Uvalco Blog

One of the most important tasks in preparing for deer season – which starts on Nov. 7 here in Texas – is making sure your deer feeder is in good shape. Here’s a good deer feeder maintenance checklist:

• Check batteries. Make sure the battery is fully charged.  Also check for oxidization on the terminals and clips.  Clean accordingly with nail files or fine sand paper.  Bicarbonate of soda also works well - simply mix a little bicarbonate soda with warm water and brush on the oxidized areas.  Rinse the residue off with fresh water.

• Check motor. Make sure the motor is running smoothly so corn is thrown in the proper amount and with the right velocity.

• Check for condensation. With the changes of temperature from hot to cool, feeders collect condensation.  Particles of chaff from the corn can collect on the inside walls and bottom of the feeder, which will restrict the corn flow and also reduce the amount of corn the feeder will hold.

• Check for pests. Yellow Jackets, wasps and hornets often make their home in feeders.  Uvalco sells powerful sprays to eliminate these.  Use caution when spraying so you don’t get any spray in the feed. If your feeder is attracting raccoons or other varmints, place a varmint cage over the timer motor.

• Check for water. Be sure your feeder is not taking on water.  Lids and sight glasses may need to be resealed.

• Check solar panel. Wipe down the solar panel and make sure there is no condensation under the cover.  This can obstruct the amount of light entering the panel, causing the batteries to fail to fully recharge.

If it’s time to replace that old deer feeder, then drop by and visit with us about our feeders. We’ve got deer feeders that are varmint and weather resistant, including this solar feeder:

Uvalco also carries a variety of bulk feeders with capacities from 350 to 3,000 lbs. as well as several different types of tailgate feeders.

Getting your deer feeder into shape will prepare you for a successful deer hunting season!

In case you haven’t heard, the general white-tailed deer season opens Nov. 7 this year.  It’s not on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website yet; they post 2009-2010 dates on Aug. 15 when hunting licenses become available.

Looks like we got that new feeder section up on the website just in time to help all you hunters get ready for the new season.  It’s chock full of all kinds of feeders including the Uvalco 400lb Quad feeder, tailgate feeders, ATV feeders, quail feeders and our large 2000 and 3000lb Grandote silo-style feeders.

Grandote Feeder

We’re your one-stop source for feeder parts as well, and keep a good stock of everything you’ll need to keep that feeder in good shape throughout the season.

Rechargeable Battery

Timer

There are 51 public Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Texas covering over 750,000 acres. A $48 Annual Public Hunting permit gives you access for hunting, camping, fishing and other uses.  Those under the age of 17 are allowed to hunt free when accompanied by an adult with a valid permit. Here’s a link to the list of the WMAs in Texas.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has also created the Hunt Texas Online Connection, a free Web service that allows anyone to view hunting opportunities posted by private landowners across the state. Hunters can search more than 450 hunting opportunities by lease type, county, game animal, cost per hunter and other parameters. The service is free to both hunters and landowners.

Happy hunting in 2009!