Varmint-Proof Wildlife Feeder

Varmint-Proof Wildlife Feeder FARM HOME Miscellaneous 33-4-29 "It's varmint proof, weather proof, never needs cleaning, and only has to be filled once a month. Best of all, it costs very little to set up," says Bill Green about his high volume "wildlife feeder". Green lives in the woods of northern Wisconsin next to a lake, where there are lots of birds, including ducks and geese, and deer. Unfortunately, there are also lots of bear, raccoons, squirrels, and other animals that want to steal the feed he puts out. His varmint-proof feeder consists of a 33-gal. garbage can that holds 50 lbs. of sunflower seed, and a rectangular metal feeder that holds 100 lbs. of corn. The feeders both hang from the end of a hinged, 20-ft. long wooden beam about 15 ft. above the ground. A hand-cranked boat winch is used to raise or lower the beam. "Everything is up out of the reach of bears and deer," says Green. "Everyone who sees it loves it." Green says his system may be bigger than what most people need but that it could be scaled down. "For example, you might use a smaller 15-gal. garbage can." The garbage can bird feeder is fitted with a 3 1/2-in. dia. metal chimney cap. Green cut a hole in the bottom of the can to insert the chimney cap, leaving about 1 in. of pipe extending up inside the can. Then he wrapped sticky-backed foam material around the pipe and put a big radiator clamp around the pipe to hold it in place. The can's side handles attach to a pair of chains that hang from a wooden yoke, and the can's lid is held on by a spring off a screen door. "The chimney cap is tucked under the can, where big pest birds such as blackbirds and grackles can't reach it. Squirrels might be able to get on top of the can, but if they try to reach the feeder they just slide off." The metal corn feeder is a modified commercial model equipped with a battery-powered electric motor and timer. It drops corn onto the ground three times a day for ducks and geese to feed on. The corn feeder was originally mounted on four legs and was designed to throw corn 50 ft. out in any direction. Green removed the legs and made metal deflectors so the corn drops straight down onto the ground. The 20-ft. long support beam is made from a pair of 2 by 8's spaced 6 in. apart. It mounts on an 6-in. sq. post anchored in concrete. The boat winch is attached to the post, with the cable attached to the end of the beam. A truss bridge-type assembly was added to prevent the beam from flexing. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bill Green, 4918 E. Flowage Rd., Conover, Wis. 54519 (ph 715 547-6209; bgbest@aol.com).

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