Not long ago, they were “Moultrie Feeders,” like its web site name. Not only is Moultrie “helping grow the hunt,” today, but in doing so—and for about 30 years—the company itself has grown. From a straight-forward product line that dispensed feed, it now includes feeders for game and fish, proven game cameras, wildlife nutritional supplements and aftermarket agricultural sprayers that mount on an ATV.
“Our emphasis now,” says Product Manager John Traywick, “is to grow the hunt year-round.”
America’s 3-million-plus bowhunters are the most avid participants in the outdoors. They know that harvesting a deer is more than climbing into a treestand once a week. Serious deer hunting begins with promoting the health of the herd. Food plots and deer feeders are an important management tool and provide a good source of nutrition when native forage is sparse. Although not always possible on public lands, mechanical feeders and food plots also help hunters pattern the deer in the herd.
Traywick says more Moultrie feeders are sold in stores than any other brand. If so, it’s due to strong, reliable products like its tripod and hanging feeders. Tripod feeders are ideal for open areas. The Easy-Fill Tripod ($135) for example minimizes the necessity for hauling a ladder into the field.
At approximately 6 feet tall, the Easy-Fill casts feed so that it surrounds the spot in a circular pattern. It holds up to 30 gallons or 200 pounds—about 4 months of feed—and features a programmable timer that allows up to 6 different feed times a day, as well as a variable feed setting (1-20 second run time).
The Easy-Fill has excellent features bowhunters will appreciate. The plastic, tapered hopper has a lockable flip lid. This feeder has a built-in funnel and a metal, varmint-proof cage to protect the motor. The side-mounted control box is easy to access and encases the timer and 6-volt, 5-Amp battery (not included) and connections away from corn dust in a locking weatherproof box. The Easy-Fill has metal feeder feet, Push n’ Lock pole system legs and only requires one person for set-up.
Suspended by a rope or chain, a hanging feeder such as the 6.5-gallon Econo Plus ($55), lets a hunter take advantage of wooded areas or irregular terrain to distribute shelled corn, soybeans, and pelletized feed. The Econo Plus uses a photocell timer that runs at dawn and dusk. No programming is needed, but you can program it to run up to 30 minutes before dusk. You can also customize feed run times from 4-16 seconds and regulate the amount of feed. The 6.5-gallon capacity holds 40 pounds of feed.
It was only a matter of time before Moultrie began packaging feed to use in a year-round management system with its own feeders. All parts of Traywick’s year-round game feeding ideas were coming together to give the name “Moultrie” a much wider consumer footprint than just a company tossing corn to deer and hogs. Moultrie’s Game Nutrition System includes deer food supplements and attractant minerals that are designed to lure deer to your hunting location and give them the beneficial ingredients— minerals and protein—to grow strong bodies and big racks. Healthy deer year after year.
A mineral product such as acorn-scented Fall and Winter Mineral Deer Attractant (6 pounds, $10) gives the boost deer need for antler growth during the season and in the coming year. Along with calcium, phosphorous and vitamins, Moultrie's Trophy Maker deer feed contains chelated (easily digestible) minerals. Moultrie deer feed products contain at least 15 percent protein, too.
According to Moultrie, a feed supplement such as Molasses Blend (6 pounds, $15) is a “perennial deer favorite.” With molasses flavoring and 18-percent protein, this blend contains protein pellets, soybeans and corn with the nutritional content deer need to reach their full growth and antler potential.
It is in the game camera department that Moultrie has made its greatest advances lately. Game cameras allow hunters to pattern visitors to an area, whether it is deer, coyotes or other hunters. Moultrie’s line-up has a wide variety of sizes, features and prices—something to fit any bowhunter’s budget.
The Game Spy M-100 mini-cam ($205) was new for 2011. It has a ton of features, beginning with a plastic camo case, a 6.0 megapixel image, 3-setting digital zoom and 3 operational modes (infrared triggering, time-lapse and a time-lapse/infrared combo). The M-100 has a 2-inch viewing screen and takes both still images and video (with sound). Most features—picture delay, for example—are individually programmable. The readout gives barometric pressure, temperature, moon phase, time and date, and a camera ID stamp. There’s an external power port and battery life is estimated at one year. The M-100 has an SD memory card slot (up to 32GB, not included) and operates on AA batteries (4 or 8, depending on model). Includes USB cable, mounting strap and software with password security.
New Moultrie game cameras like the top-of-the-line I65S ($360) has an optional superior feature that computer-savvy bowhunters will like, a Game Spy Management System. A wireless modem allows connection anytime using a computer or internet-capable cell phone or PDA. View, download and delete photos, change settings, check battery status through a private-access web site at home or in the office. John Traywick says Moultrie offers numerous plans to access the web site, from $30 to $100 per month. Moultrie Products, now part of the EBSCO Industries family of outdoor products, is located at 150 Industrial Road, Alabaster, Alabama 35007. The company telephone is (800) 653-3334 and its web site is www.moultriefeeders.com. Moultrie has a presence on Facebook www.facebook.com/MoultrieProducts.
