How to Keep Raccoons Out of Your Deer Feeder

Stop Trying to “Outsmart” Raccoons and Start Beating Them With Setup

The real way I keep raccoons out of a deer feeder is to control access, not smell.

I hang the spinner high, use a real varmint guard, and set the throw so corn lands 10 to 15 feet from the legs.

I hunt 30 plus days a year, mostly bow, and I have fought raccoons in East Texas and on Midwest leases.

Raccoons are smart, stubborn, and they will empty a feeder in two nights if you let them.

Back in November 2019 in Pike County, Illinois, I watched a good buck skirt a feeder by 60 yards because the ground was tore up like a dog pen.

I learned the hard way that a feeder spot that looks like a raccoon party pushes mature deer daylight movement back into cover.

Decide If You Want “Some” Raccoons or “Zero” Raccoons

If you are fine feeding a few coons, you can get by with height and guards.

If you want near zero coons, you need height, guards, throw distance, and population control.

My buddy swears by “extra scent control” around feeders, but I have found raccoons do not care about your human smell once they pattern free corn.

I wasted money on $400 of ozone scent control years ago and it made zero difference on deer or raccoons.

Here is what I do when I want the feeder to act like a deer tool and not a raccoon buffet.

I build it so a raccoon cannot climb it, cannot reach the spinner, and cannot sit under it and clean up all night.

Hang Height: If They Can Reach the Spinner, You Already Lost

The biggest mistake is mounting the spinner plate too low.

If a raccoon can stand on its back feet and touch the motor, it will.

Here is what I do on tripod feeders.

I set the spinner at 40 to 44 inches off the ground, then I test it by reaching up myself while standing flat footed.

In the Missouri Ozarks on public land, I do not run feeders, but I still use this same thinking on hanging mineral stumps and mock scrape ropes.

If a critter can reach it, a critter will work it.

If you are hunting a feeder in thick cover like the Ozarks, forget about “hiding it better” and focus on keeping the area quiet and clean.

A feeder that gets climbed and rocked all night makes deer nervous in daylight.

Choose a Feeder Style: Tripod vs Hanging Is a Tradeoff

A tripod feeder is easier to service and safer in the dark.

A hanging feeder can be harder for raccoons if you hang it right, but it is a pain to fill and check.

Back in 2016 in East Texas, I hunted a place with spin cast hanging feeders on a limb.

The only ones that stayed “clean” were the ones hung from a slick cable with no nearby branches to jump from.

Here is what I do if I am stuck with a tripod.

I add a metal cone guard on each leg and I clear a 6 foot circle so nothing touches the legs.

Here is what I do if I run a hanging feeder.

I hang it from a 3/16 inch steel cable and I keep the nearest climbable trunk 8 feet away from the drop point.

Use a Real Varmint Guard, Not a Cute Plastic Ring

Some guards slow raccoons down for a week, then the coons figure it out.

I want metal, wide, and slick.

I have had good luck with the Moultrie Varmint Guard Cone on tripod legs.

The metal is thick enough that it does not fold after a season of weather, and it is usually around $25 to $35 per leg depending on the kit.

I learned the hard way that thin plastic guards crack in one cold snap.

That happened to me on a cheap kit in Pike County, and the raccoons were back on night two.

My buddy swears by wrapping legs in sheet metal from Home Depot.

I have found cones work better because they shed rain and they do not give coons a flat edge to grab.

Change Where the Corn Lands, Because Cleanup Is the Real Problem

Even if raccoons cannot climb the feeder, they can still sit under it and Hoover up corn.

If your throw pattern is a tight pile, you are feeding coons all night.

Here is what I do.

I angle the spinner and set the timer so it throws 10 to 15 feet, not 3 feet.

This is a tradeoff.

More throw spreads scent and can pull deer from farther, but it can also pull pigs in places like East Texas.

If you are hunting where hogs live, forget about throwing corn 20 feet wide and focus on short throws and daylight-only feed times.

Hogs will clean a wide broadcast faster than raccoons ever will.

When I am trying to time deer movement, I check feeding times first.

I want the feeder to support a daylight pattern, not create a midnight circus.

Set the Timer Like a Bowhunter, Not Like a Rancher

Most raccoon damage happens because feeders run too long and too often.

