Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding feeders in the pond

I have a pond a few miles from my house that I can't always watch. I would like to feed fish there, but since I don't live there and I have some problems with people fishing that aren't supposed to, I would have to put the feeder in the pond where nobody can damage it. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on this topic?

Thanks for your help

turkeyfootnc,

The answer depends somewhat on what type of feeders we are talking about. The easiest to mount most portable directional feeder is the Native Feeder and it can be hung from a steel tee post which you can get in various lengths. It is difficult, but not impossible to drive the post in water, you just need a stable platform.

Other larger feeders may require a larger platform from which to mount them and that can be problematic in an existing pond.

meadow said "most portable directional feeder is the Native Feeder". "nuff said it would be easy to steal this feeder. ALso due to capapcity would not hold much so requiring many more trips to fill. Because a Stren 75 or even better a 200D is so large someone would have to make major effort to steal it. It can also be anchored in the ground through many methods. No need for platform just mount near pond.

As far as destroying you can put a lock on both the lid to fill and a lock on the timer box on 200D. THis of course is all efforts to keep the "honest" thief at bay. If they want it badly enough you might just lose a good bit of money on anice feeder.

Greg,
We have two Stren ADF 75’s on our main pond close to the house, and a portable Native Feeder on a remote pond, mounted on a “T” post.

Several Native Feeders could be vandalized or stolen before risking a high cost/performance Stren.

George Glazener
N.E. Texas 2 acre and ¼ acre ponds

Turkeyfootnc. You can drive a post in your pond using a post driver from a boat assuming your pond bottom is not rock. If your boat is unstable use a 12 foot A-frame ladder in 5 feet of water and drive post in from the ladder. You may want to check out a Stren 25-d hanging feeder. The one I use is suspended from a small wire attached to 2 trees over the water. It holds 25 lbs. of feed , has a timer like the 75-d . Good luck. ewest

ewest,

Yes, I drove a 10 footer this weekend into clay bottom in about 5 feet of water using the ladder approach. Use caution and wear a life jacket for this operation.

I'm mounting my new super duper digital stealth camera to catch poachers..or really to discourage poachers...using this approach, but a Native feeder would be easy to mount also. If someone really wants to steal it, they can, but they are going to have to go to some effort and cross a 10 foot deep hole which may be an unpleasant surprise....both going and coming.

Meadowlark , glad the ladder trick worked for you. I hope you catch the poachers . They should have to dig out a silted pond by hand in the middle of summer as compensation. Thanks for your report.ewest

Meadowlark,

I don't want to throw a wet blanket on your camera plans, but if I remember correctly you are about 2 hours away from your property.

Have you given any thought to the tresspasser you are trying to catch? You know, the one with the .12 Ga or his deer rifle behind the seat of his truck. Depending on his abilities, he don't have to cross a 10 foot hole, he just has to have good aim to destroy your "Super Duper Digital Stealth Camera".

Hope it never happens, but ya gotta think like a crook to catch one.

Dan

Dan,

Yes that is a real possibility. However, it isn't likely that a poacher will carry a gun along with the fishing equipment because of the walk involved.

It is also possible the poacher will stumble into one of many steel traps that have been recently set at strategic locations....for raccoons of course.

I also mounted a fake stealth camera nearby which could be easily destroyed by a poacher while at the same time walking into steel traps set for raccoons and getting his picture taken by the real stealth camera which is located in a bird house out over the water.

Signs are now well posted warning of the traps and cameras. Bottom line is if they want in they can do it, but it will now be somewhat more difficult and risky for the would be poacher.

ML,

Hidden in a birdhouse... I LIKE THAT!

That's thinking and planning ahead.

Good luck.

Dan

ML, that is the most brilliantly insidious plan I've ever heard of. BTW, several companies sell fake hollow logs and other stuff to camouflage game cams. They are mostly used in public hunting areas to prevent theft.

Regarding traps, it ain't fun to go to your water hole and find a dying dog in a trap. It's even less fun when the neighbors little girl explains her grief. I would go to neighbors and make sure they know you are trapping. I would also tell the Game Warden and Sheriffs Dept. about my Management Plan regarding problem coyotes. Probably won't do much good as a lot of country people let their dogs roam. Actually, I'm trying to catch some of the many coyotes that are infesting the area around my house, pond, etc. Much to my regret, occasionally a neighbors dog does stray. The point is that you can get into pretty serious trouble catching the wrong foot in a trap and bird dogs can't read.

Dave,

I do share that concern. I intend to remove the traps as quickly as possible....and its likely that my fear of getting an innocent dog will make that sooner rather than later. However, with the signs clearly posted, and the ponds behind locked gates and fences, any human who gets caught is deserving of what they get. I just hope no unintended targets are caught.

I had to do something, guys. These ponds have been a long time dream, and as you know they take significant time and money. The choice was to fight back or give up...I choose to fight.

Larry, I understand. For the last several years dog tracks have outnumbered deer tracks on my land. We went from seeing 3 herds of does per day to seldom seeing a deer. Last year I saw less than 10 deer on my 200 acres. I threw up the first 4 or 5 times I implemented my management plan.