Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.      What difference does it make if I use a barrel for my feeder hopper instead of the square hopper on your Trophy Feeders, it just looks like more money to me.

A1.      You are correct that companies use barrels because they don’t cost much.  The advantage of the square feeder design is that all the components except the actual scatter plate are inside the hopper and protected from the elements, varmints and damage.  Hanging the timer, motor and battery under the feeder is cheaper but also causes more problems than when it is fully protected.  With some barrel feeders getting past the varmint guard to access the controls can be inconvenient.  The flat sides allow sight glasses and solar panels to be mounted more securely and more easily.  Security is also better, since lids and doors on a square feeder have hasp type latches and are easily pad locked.  Also, our Trophy feeders are galvanized and powder coated and will outlast most barrels.  Lastly, they just have a more professional, “quality” appearance if pride of ownership happens to be a factor with you.  Incidentally, we do sell barrel feeders for the people that want them.  We also sell feeder kits for barrels if you want to make your own.

Q2.      I had a feeder knocked over and badly damaged recently, how can I prevent that?

A2.      The easiest way is to buy legs that have provisions for stakes to secure them. All our leg sets come with feet and a hole that a 24” steel stake (included) goes through to hold them down. With the cheaper plain legs that come on some other feeders you can drive a T post in at each leg at an angle so the point is under the feeder and the post sticks out past the leg. Tied to the leg with wire or a hose clamp it is very secure. Obviously, you can also fence a feeder but that is a lot of trouble, expensive, and seldom needed unless you are trying to keep hogs or livestock from reaching your feed.

Q3.      Your feeders come standard in green and another old time feeder company offers it as an extra cost option to their galvanized feeder, how come?

A3.      I don’t know about them, but we think the Trophy feeder is the best on the market and we wanted it to have a good looking, long lasting finish and we just decided to make what’s optional elsewhere standard.  It is part of being the best.

Q4.      Why can’t the new digital timers be simple to operate like the old clock timers we used to get?  Programming these things drives me crazy.  If I lose the instructions I’ve had it.

A4.            Apparently you haven’t used a Texas Hunter timer.  You don’t even need instructions with it.  It is so simple and intuitive you can’t go wrong.  It has only three buttons.  Use “Menu” to look at the options, “Select” to move to the setting you want, and “Set” to lock it in.  That’s it.  You can feed up to 9 times a day and from 1 to 60 seconds each time. Oh, there is also a built in battery tester the old clock types didn’t have and you can’t lose the pins like some of the clock timers.

Q5.      I have been searching your site for several years, and just noticed you finally have a directional fish feeder available. I love your game feeders and have wanted a directional feeder of the same quality for a long time. What took you so long to get on the directional feeder bandwagon?

A5.      Our directional fish feeder has been available since early 2005, and we had it in the field being tested well before that. Like all our products, we don't release them until field tests show them to be better than anything else available. That was especially important in this case because there have been some dependability problems with directional feeders. I've personally owned and used a 300# and a 100# directional feeder, one each from the two other major feeder companies, plus I have sold hundreds of directionals, and I know the pros and cons. I junked both my competitive directionals due to operational problems, and replaced them in early 2005 with two Texas Hunter directionals which have been trouble free.

Q6.      I am getting to old to climb a ladder with 50# bags of feed.  What do you recommend?

A6.      Me to!  I stopped using ladders years ago when I decided falling off one wasn’t something I wanted to chance anymore.  They are dangerous, especially with a 50# load.  Next, I lowered my feeders enough that I could stand in the back of my pickup and throw the bags over head.  When I got to where that was too much, and my kids all avoided me and the job, I started using feeders with a hanging bracket and a winch.  Talk about easy, it is the only (or at least the best) way to go.  With the braking type winches we use you crank the load both up and down, there is no “free-wheel” mode like on a boat trailer winch so it is very safe.  You can buy the stands as complete set ups with the feeder or separately to retrofit those you have. Just make sure they are properly rated for the load you will be working with.  And by the way, use a tri-pod, not a quad-pod.  Most quad pods have cross braces and they usually end up about chin high or so, which means you have to duck under them with a 50# bag, and somewhere along the line you will bust your head on the brace.  Trust me, I’ve been there many times.

Q7.      I made a barrel feeder and I am having trouble with the food clumping up and making a big mess and plugging the opening.  What’s wrong?

A7.            Assuming you don’t have a water leak my first guess would be that you don’t have a full size funnel in the bottom of the barrel.  If that’s the case the food is building up on the ledge between the side of the barrel and the center hole.  It just sits there no matter how many times you refill the barrel and gradually gets old and mildewed and rotten and in addition to stinking and making a nasty mess it plugs the opening.  Full size 21 inch barrel funnels are cheap and we sell them, clean the barrel really good, let it dry, and put a funnel in.  You may also have a lid leak, the lids that come with barrels tend to rust easily, especially the locking ring.  If it is a problem just buy a replacement lid that fits loosely over the top and hangs down about 3”. It will shed water instead of holding it like the barrel lid does. We sell them pretty cheap.  The lid may also help if you already have a full size funnel because it will allow more ventilation of the barrel than the tight fitting lid and locking ring that came with it.