How to Keep Hogs Out of Deer Feeders in Texas

Decide If You Want To Feed Deer Or Kill Hogs, Because You Usually Can Not Do Both.

If you put a deer feeder in East Texas, hogs will find it, and the only real way to keep them out is to either block them with a solid hog panel setup or remove the food at night and hunt the hogs hard until the sounder is gone.

I have hunted around Texas feeders enough to tell you this. If you are just “hoping” hogs stay away, you are about to buy corn twice.

I grew up poor in southern Missouri and learned public land before I could afford a lease. Now I split my time between a 65-acre lease in Pike County, Illinois and public land in the Missouri Ozarks, and I still hate wasting money on stuff that does not work.

I am mainly a bow hunter and I hunt 30 plus days a year, but I will pick up a rifle in gun season. I have sat freezing in Buffalo County, Wisconsin and I have dealt with Texas feeders and hogs, and the hog problem is its own kind of headache.

Start With This Mistake To Avoid: Feeding The Hogs On A Timer.

I learned the hard way that a feeder timer can train hogs like a dinner bell. If corn hits the ground at 7:00 PM every night, hogs will be there at 6:30 PM like they own the place.

My buddy swears by running a feeder twice a day no matter what. I have found hogs pattern that faster than deer do, especially once a whole sounder gets comfortable.

Here is what I do. I run daylight-only throws for deer season and I shut feeders off completely for a few nights if I see fresh hog sign stacking up.

When I am trying to time deer movement, I check feeding times first, because deer do have a rhythm. Hogs do too, and you are trying to break theirs.

My Quick Rule of Thumb

If hogs are hitting your feeder after dark, run the timer for late morning only and stop feeding at night.

If you see rooted dirt and muddy tracks under the spinner, expect the hogs to come back the next night with more pigs.

If conditions change to a full moon and warm nights above 68 degrees, switch to hunting water and trails instead of babysitting the feeder.

Make A Call On Feeder Style, Because Spinner Feeders Invite Hogs.

Spinner feeders are fine for deer, but they throw corn on the ground where hogs can vacuum it up. If you want less hog pressure, you need less feed on dirt.

Here is what I do. I run a directional or low-waste setup and I keep the throw short so corn stays tight and easy to monitor.

I wasted money on $400 worth of ozone scent control years back that made zero difference on deer. I do not waste money like that on feeder “gadgets” anymore, because hogs do not care about your gimmicks.

Use A Hog Panel “Cage” Or Quit Complaining, Because This Is The Only Physical Fix I Trust.

If you want a real barrier, build a corral around the feeder with heavy hog panels. I am talking 34-inch or 52-inch cattle panels, T-posts, and wire it like you mean it.

Here is what I do. I set a 16-foot to 20-foot diameter circle, leave one tight man-gate spot, and keep the feeder in the middle so hogs can not reach corn through the panel.

The tradeoff is deer acceptance versus hog exclusion. If you make it too tight, deer will hesitate for a week, and mature bucks in Pike County, Illinois would flat out avoid it on daylight.

In East Texas, I would rather have deer take 6 days to get comfy than let hogs eat $18 worth of corn every night. That is the math that matters.

Pick The Right Height And Spin Distance, Or You Are Feeding Through The Fence.

Hogs are low, strong, and patient. If the feeder is too low or the throw is too wide, hogs will feed outside the panel and still win.

Here is what I do. I hang the spinner plate high enough that the motor is 5 feet off the ground, then I shorten the throw so it lands 3 feet to 6 feet from center.

If you are hunting thick cover like the Missouri Ozarks, forget about bombing corn 25 feet into brush and focus on a tight feeding zone you can see and judge. Tight zones show you tracks, rooting, and what is actually happening.

Decide If You Are Willing To Trap, Because Feeders Alone Will Not Fix A Hog Problem.

Most guys want to “keep hogs out” without removing hogs. That is like trying to keep squirrels out of bird seed without removing squirrels.

