Thanks brutal but it seems OK if I'm still feeding deer and should avoid problems with birds for several reasons. Supplemental feeding of gravity fed pellets to feeder heights of 37" will reduce bird recruitment in the area. Also feeding pellets and not corn dissuades birds. Placing feeders on ridges instead of valleys should be sufficient distance from nests. Finally live trapping and not employing snares or leg hold traps can control varmints effectively. By the way where are the varmint nests or dens anyway and maybe we can raid them instead?