NoviceTreeGuy
New Member
If you were to plant a new orchard today and could only plant 10 trees for deer hunting attractants in this orchard, what varieties would they be and why?
Pick Your favorite Deer Tree orchard
- Thread starter NoviceTreeGuy
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Limiting it to 10 trees makes it difficult. By saying "orchard" I assume you aren't including oaks such as Sawtooth, Swamp Chestnut Oak and other oak species that I feel are likely more important than the ones below.
2 Deer Magnet Persimmon - Late dropping and requires no special care other than protecting from rubbing.
2 Full Draw Persimmon - Similar to Deer Magnet.
1 Turning Point Apple - Based on Blue Hill's evaluation - great DR and drops nearly the whole season in the North. Mine still too young for me to personally evaluate.
2 Yates Apple - Great DR and drops into early gun season some years here. Drops to late December in PA.
1 Dolgo Crab from WG - Only apple (crabapple) I have found to drop reliably into December here. Everything else drops either too early or too late. PS - That dropping issue is not a problem for people up north, but it is a problem in my area, and I suspect it is for folks south of me.
2 Seedling Chinese Chestnuts - Early to mid season attraction and no special care required other than protecting from rubbing.
Note: If I were to do 20 trees I would add lots of different ones.
2 Deer Magnet Persimmon - Late dropping and requires no special care other than protecting from rubbing.
2 Full Draw Persimmon - Similar to Deer Magnet.
1 Turning Point Apple - Based on Blue Hill's evaluation - great DR and drops nearly the whole season in the North. Mine still too young for me to personally evaluate.
2 Yates Apple - Great DR and drops into early gun season some years here. Drops to late December in PA.
1 Dolgo Crab from WG - Only apple (crabapple) I have found to drop reliably into December here. Everything else drops either too early or too late. PS - That dropping issue is not a problem for people up north, but it is a problem in my area, and I suspect it is for folks south of me.
2 Seedling Chinese Chestnuts - Early to mid season attraction and no special care required other than protecting from rubbing.
Note: If I were to do 20 trees I would add lots of different ones.
yoderjac
Well-Known Member
It would depend on many, many, factors. First, as soon as you start zone pushing you are asking for problems. If the only objective is to attract deer, I wouldn't plant trees. Most are expensive in time and resources for the food they produce. There are plenty of good reasons to plant trees, I've planted hundreds of different tree and grafted many native trees. Attraction was secondary for me and long-term deer food production was first. This requires a high volume of low maintenance trees. They will be producing for many years after I'm gone.
Attraction is very relative. Human activity and hunting pressure are much greater repellants than fruits and nuts are attractants. Next, you have to consider alternative food sources. Other foods that are available at a given time will often be more attractive. All plants have a peak time when they are the most attractive to deer.
Food plots have the flexibility of changing quickly (from year to year) vs trees which are a lifetime.
So, I would start with trees that have USDA zone ratings with your zone need the middle. This will give your trees the best chance of performance.
We've planted many different trees including persimmon, chestnut, pear, apple (low on my list because of the maintenance), and even Jujube. I will say I got lucky with the Tigertooth Jujube and they produced well for me. I don't see any of these trees standing out over the long haul. Each has years and times when deer won't leave them alone and when deer completely ignore them.
One of my favorites is persimmon, not to plant, but to graft. They are dioecious and native to my place. I cut them down and bark graft them with female scions. Because the root systems are so well established, they can produce the first fruit in the third leaf after grafting. By trading scions with others as well as buying some scions, I have varieties that drop from September until February. This was a very low cost endeavor and produced more deer food and faster than any of my other trees.
Attraction is very relative. Human activity and hunting pressure are much greater repellants than fruits and nuts are attractants. Next, you have to consider alternative food sources. Other foods that are available at a given time will often be more attractive. All plants have a peak time when they are the most attractive to deer.
Food plots have the flexibility of changing quickly (from year to year) vs trees which are a lifetime.
So, I would start with trees that have USDA zone ratings with your zone need the middle. This will give your trees the best chance of performance.
We've planted many different trees including persimmon, chestnut, pear, apple (low on my list because of the maintenance), and even Jujube. I will say I got lucky with the Tigertooth Jujube and they produced well for me. I don't see any of these trees standing out over the long haul. Each has years and times when deer won't leave them alone and when deer completely ignore them.
One of my favorites is persimmon, not to plant, but to graft. They are dioecious and native to my place. I cut them down and bark graft them with female scions. Because the root systems are so well established, they can produce the first fruit in the third leaf after grafting. By trading scions with others as well as buying some scions, I have varieties that drop from September until February. This was a very low cost endeavor and produced more deer food and faster than any of my other trees.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Do you have bears? Bears can be hard on fruit trees.
Keiffer pears, Liberty and Enterprise apples, Grafted female persimmons, Chestnuts, something bearing acorns if you don't have any...
Keiffer pears, Liberty and Enterprise apples, Grafted female persimmons, Chestnuts, something bearing acorns if you don't have any...
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Never heard of these before, what can you tell us about them? How many years to fruit bearing? Where are you buying these from?
The most important thing is do you have bears in your area? If you do things get a lot more difficult. For example, with apple trees as soon as they produce an apple, bears will tear the tree down to get at them. After 40 years of trying, I have found ways to protect them, but it is a big project. However, once you have succeeded, it is a strong attractant for deer, and it basically puts out bait from August to November with no human involvement. I like honey crisp apples with a pollinator and any variety of chestnut tree.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
They are one of my favorite pears. I just wish they would still be dropping mid to late November in my area. Down here they usually are finished just before, or right at the beginning of gun season.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I have taken a nice ten point in archery under a keiffer pear. So, yes, it's more of an archery spot.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I have a Sweet Advent and Rifle Deer both planted, but they are still young trees. Up north they keep dropping quite a bit later than Kieffer, and I think they will here too. FWIW - There is about a month to six weeks difference between here and Blue Hill in PA for some cultivars but not so much for others.
George
Well-Known Member
This is true. You provide a spectacular buffet of soft mast. I never shot a buck under the pear trees in Iowa
even when I was sitting there with a bow.
G
yoderjac
Well-Known Member
Ours put out a lot of fruit most years, but they are done before our archery season starts in early Oct.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Here they are perfect for much of early bow season and the two-day, early ML season in mid October. A big, mature Kieffer will drop into early November in some years. By the second week in November, they are usually finished.
yoderjac
Well-Known Member
To be honest, I can't even be sure they are really Kieffer. My partners bought and plant them, probably from a big box store. They were labeled Kieffer, but I don't really trust big box stores when it comes to labeling trees.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
It happens all the time. I have 2 that were bought as Kieffer that are something else. I have now verified that one is a true Bartlett, which is what yours sounds like.
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Please share any bear avoidance tips.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
"I have found ways to protect them" Can you give us any insight on possible ways to protect apple trees from bears?
yoderjac
Well-Known Member
30-.06?
