I have an automatic feeder set up in the middle of a fenced off square area and the deer don't seem to go into the area. They just kind of eat whatever corn has been thrown around the edge of the fence. I was wondering if the fenced area needed to be larger for them to feel comfortable getting in? The area is a 18-20 ft square. Most of the corn in within the fenced area and they are getting just a little bit around the outside of the fence. The fence is just a standard barbed wire fence. Nothing really high.

Would it be better for me to just remove the fence? There are cows on the land as well and I was trying to prevent them from getting into everything. How large does the area need to be for them to be safe?

Maybe extend the fence a bit to where they have to jump it to get the corn. If they can just pick at the corn on the edges, they will.

I would take down one side of the fence for a while, and then put one strand up, then another.

sounds like lazy deer

20 sq. feet is pretty small. I doubt any deer would want to jump in an area that small. Thats less than 5 ft by 5ft. You could barely fit one deer int there. Deer don't want to feel like they are trapped and with an area that small they would surely feel uneasy. Id say you'd have to go at least 100 sq. feet, thats an area 10 x 10 and I still think that would be too small. Id keep extending your fence until you start to see tracks in the fenced in area.

Sorry for the confusion but isn't 20 sq/ft it is a 18-20 foot square. Now that I am thinking about it...it is more like a 15' square.

I'm thinking about taking the top wire down and using that wire to extend the fence out a bit...then dumping half a bag of corn in the center and pouring buck jam over it to entice them into the fence. Hopefully that will get them feeling comfortable jumping in to get protien and corn. Does this sound like a good plan?

Ever hang your nay-nays on a fence? Did you like it? Take down the fence.

LOL!I would not have a fence aroud my deer feeder,i'd just put corn in an open spot in the woods or on a food plot.

I would take two posts and make a small opening big enough for them to get in and small enough to keep the cows out, and I will bet they come right in. once the other deer see a few of them in there they will start jumping in. Oh yes I would also make the pen a little bigger. Good luck.