Back in 2007, I gut shot a doe and pushed her too early and never found her, and I still think about it. That mistake taught me one thing I still use on hogs, which is stop rushing and do the hard work the right way.

Here is what I do. I trap first, then I feed, not the other way around.

In East Texas, if I see a sounder on camera two nights in a row, I set a corral trap on their travel route and I keep bait outside the trap for 3 nights before I ever set the gate. That is boring, but it fills a trailer.

Timer Settings Are A Tradeoff Between Daylight Deer And Night Hogs.

If you throw corn at dawn and dusk, you will see deer. You will also see hogs, because those are prime hog hours too.

Here is what I do. I run one throw between 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM, and I keep it short at 2 to 4 seconds.

If you are hunting shotgun and straight-wall zones like parts of Ohio, forget about “all day feeder hunting” and focus on predictable staging cover near bedding. Corn is a tool, not a plan.

This connects to what I wrote about how deer move in the wind, because a windy front can pull deer earlier while hogs still wait for dark. If a 18 mph wind is ripping, I will sit a travel corridor, not the feeder.

Use Cameras To Make A Decision Fast, Or You Will Miss The Window.

I do not like guessing. If hogs are around, they will show it on a camera within 48 hours.

Here is what I do. I place one camera 10 feet off the feeder, angled down, and one camera 30 yards off on the main approach trail.

If the close camera shows hogs at 1:00 AM and the trail camera shows them staging at 11:30 PM, I know where to set the trap or where to sit if it is legal to hunt them at night where you are.

When I am trying to understand what deer are doing around a feeder, I also keep in mind how smart deer are, because older bucks notice new fences and new smells. If you change a feeder setup, give it time.

My Take On Common Feeder Add-Ons, And What Actually Breaks.

I have burned money on gear that did not work before I learned what matters. Feeder add-ons are the same story, because most are made for hunters, not made to beat hogs.

I have used a Moultrie feeder and it worked fine, but the timer died after one season in humidity and heat. I replaced it with a digital timer from Moultrie and kept a spare in the truck, because Texas weather eats electronics.

My buddy swears by fancy “hog shock” kits, and I have found most of them fail because grass shorts the wire or the battery dies. If you can not keep a fence hot every day, it is not a fence.

Electric Fences Work, But Only If You Commit, And Most Guys Do Not.

An electric fence can keep hogs out if it is hot and tight and low enough to hit their nose. The tradeoff is you just signed up for weekly maintenance.

Here is what I do if I go electric. I run a 2-strand setup at 6 inches and 12 inches, clear vegetation, and I check voltage every trip.

If you are hunting the Missouri Ozarks on public and you can not babysit a fence, forget about electric and focus on mobile hunting and ambush trails instead. Permanent setups do not match public land reality.

Stop Over-Feeding, Because Extra Corn Is A Hog Magnet.

Guys love dumping 200 pounds of corn because it feels like doing something. All it does is keep hogs in the area longer.

Here is what I do. I feed just enough to get deer to show in daylight, and that is usually 10 to 20 pounds every few days, not a mountain of corn.

When I am trying to keep a property cheap and effective, I think about what I wrote on an inexpensive way to feed deer, because cheaper usually also means less waste. Waste is what hogs live on.

Know What Sign Matters, Or You Will Blame Deer For What Hogs Did.

Hogs leave the place looking like a rototiller hit it. Deer leave tracks, droppings, and nipped browse, not craters.

Here is what I do. I walk in at noon, look for fresh rooting, and smell the ground around the feeder, because hogs stink up a spot like a wet dog in a truck cab.

If I see a deer track and a hog track together, I do not assume the deer left. I assume the deer shifted to a different entry trail and will come back when pressure drops.

This ties into what I wrote about deer habitat, because deer can step 80 yards into thicker cover and still use the same food source. Hogs tend to hammer the exact spot until it is dirt.

Decide How You Will Hunt The Feeder, Because Your Setup Can Make Hogs Worse.

If you walk to the feeder every evening, check corn, and leave scent, you are pressuring deer and educating hogs. Hogs do not care as much, but they learn your pattern.

