How James Built MAG Feeders From a Homemade Prototype

From a Cornfield Prototype to Bear-Tough Feeders: How James Built MAG Feeders One Problem at a Time

When James first started building deer feeders, he was not trying to launch an outdoor products company.

He was simply trying to solve a problem.

After building dozens of feeders over the years, James still could not find one that worked the way he wanted. Raccoons found their way into them. Feed got wet. Moving parts caused trouble. Electronics failed. Something always seemed to come up.

So James did what builders, inventors and stubborn outdoorsmen have done for generations: He decided to make his own.

That decision eventually led to MAG Feeders and MAG Outdoors, a growing North Carolina-based outdoor brand known for durable gravity feeders designed to keep wildlife eating and unwanted visitors working overtime.

But the journey from homemade prototype to a product used by hunters, landowners and outfitters across the country was anything but straightforward.

An Outdoor Invention Built From Cardboard, Chicken Wire and Persistence

The first MAG Feeder prototype was not exactly ready for a showroom floor.

James built it using materials that included chicken wire, metal conduit, cardboard and baling twine. The dimensions were imperfect. The shape was not symmetrical. In James’ own words, it was ugly.

But it worked.

The design was created to solve one particularly expensive problem for hunters and property owners: raccoons stealing feed.

MAG Feeders use a specialized gravity-fed design that makes it difficult for raccoons to climb into the feeding area and reach the feed. The construction also eliminates the need for batteries, timers and complicated electronic components.

That simplicity became one of the product’s greatest strengths.

The first prototype took roughly three and a half months to build. James worked through design challenges, learned unfamiliar manufacturing processes and leaned on friends with skills in computer-aided design, fabrication and machining.

He may not describe himself as an engineer, but he had something equally important: a hard time quitting.

That determination eventually transformed a rough homemade feeder into a patent-pending product line.

The Wrong Phone Number That Changed Everything

Finding a manufacturer proved to be one of the biggest early challenges.

James initially believed thermoforming would be the best way to manufacture the feeder. He contacted companies, explained the design and repeatedly heard that certain parts would be difficult or impossible to produce.

Then he dialed a wrong number.

The person who answered worked in rotational molding.

After James sent videos of the prototype, the manufacturer called him while he was filling the feeder on a mountain. Despite the poor cell service, the call came through.

The question on the other end was simple: How fast could James get the feeder to Elkin, North Carolina?

James and a friend emptied the feeder, loaded it up and hit the road.

The manufacturer introduced him to two fabricators James now affectionately calls “the boys from Elkin.” The two hunters hand-fabricated the first mold and helped produce the first six MAG Feeders using a makeshift rotational molding setup in the middle of a cornfield.

It was not a typical manufacturing launch, but it was a fitting beginning for a company built on resourcefulness.

From Six Feeders in a Field to Hundreds Across the Country

MAG Feeders began producing plastic feeders in June 2023.

During the company’s early years, production remained small and hands-on. James and his family operated the business from their home, assembling feeders in outbuildings and hauling materials several hours at a time.

Every feeder required coordination between multiple suppliers.

The plastic components were rotationally molded in Siler City. Metal components were sourced locally and fabricated in another part of North Carolina. James then brought everything together, checked the fit, made adjustments and assembled the finished product.

By the time of the interview, MAG Feeders had produced approximately 950 units.

Then social media changed the pace of the business.

A content creator named Cody Smith discovered the feeder and asked whether he could feature it in his hunting content. James gave him a feeder, followed by a bright orange model originally created as an attention-grabber for a trade show.

Videos featuring the feeders eventually gained traction online. One series went viral, helping MAG Feeders sell roughly 600 units in about three months.

James and his team suddenly found themselves producing 30 to 40 feeders per week, hauling trailers to collect components and working as quickly as their small operation would allow.

For a business that started with cardboard and chicken wire, it was a major turning point.

Built for Raccoons, Tested by Bears

MAG Feeders were originally developed to stop raccoons.

Bears were not part of the plan.

But customers began sending videos of bears climbing on the feeders, shaking them, twisting them and trying to get additional feed. To nearly everyone’s surprise, the feeders held up.

The unexpected durability helped MAG Feeders develop a reputation for being “bear tough,” even though bear resistance was never the original design goal.

The company has since collected a growing library of trail camera footage showing black bears, raccoons, deer and other wildlife interacting with the feeders.

MAG Feeders have also been sent to outdoor personalities, ranches, outfitters and high-fence properties in several states. Some are being tested in areas where bears regularly destroy traditional feeders.

That real-world footage has become one of the company’s most effective marketing tools. Rather than simply claiming the feeders are durable, MAG Outdoors can show animals testing them night after night.

