We usea feeder in a suburban setting to provide shots for doe tags and hunters who are less mobile (i.e. my 63 year old father-in-law). BTW, the only feeder worth your money is the Lifetime Feeder - highly reliable.

I have never seen a mature buck approach corn during daylight hours. Around here, they just know better from pressure, prior encounters etc.

If you are going to hand-spread it, you might consider spreading it over a large area. If it's piled up, it may contribute to the spread of desease and it makes the deer suspicious.