Here is what I do. I check feeders mid-day, I wear rubber boots, and I do not linger.

I process my own deer in the garage, taught by my uncle who was a butcher, so I think about outcomes. A feeder is not a trophy maker if you never kill anything and hogs eat your groceries.

If you need a refresher on shot placement because a feeder can make shots close and fast, this connects to where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks. Close range does not excuse bad angles.

Back In The Upper Midwest I Learned Pressure Makes Animals Go Nocturnal, And Hogs Are Worse.

Back in 2013 in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, I watched public land pressure push bucks into nasty cover and move them at weird times. Hogs do the same thing, but they also bring friends.

If you start blasting at hogs at midnight and miss, expect them to shift and hit your neighbor’s feeder for a week. The tradeoff is quick action versus long-term control.

Here is what I do. If I am going to shoot hogs, I do it with a plan, and I try to take multiples or follow it up with trapping.

FAQ

What is the best fence setup to keep hogs out of a deer feeder in Texas?

A hog panel corral around the feeder works best, because it does not rely on batteries or perfect grounding. I use heavy panels, T-posts every 6 feet, and keep the feeder centered so corn stays inside.

Should I stop feeding completely if hogs find my feeder?

If hogs are cleaning it out nightly, yes, I shut it off for 3 to 7 nights while I trap or hunt them. If you keep feeding, you are paying to keep hogs living on your place.

What time should I set my feeder timer to avoid hogs?

I set it for late morning to early afternoon, like 11:30 AM, because hogs prefer dark and deer will still hit it in daylight. I keep throws short, like 2 to 4 seconds, so there is not much left on the ground.

Do deer avoid feeders after hogs show up?

Deer do not usually abandon the whole area, but they often shift to a different trail or show up earlier or later. If you want to keep track of who is who, it helps to remember basics like what a male deer is called and what a female deer is called, because bucks react to pressure different than does.

Can I just feed more so deer still get some corn?

No, because hogs will just eat more and stay longer. If you want deer to benefit, reduce waste and remove hogs instead of trying to out-feed a sounder.

Will an electric fence really stop hogs from getting to my feeder?

Yes, if it stays hot every day and the bottom wire is low enough to hit a hog’s nose. Most people fail because they do not clear grass, do not test voltage, and let batteries die.

My Wrap-Up From Too Many Nights Listening To Hogs Chew Corn.

I am not a professional guide or outfitter. I am just a guy who has hunted whitetails for 23 years, started with my dad in southern Missouri at 12, and I hate watching money get eaten by pigs.

East Texas feeder country taught me fast that hogs do not “visit.” They move in and take over.

Here is what I do when I want deer on camera and hogs gone. I pick one feeder, build one real barrier, and I get serious about removal until the sounder stops showing.

If you try to “kinda” fence it, “kinda” trap, and “kinda” hunt, you will “kinda” feed hogs all season.

I learned the hard way that hoping is not a plan. I have lost deer I should have found and found deer I thought were gone, and that same lesson applies here.

You either control the situation, or the situation controls you.

Make the call on your goal. If the goal is to shoot a buck, protect the feed with panels and keep it daylight-only.

If the goal is to get rid of hogs, shut the feeder down and put your effort into trapping and smart shooting until the cameras go quiet.

Back in November 2019 on my Pike County, Illinois lease, I killed my biggest buck, a 156-inch typical, the morning after a cold front. That buck showed because the area was calm and predictable.

Hogs make a place loud and chaotic, and that is the opposite of what big deer like in daylight.

If you want the deer side of this to work better, pay attention to why deer show when they do. When I am trying to time deer movement around a food source, I check feeding times because deer still follow patterns even when pigs are being pigs.

And if your feeder area turns into a churned-up mud pit, remember this connects to deer habitat because deer will slide 60 yards into thicker cover and stage, not stand in the mess.

I will leave you with the simplest truth I know about keeping hogs out of deer feeders in Texas. If you are not willing to build a real panel corral or commit to trapping, the hogs are going to win.

And they will win with your corn.