Homemade Five Gallon Bucket Deer Feeders

Deer feeders can serve as a method of supplemental feeding or a way to attract deer while hunting. These feeders come in a variety of designs, distributing feed manually or automatically at timed intervals. You can build an economical deer feeder at home out of a common five gallon bucket and a little ingenuity.

  1. Equipment

    • To build a homemade five gallon bucket deer feeder, you will need a clean five gallon bucket and a lid, depending on the style of feeder you want. It is essential that the bucket is either new or a used food grade bucket as you do not want harmful chemicals in contact with the feed. Buckets with an attached handle make ideal hanging feeders.

    Feed

    • There are a variety of feed choices for your homemade five gallon deer feeder that are available from local feed stores, big box retailers or hunting stores. Whole or cracked corn makes an ideal deer feed that has nutritional value and is relatively inexpensive. Local feed stores sell several grains that will work well in a feeder, including dried oats, barley and millet. Commercial animal feed blends cost more than basic grains, but offer optimum nutritional value by including mineral supplements within the mixed grains and corn.

    Ground Feeder

    • For a ground feeder, you have two choices when using a five gallon bucket. First, you can simply fill the bucket with feed and set it in place with the deer eating out of the top. Or, if you'd like a bottom regulating feeder, you will cut or drill holes in the side at the bottom to allow food to fall out of. Make sure the holes are large enough that the feed does not clog up. Place a lid on the bucket to keep animals from eating all the corn from the top of the bucket.

    Hanging Feeder

    • A hanging feeder is an ideal choice to ensure that other animals do not feast off of the deer feed. The Whitetail Deer Management and Hunting website recommends obtaining a wooden dowel or broom handle at least 2 feet in length. Drill a hole through the bottom of the bucket slightly larger than the wooden rod. Insert the rod into the hole 6 to 12 inches in and place a nail or screw through the rod so it cannot fall out the bottom. Fill the bucket with feed and seal it with a tight lid. Hang the feeder from a tree limb or homemade stand by the bucket handle so that the bottom of the wooden rod is 3 or 4 feet off the ground. The feed falls from the hole when a deer nudges the wooden rod.