RE: Settingn out a feeder.
Guys I know and hunt with hang their feeders off the trail a few yards. One particular feeder which always brings in deer is just into the woods in the corner of a field and about 30 feet from a muddy creek bottom with heavy traffic. That location always gets deer no matter how hard they are pushed during the season.
However, I use that location as a barometer in that if there are deer hitting that feeder there will be deer down the road where I have my stand in an area full with acorns from September to November!