If corn hits the ground at 9:30 p.m., raccoons own it.

Here is what I do on most properties.

I run 2 short feeds per day, 4 to 6 seconds each, one at first light and one 90 minutes before dark.

I learned the hard way that long feeds train raccoons faster than deer.

Back in 2007 in southern Missouri, I watched a sounder of raccoons show up like clockwork after two weeks of 12 second spins.

This connects to what I wrote about are deer smart because deer pattern danger and pressure fast.

If your feeder site smells like coon pee and sounds like a fight, mature bucks slide downwind and stay there.

Make a Decision About Electricity and Shock Strips

Electric deterrents work, but only if you maintain them.

If you will not check it weekly, do not bother.

Here is what I do when raccoons are hammering a feeder and I cannot trap enough fast.

I run a small solar fence charger and one hot wire around the legs at 8 inches and 16 inches high.

This is the tradeoff.

Electric keeps coons off, but it adds one more thing to fail, and failures usually happen right before the weekend you can hunt.

Back in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, I hunted hill country with heavy pressure and limited access.

Anything that made me walk in more often cost me deer movement, so I kept setups simple and quiet.

Trap or Shoot: If You Do Not Reduce Numbers, They Will Keep Coming

Guards and height help, but coon density matters.

If you have 12 raccoons in a 40 acre block, they will work all night until they win.

Here is what I do.

I run dog-proof traps on trails leading to the feeder and I place them 30 to 60 yards off the site so deer do not associate the feeder with new smells.

I am not a professional guide or outfitter.

I am just a guy who has watched raccoons ruin a good deer pattern and I got tired of it.

My buddy swears by baiting traps with marshmallows.

I have found cheap fishy cat food works better, and it is $2.49 a can at the small town store near my Pike County lease.

My Quick Rule of Thumb

If raccoons are climbing your tripod legs, install metal cone guards and clear brush 6 feet around the feeder.

If you see muddy little hand prints on the barrel or corn packed in a tight 2 foot pile, expect nighttime visits to spike within 3 days.

If conditions change to freezing rain or snow cover, switch to shorter feed times and a wider throw so corn is not a single easy pile.

Do Not Ignore the Sign on the Ground, Because Deer Notice It Too

Raccoons leave a mess that deer react to.

I have watched does avoid a feeder for two mornings after a hard night of raccoon fighting.

Here is what I do during season.

I rake the worst of the trash out with a small leaf rake and I move the broadcast zone 5 yards with a spinner adjustment.

This connects to what I wrote about deer habitat because deer like calm, predictable spots.

A feeder site that looks like a feedlot is not calm.

If you are hunting a small lease in Kentucky sized timber, forget about making the feeder the center of the property and focus on staging areas 80 to 120 yards off it.

You can still use corn as a pull, but you do not have to sit right on the chaos.

Pick Your Hunting Distance: Sitting on the Feeder Can Bite You

A feeder is a tool, not a stand location by default.

If you sit 20 yards from it, you will educate deer the first time the wind swirls.

Here is what I do with a bow.

I set my stand 80 to 140 yards downwind of the feeder on the first thick cover edge, and I hunt the travel line, not the barrel.

This ties into wind decisions, and it connects to what I wrote about do deer move in the wind.

If wind is steady at 12 mph, I hunt closer to bedding cover and let the feeder do the pulling.

Back in the Upper Peninsula Michigan, I learned to respect how animals use cover in nasty weather.

Big woods deer do not want drama at a food source, and pressured deer act the same everywhere.

Use Hardware That Does Not Fail, Because Raccoons Love a Broken Feeder

A feeder that throws wrong or sticks open is a raccoon magnet.

It is also a good way to waste money fast.

I have used Moultrie and Wildgame Innovations timers over the years.

The Moultrie unit worked fine for me, but I had one timer die after one season in wet heat, and it cost me a whole 50 pound bag overnight.

Here is what I do now.

I keep a spare timer in the truck during season, and I run fresh Duracell batteries before the rut instead of trying to stretch them.

I process my own deer in the garage, taught by my uncle who was a butcher, so I hate waste.

Watching $18 of corn vanish to coons feels like watching a backstrap hit the dirt.

FAQ: Raccoons and Deer Feeders

What is the best height to keep raccoons off a deer feeder?

