Ok, but for once lets just look at what Mr. Webster has to say about bait.

Bait: to put food on a hook or trap as a lure for game 2 anything used as a lure

Now with this we include corn, game food, food plots, crops, ponds ect.... So if hunting near a feeder is baiting so is hunting over one of the others.

I had to get this out of my system. Now I will try and explain why I use feeders and food plots if possible.

It is the first of May and since last Nov. we have had maybe 1 inch of rain. The temps have been high enough during the winter to pull moisture out and since around March we have had temps in the high 70' s and 80s with a few 90' s thrown in.
Whats this got to do with feeding and food plots. Everything! No water no food. We have 7 water tanks that are bone dry 1 is left and it is about 80% down. The owner runs about 100 head of cattle but is already selling becouse of no feed coming up. What cattle he keeps will need water and food. I planted a food plot last year and it was still in fair condition but guess what? Removed fince to allow cattle in to eat and was gone in about a month. Can I do anything about it? no[:@]
So here we are with little water and no food. Ground too dry to plant, Rain? who knows.
People say " There are alot of deer this year becouse I see them on the road all the time" WRONG! They are on the side of the road eating the grass and weeds that the cattle cant get to. This is why you see them out there.
I use feeders and Food plots when I can. You have good rain and growing conditions, Forest and fields that have good grazing consider your self lucky. I will trade places with you any day! One condition, You dont get your place back.
Here we have Brown winters, springs, summers and falls. What do I mean? Sand storms, Brown outs and I dont mean smog. Gets into everything. Yes we do have rain, Usually 5 to 12 inches or more and usually all at once. Washes crops out. Last about 3 weeks before the 100+ temps dry it out. There are farmers and ranchers around that have shallow water to irrigate with but most of it around here is deep and cost $$$ to pull up. So thats out.
Starting to see things a little different?
I use feeders as a tool. To add some food to poor conditions in my area. I do not hunt over them! I do not hunt over my food plot! I do scout and find beding areas and the trails they use and hunt these areas.
Not all areas are like the above but most around here are. Water in small towns is being rationed, fines for watering grass, fines for smoking outside or outside fires. Extreamly high fire conditions. Lakes so low that towns are looking to ship water in.
I am not going to talk about the use of feeders vs CWD except to say that it may play such a small part in the spread of the desease that it was very foolish to spend so much money over it to get it stoped in places.
Feeding vs baiting, tool vs lazy hunters!

Back to your question, My feeder pen is 12 X 18 feet My feeder is in the middle and will throw corn past side to side and almost end to end. I use a med. setting not to put out too much corn. My feeder holds 6, 50lb sacks of corn and deer feed total this will last about 3/4' s of the season so you can see that I am not putting out hardly enough to make a difference. I may bump it up alittle depending on what the conditions are and what the deer look like. This spread gives every one a chance to eat some corn where a big pile will be a fight over and will sour easy. In addition I use this pen to pland a food plot in addition to the 3 larger fields If it rains and the farmer dont place cows on them. He does not bother my feeder pens.Sorry I almost forgot. I have 4 feeders on 700 acres. Some I use more deer feed than corn.

Sorry for the long post. It just gets me somtimes when some people say they wont hunt a feeder but plant food plots to hunt over or water.
Guys and Ladies, all hunting areas are not created equal. If you are blessed with great areas to hunt, count your blessings. Some of your friends dont have this. Have a problem choosing which buck you want to shoot becouse there are so many, forgive me but get a life. I saw 4 last year and only 2 were old enough for me to consider shooting. Getting too much rain and snow. Lord Please send us what you dont want and a little more. Your favorite color is Brown, Come on down and role in it becouse we have a lot of it and if you dont wash it off it will make you a great tan. You dont have to pay a dime to hunt! The AVERAGE lease around here is $1,000 to 1,800/gun for a season. Depending on the county the number of bucks you can take is 1 to 3 and maby 2 or more does. I can take 1 whitetail (have not seen one) and 1 muledeer. No DOES. I pay $750/year to hunt. We have 4 hunters paying the same on the lease. Im sorry to say I dont have much [:' (]for those of you that can get 4 or more deer, elk, bear, moose, and what ever else. Must be real bad to have so many options.
Take care and Again I will trade you places in a heart beat!
Rick