A Family Business With Family Names

The MAG Feeders product line is deeply connected to James’ family.

The AL 150 and AL 180 feeders are named after his wife, Alison.

The Gator 300 is named after his son, whose nickname is Gator.

A larger feeder currently in development will be named Brute J, after James’ daughter, who earned the nickname “Brute” at an early age because, according to her father, she had a habit of tearing things up.

The family connections go beyond the product names.

James credits his wife with helping him remain patient and strategic. While he is quick to chase an idea, she tends to slow the process down and think through the financial and logistical details.

That balance has helped the family grow MAG Feeders without risking more than they could reasonably afford.

They sacrificed vacations, borrowed money for molds and waited until their children were grown before investing heavily in the company.

The business has required faith, patience and a willingness to spend weekends assembling feeders instead of sitting in a deer stand.

The Teacher Behind MAG Outdoors

James is not a full-time product inventor.

He has spent more than two decades working in education.

His path into teaching was as unexpected as his path into manufacturing.

After playing football in college, working in plastics and coaching high school football, James lost his manufacturing job during a major round of layoffs. Just days earlier, a school principal had told him he liked the way James worked with students.

Within a week, James went from supervising overnight production shifts to driving a school bus, coaching football and working in in-school suspension.

He later returned to college, earned the credentials needed to teach and eventually began instructing students in core construction skills, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, masonry and welding.

His teaching philosophy is practical: Sometimes it is easier for young people to discover what they do not want to do before they figure out what they do want to do.

That experience working with students has shaped the long-term vision for MAG Outdoors.

A Bigger Mission Than Selling Deer Feeders

James hopes MAG Feeders will eventually fund something much larger than an outdoor products company.

His long-term goal is to build a facility where young people can develop trade skills, improve their physical health, receive mentorship and discover opportunities in the outdoors.

The concept would combine elements of a trade school, apprenticeship program, outdoor retreat and structured boot camp.

Students could train with electricians, plumbers, equipment operators and other skilled professionals. They could also participate in hunting, fishing and outdoor experiences as rewards for progress.

For James, the outdoors has always been about more than recreation. It provided space to think, learn, work through challenges and discover direction.

He wants to offer that same opportunity to young people who may be dealing with addiction, abuse, difficult family situations or a lack of confidence.

In that sense, the real purpose of MAG Feeders may have little to do with feeders at all.

The products are a vehicle for building relationships, creating opportunities and helping the next generation.

“Keep A Digging”

James’ personal motto is “Keep A Digging.”

The phrase began during his years as a football coach, but it has come to describe nearly every chapter of his life.

It means continuing when the plan changes.

It means building a prototype when professional fabrication is too expensive.

It means driving hours to pick up plastic, assembling products in a backyard building and trusting that the next step will become clear.

It also means accepting that progress rarely looks the way it did on paper.

A football game plan might change before kickoff, during the second quarter or in the locker room at halftime. Business is no different.

The first MAG Feeder led to a better tray design. Manufacturing challenges led to new molds. Raccoon resistance led to unexpected bear footage. Social media videos led to hundreds of orders.

Every problem forced James to dig a little deeper.

What Comes Next for MAG Feeders and MAG Outdoors?

MAG Feeders currently offers several gravity-fed wildlife feeder models, including the AL series and the Gator 300.

The company is also developing a larger feeder designed to hold approximately 400 to 450 pounds of feed. The new model is aimed at high-fence properties, outfitters and remote hunting locations where a larger feed capacity can reduce the number of refill trips.

James is also evaluating the company’s next manufacturing move.

MAG Feeders could continue gradually expanding its current production system, build its own manufacturing operation or partner with a larger company capable of producing feeders at a much higher volume.

For now, the company remains focused on quality, relationships and steady growth.

James still speaks directly with customers. He maintains close relationships with dealers and distributors around the country. And many of those business connections have started to feel more like friendships.

That personal approach may become harder to maintain as MAG Outdoors grows, but it remains central to the company’s story.

MAG Feeders did not begin in a corporate boardroom or a large manufacturing facility.

It began with a teacher, a homemade prototype, an unsolved problem and a refusal to quit.

The first feeder may have been ugly.

It may have been built with cardboard, twine and materials from around the shop.

But it worked.

And James kept digging.

About MAG Feeders

MAG Feeders is an American outdoor products company specializing in durable, gravity-fed wildlife feeders. The company’s patent-pending designs are built to reduce feed waste, discourage raccoons, and eliminate the need for batteries or electronic timers.

MAG Feeders are used by hunters, landowners, wildlife managers, ranches, and outfitters across the United States. Product models include the AL series and the Gator 300, with additional MAG Outdoors products currently in development.