I aim for 40 to 44 inches from ground to spinner on tripod feeders.

If grass grows tall, I trim it so ground height stays the same all season.

Will deer avoid a feeder if raccoons are hitting it every night?

Yes, especially mature bucks, because the site gets loud and smells bad.

I have seen this on my Pike County, Illinois lease after a week of heavy raccoon activity.

Should I feed at night to avoid spooking deer in daylight?

No, because you are basically scheduling the raccoons a free meal.

I feed at first light and 90 minutes before dark so deer can use it on their feet.

Do varmint guards actually work on tripod feeders?

Metal cone guards work if you clear brush and keep the legs slick.

Cheap plastic guards crack, and raccoons figure out loose parts fast.

How far from a feeder should I hang traps for raccoons?

I place traps 30 to 60 yards off the feeder on the trails coming in.

I do not like trapping right under the feeder because deer smell the disturbance.

Is corn the best feed if raccoons are a problem?

Corn is the easiest target for raccoons because it is fast calories and easy to clean up.

If you want a cheaper plan that is not just dumping corn, I point people to an inexpensive way to feed deer and I build from there.

For shot placement and recovery, this connects to what I wrote about where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks.

I still remember gut shooting that doe in 2007 and pushing her too early, and I do not want feeder drama to rush any decision.

For folks trying to plan a full property setup, I also tie feeders into the best food plot for deer.

A feeder can help, but a plot keeps deer around without turning your place into a raccoon hangout.

More content sections are coming after this.

I am not wrapping this up yet.

What I Actually Stick With After Years of Getting Beat by Coon Hands

I have tried the cute tricks, and I have watched raccoons laugh at them in real time.

My best long term fix is height plus metal guards plus tight feed times, then I trap hard for 10 to 14 days.

Here is what I do before the season even starts.

I fill the feeder, set it at 4 seconds twice a day, and I sit a camera 12 feet away for one full week.

I learned the hard way that “set it and forget it” turns into “feed raccoons and educate deer.”

Back in 2016 in East Texas, I left a feeder running heavy while I was busy with work and came back to an empty barrel and a deer trail that went cold.

Make One Last Decision: Do You Want Deer Using the Feeder, or Do You Want to Hunt Deer Near the Feeder?

Those are not the same thing.

If you try to kill every deer at the barrel, you will end up hunting your own disturbance.

Here is what I do with my two kids when I want an easy sit.

I hunt the feeder one or two evenings a season, then I back off and hunt the downwind trails the rest of the time.

In Pike County, Illinois, big bucks live longer because pressure is real and they learn fast.

If a feeder spot gets trashed by raccoons, I do not “fix it” by hunting it harder, I fix it by making it boring again.

Don’t Make My Dumb Mistake: Waiting Until the Rut to Fix a Raccoon Problem

The worst time to start messing with feeder legs, wires, traps, and fresh scent is late October and early November.

That is when I want the least foot traffic, not the most.

Here is what I do now.

I do my feeder work in August and September, then I only do quick in and out checks every 10 to 14 days once velvet is peeling.

Back in November 2019 in Pike County, Illinois, I killed my biggest buck, a 156 inch typical, on a morning sit after a cold front.

That buck did not die because I babysat a feeder, he died because the property stayed calm and predictable.

If You Only Fix Three Things, Fix These Three

Most people change five small things and nothing sticks.

I would rather see you fix three big things and be done.

Here is what I do, every time, on any feeder I care about.

I set spinner height at 40 to 44 inches, I install metal cone guards, and I cut feed times down to 4 to 6 seconds twice a day.

My buddy swears by dumping extra corn to “keep deer there anyway.”

I have found extra corn just buys more raccoons and more mess, and deer do not like mess.

Wrap Up: Keep It Simple, Keep It Quiet, Keep It Working

I am not a guide and I do not sell feeders for a living.

I am just a guy who grew up hunting public land in southern Missouri because I was broke, and I got tired of watching raccoons waste what little I had.

Here is what I do this week if a feeder is getting hammered.

I raise the spinner if it is low, I add real metal guards, I change the throw so it is not a tight pile, and I trap the trails 30 to 60 yards out.

If you do that, you stop playing defense.

You make the feeder hard to work, and raccoons go find an easier meal somewhere else.