Went out Friday afternoon and filled corn feeder after backing my truck up to the gate in the feed pen and putting a couple of bags over the fence. I was on an aluminum ladder filling the feeder. The top of the feeder is metal and I was being anything but quiet when I look up and there was an 8 point buck standing right outside the feed pen. Bottom line is the feed pen is way too small, so he was close, real close. I inherited feed pen from another hunter and have not had time to expand it. The buck picked up corn inside the feed pen by sticking his nose through the bull wire panels. I got off the ladder, stepped over the fence to get a pair of pliers and the buck just watched me. I thought he might be blind or deaf, but when I moved, he backed up a couple of steps and I talked to him and he heard me. I filled up the feeder and tested it and he never left until the feeder went off and he walked off into the brush. I went and got into my blind and later he came back into the feeder pen, ate a bit, and then walked by my slightly elevated blind and stopped and looked up at me like he knew I was there, which I guess he did. Wonder what was up with him? He looked healthy and there was no evidence of sickness of any kind. His hocks were only mildly stained and he did not appear to be heavy into rutting. I guess he could have been raised by someone that lives in the area, but it is isolated and probably 5 miles from the closest ranch house.

Knock him down; I am sure TPWD would love to get a brain sample and fabricate a CWD case for you.

10pt post!!!!!!!


Some deer just are tame Ben, Ive had mature does and bucks walk and start eating in pistol headshot range

Making sure the corn man got his feeder up and running.

Pretty sure I could have gotten him with a hammer, but I guess that would have messed up the CWD investigation, huh?

He thought you would never refill that thing, just doing some QC

That is cool!

One year we had a couple of bucks come into the yard at the ranch while 5 of us were out there talking and making noise. They were close...like 30 yards, We threw corn on the ground so we could watch them but that was ridiculous.

Sometimes they are begging for a bullet.

It only held a bag and a half. I have to keep my piggies happy. Maybe the buck came up knowing that the piggies would not come up while I was in the pen.

Many moons ago, when I shot my first buck, there was a doe that hung around after the shot. She had clocked us in the blind before my shot, and then started to march towards it after I'd dropped the buck, not scared in the least.

A couple years ago, every time I went to my bow stand, I would put out half a can of “ Pile Drivr”. A young doe got where she was waiting for every evening. And she pretty gentle. I would talk to her and whenever I walked by her, she wouldn’t even look up. I think the neighbor shot her this year, as she disappeared after opening week this year.

Sat night my son and I had a spike come into the feeder about 430pm and we had the hardest time getting him to leave after legal shooting light. About 5 or so I had an unexpected cough I couldn't control and the spike walked right towards our tree, and stood about 5 yards away. We tried to lightly rattle, grunt and nothing when trying to leave. He just stood there never bothering to look at us. Eventually we got down and he walked away.

Friday morning I shot an average 8 point about 30 yards from my feeder which sits across a skinny but long pond from my blind.

Walked the 500yds or so around the pond to the downed deer and as I approached I noticed two other bucks standing side by side another 50 yds away just watching me check on the shot deer.

I got the distinct impression they were annoyed I was between them and the feeder.

I left to the get the pickup and when I got back they weren't in sight anymore.

Never seen a deer, or two, catch me out in the open like that and not bolt away.

Must be a millennial deer attitude or something.

Sound like someone had fed him. Quite a few folks do it around here on their ranches and I keep telling them they are just setting up the deer for failure by doing it.

Curious critters they are… here’s an old pic that I like.

Several years ago I had a pair of nubbin bucks that would follow me around as I put out hand corn from a bucket. The next year two little 8 points would follow me around doing the same. Someone must have shot them or they wised up, never saw/noticed them again.

Animals flee that which makes them not feel safe.

Some spooky some not. Kinda like people. Seen it with several bucks on different places.

This summer was so hot and dry so the deer were really coming to the corn behind my house. All the deer near my house are as wild as can be. I would throw out corn and I would hit them with it. Deer were standing 10 yards from me. I finally persuaded a small 1 1/2 year old doe to start eating out of my hand. She had a scar on her left rear leg. After we finally got rain and the acorns started to fall, the deer stopped coming to the corn. I still see that doe but she no longer gets close to me and does run away sometimes when I approach. I think hunger has a lot to do with it.

They love flour tortillas. 'Seen more than one doe made into a eat-from-your-hand pet with them.

They also like Texas Toast from DQ.


And, apparently they will eat a chicken strip as well...

I`ve had 3 different small 8 points do similar thing the past 3 seasons. I throw out hand corn at my ladder stand and almost hit them with it. I even climb my ladder stand and pull my bow up while they are there. Bow hung up once and I had to climb down and fix it while the buck kept eating 15 yards from me. One followed me 300 yards this season to my ladder stand. I actually stopped and tossed some corn on the ground so he would stop. He still was at the ladder stand by the time I got there. Usually, by the time gun season rolls around the young 8 points move on and I never see them again.

this one use to be at the feeder every day if filling feeder he would walk up and wait for me to pitch him some corn.