I have two questions that someone out there may know the answers to. I have a barrel feeder, with a cage around the spinner, and hog panels on the ground. One problem I have is racoons hanging from the cage, trying to get at the spinner. Does anyone know anything else I can do (besides capping those little rascals) to keep them off the cage? The other problem is there are a lot of weeds and plants popping up in and around the feeder. They block some of my camera shots, and I have trouble seeing what may be hanging around outside the pen. Is there anything that will kill the weeds without scaring off the wildlife that comes in? Thanks in advance.

We use Sharkteeth on the legs of all 3 of our feeders and they do a good job of keeping the coons off the varmit cage. Nearly every time we go to fill the feeders we find blood and fur on the Sharkteeth where they have tried to climb it and payed for their folley. One occasionally makes it to the varmit cage but it is rare.
As for problem 2 we weed eat inside and outside our hog panels maybe twice a year. We just didn't like the idea of using chemicals on it.

Same thing here.

Thanks for the tips. I probably will weed eat, although I hoped to use something that didn't make a lot of noise.

Round-up is the only quiet thing, but if you want to stay chemical free weed eating is the best. I think its ok to make a little noise once and a while i really don't think it will affect your hunt.

I agree with twinbubba on both accounts. Can also try installing some cone shaped sheet metal on the legs...with the large end of the sheet metal pointing down. I've used carpet tack strips too, but they don't work as long as sharks teeth because they rot out..

I grease the legs works good, looks funny for a while after the application, corn sticking to the legs.

I looked into the shark teeth, and discovered they are very simple. So, at the job site, I salvaged some old metal studs and cut my own. I know, they'll eventually rust, but they can be replaced. I hope to get some pics of the racoons trying to climb over these things. If they cut themselves as much as I did making them, it will be a treat.

You can also buy a feeder electrical zapper - connects to the batter and cage around the spinner. Anything that touches the cage gets zapped.

Yeah, the zappers work great. Initially your battey will drain very quickly. But, after two weeks you can disconnect the zapper and you won't need it for the rest of the season.

OLDNAVY, you are tight about the Sharkteeth being simple, in fact they are nothing more than long nailer plates like they use to hold wood roof trusses toghther. In fact we bought several 6" long nailer plates from Home Depot, curled them into bracelets and slid 2 of them over the conduit that covers the wires from the solar panel to the spinner box. If coons do get up the legs that high they won't hang on to that piece of condit (for long).