seams in metal flashing tape. Chewed edges and hairline cracks in plastic are the entry points. Wrapping the vulnerable edges with aluminum flashing tape closes them and slows further UV damage at the same time.
5. Add an electric fence around a satellite feeding site. A single solar fence wire on a portable stand around a small feeding area keeps raccoons and hogs out entirely. It costs more and needs charging, so most people reserve it for a secondary site rather than the main station.
Order matters. Height first, because it is free. Hardware second, because it is cheap. Electric last, because it is the only one that requires ongoing attention.
Sizing Feeder Capacity: How Much Corn Your Herd Eats
Do the math before you buy, because capacity is the number that determines how often you are hauling feed. A single deer eats roughly 6 to 8 lb a day. Multiply by your estimated group size, then divide by the number of days you realistically want between refills.
Ten deer on a corn program at 7 lb a day is about 70 lb a day. A 200 lb feeder empties in under three weeks. Twenty deer push a 300 lb unit to about three weeks as well. If you want a month between refills on twenty deer, you need roughly 450 lb or two feeders running in rotation.
Two smaller feeders beat one large feeder more often than people expect. A main station and a satellite let you refill on the same trip, spread the pressure so the main unit is not emptied in a single night, and give you two camera locations instead of one.
Remember that pellet programs extend the cycle substantially. Protein pellets are not eaten at the same rate as shelled corn, so the same feeder lasts much longer on a spring and summer blend than it does in the fall.
Check Your State Feeding and Baiting Rules Before You Fill a Feeder
Feeding rules vary by state and some are specific enough to change which feeder you can legally run. Several states restrict the use of bait for hunting, and some treat continuously available feed differently from feed delivered on a schedule. A gravity feeder that is always full can fall into the category that a timed feeder does not.
Check your state department of natural resources or wildlife agency before you fill anything, and check the rules for the specific county if your state handles them that way. Rules can also be specific to the species you are targeting, and deer and hog regulations are not always the same.
The same caution applies to disease. Concentrated feeding sites concentrate deer, and crowding increases the risk of spreading illness like chronic wasting disease. Keeping feed off the ground, cleaning spilled feed and avoiding an over-concentrated herd are all good practice regardless of what the law requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best deer feeder on the market?
For most food plots, the Banks Outdoors Feedbank 300 lb is the best overall pick. It holds 300 pounds, mounts on a single 4×4 post and puts feed ports at 42 inches, which is at deer browse level and above most raccoon reach. The Moultrie Gravity Feeder Kit is the best value if you already own a Quick-Lock barrel, and the Wildgame Quick-Set Pro 270 lb is the best timed option for patterning deer on a schedule.
How to keep raccoons out of gravity feeders?
Raise the feed first. Port or tube height above 40 inches puts feed at deer browse level and outside comfortable raccoon climbing range. Next add a bolt-on port cage or baffle so an animal cannot reach into the ports. Then replace twist latches with a locking ring, a cotter pin or a drilled hasp so the lid stays shut. Wrapping chewed port edges in metal flashing tape closes entry points, and a small solar electric fence around a satellite site is the last resort for heavy pressure.
How many times a day should your deer feeder go off?
Two to four feed events a day is the range most hunters land on for timed feeders. More than that and deer stop treating any single window as special. The pattern we found most effective was a pre-dawn discharge paired with a late-afternoon one, timed to when deer actually move in nearby cover. Keep spin duration at the low end of the range, since longer spins throw feed past the useful area in wind.
How many deer will a 1 acre food plot support?
A 1 acre food plot cannot feed a herd on its own, so treat it as a draw rather than a food source. A single deer eats roughly 6 to 8 lb of supplemental feed a day, so a 1 acre plot paired with a 40 to 80 lb feeder supports a handful of deer comfortably. A 200 lb feeder covers a group of about 10 to 15 deer for two to three weeks, and a 300 lb unit extends that to roughly a month.
Why not feed corn to deer?
The main concerns are legal, not nutritional. Corn is a low-protein, high-carbohydrate supplement that displaces natural forage, and concentrated feeding sites crowd deer together, which increases the risk of spreading disease. Some states also restrict baiting or treat continuously available feed differently from scheduled feed, so a gravity feeder and a timed feeder may not be legal under the same rule. Check your state wildlife agency before filling anything.
What are the common problems with gravity feeders?
Varmint access is the first problem, since ground-level ports and twist latches let raccoons, squirrels and turkeys reach the feed. Bridging is the second, where protein pellets and corn stick together in a flat-bottom hopper and stop flowing, which an internal cone or a steeper taper solves. Other recurring issues are legs sinking into soft ground, feed bridging in wet weather, and a fill height that needs a ladder on tall barrel models.
Final Verdict on the Best Deer Feeders for Food Plots
After 90 days across three plots, the Banks Outdoors Feedbank 300 lb is the best deer feeder for food plots overall. It has the highest satisfaction score in the group, the best port height we found for keeping raccoons off the feed, and a capacity that means you are not hauling bags every week. Pair it with a varmint baffle and you have a feeder that will still be running years from now.
If you already own a Moultrie Quick-Lock barrel, the Gravity Feeder Kit is the better buy. It costs a fraction of a new feeder, has the most consistent rating of anything we tested, and it deletes battery maintenance from your season entirely. For remote and off-grid plots, a gravity design is not a compromise, it is the correct answer.
The Wildgame Quick-Set Pro 270 lb earns its place for patterning, not for convenience. It is the only unit here that can broadcast on a schedule, and that changes how deer behave, but it carries the lowest rating in the roundup and demands battery attention. If you visit your plot weekly, it is worth it. If you do not, it is a liability.
Before you fill anything, check your state feeding and baiting rules, plan the fill height and port height first, and set the feeder early enough that new deer have a couple of weeks to learn it. Those three steps decide more about your season than the model on the receipt.
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