Deer feeder history

[bklem]

Yep

Sweeny feeders from late 60s

Correct. Mr. Sweeney was a watch repairman and some of his neighbors asked if he could build a timer to dispense corn and sure enough he did. I’m not 100% sure but believe one of the first feeders was built for the Beverage family, who at the time owned what is now Joshua Creek ranch. If you do a little Googling you will find out that one of the Beverage boys kinda made it big making Vodka! Shiner Bock (on here) and his family might have been some of the first as well as they were/are good friends with the Sweeney’s and Beveridge’s. At least that is the story I remember. I sold feeders for Sweeney’s back around 2004-2008. Zach Sweeney was my HS quarterback. I currently live less than a mile from the plant/office.

[SwampBuck]

My uncle told me a story about making one with a blower motor. Said if it went off and hit you it would leave marks or even draw blood.

[Smart]

My Dads first deer feeder in the 70s was sending my young arse at age 8-9, down the sendero with a 5 gallon bucket, homeshelled corn and a crappy silver D-cell flashlight looking for the red ant bed at 100 yards to spread corn in....in the dark. That was the longest walk ever back then. A few years later, I can remember us getting this weird contraption with a 55 gallon barrel that spun corn. In Edroy, Texas it attracted does and it was not consistent at all.... We never shot a buck around it that I recall. Shortly after that in 1983 we move to the hill country and brought that feeder with us. It was nothing to have 50-60 deer in our back yard around Canyon Lake and 20-30 later in Bulverde.... For some reason I remember the name on the motor being KenCo on something similar...It was a analog timer with a peg and metal wire switch the peg would hit. I'm not sure if that was the original timer on the unit or not but it was the one we had on our Marble Falls lease with the original barrel and legs..

[coy-ote]

Otto dukes on San Pedro just north of down town


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[S-3 Ranch]

Correct. Mr. Sweeney was a watch repairman and some of his neighbors asked if he could build a timer to dispense corn and sure enough he did. I’m not 100% sure but believe one of the first feeders was built for the Beverage family who at the time owned what is now Joshua Creek shooting reserve. If you do a little Googling you will find out that one of the Beverage boys kinda made it big making Vodka! Shiner Bock‘s (on here) And his family might have been some of the first as well as they were/are good Friends with them the Sweeney’s and Beveridge’s. At least that is the story I remember. I sold feeders for Sweeney’s back around 2004-2008. Zach Sweeney was my HS quarterback. I currently live less than a mile from the plant/office.

I believe you’re 100% on that
My family has been in Kenndall county ( boerne & Waring) since the 1800’s ,

[Dale Moser]

I remember our first one's. They had some sort of glass bulb that stuck out of the bottom of the barrel. The spinner was activated when it was getting light or losing light. I think they referred to it as a percolator.

Photocell

[Radar]

Used to fill soda bottles with corn and lay them out. Deer would learn to roll or kick the bottle to get the corn out. Coons would drag them away.

[BrandonA]

First deer feeders I remember was a 5 gallon metal bucket w a hole in the bottom w a wooden stick that the deer would nudge w their nose to get the corn to fall out.

Thats what I remember

[lilavidhunter]

I’ve got those 5 gal metal paint cans with a winged blade out the bottom in attic from who knows when

Used those in East Texas in the early 80’s.

[Deer Tracks]

I’ve got those 5 gal metal paint cans with a winged blade out the bottom in attic from who knows when

I think ours was a metal trash can. The wind powered trickle corn feeder

[Smart]

First deer feeders I remember was a 5 gallon metal bucket w a hole in the bottom w a wooden stick that the deer would nudge w their nose to get the corn to fall out.

I can remember making these at our Marble Fallas place and putting nails through one end to help move the corn through the hole. They would dump a bucket quick in the hill country.

[bklem]

I think ours was a metal trash can. The wind powered trickle corn feeder

Before timers this is what my Daddy used but he would buy ear corn and we would shuck it in the can. He used one of the shucked ears as the “stopper” and always hung a turkey feather off of it for the wind to blow.

[Dale Moser]

I'm not as old as some of you antiques, but we didn't have a timed feeder until 1984 or '85, they were Monarchs out of Arlington. We still have one of the barrels, a 55 gallon drum with a 5 gallon steel bucket welded to the bottom, and 4 legs. It's a stout setup.

[Big pig]

I remember the Sweeney clock timers that you put pins in holes on the dial to set feed times. They also ticked so if you wanted to know if your battery was good, you just listened real close.

Exactly. My dad’s came from corpus I think.

[flywise]

ours had a cedar branch and the feeder motor