Bowsite.com

Allow deer to access apples, not trees?

Didn't seem like this belonged in Food Plot section, so I'm putting it here. Say you have a lot of dwarf size apple trees, or other fruit/nut bearing trees/bushes, planted mainly to attract deer. Most are planted out in open food plot fields and between buck rubbing and wind they need 3 studded T-posts and "sheep fence". Once they begin yielding fruit, how to y'all allow larger critters to get at the falling fruit without rubbing the trees and/or nipping the branches? Anyone every try making a "sugar cone" shape |V| with their fencing so fruit that falls straight down can be easily reached by the deer? If so, would bucks be in danger of hooking antlers? Any suggestions appreciated.

I planted persimmons and made protective wire cones around them about 2' in diameter and left them there for years

I don’t know of a way to solve your issue, with dwarf trees. Even if you fence off just the trunks, a majority of the branches will still be low enough for the deer to be able to browse or rub on. If you’re planting any soft mast bearing trees in the future, I’d recommend planting semi-dwarf trees, at a minimum, or standard trees. I redid some cages on some bigger crabapples and chestnut trees this spring. I had 60” diameter cages, and I downsized them to approximately 18-20” diameter cages, basically just to protect the trunks from the deer rubbing them. I trimmed the lower branches that the deer were going to browse on, up high enough so they wouldn’t be able to browse or rub on them (for the most part) and the vast majority of fruits or nuts would still be available for them to forage on.

Kind of a conundrum. I'd probably keep my large diameter cages to protect the tree, but rather than sit them on the ground I'd stake them a foot or so off the ground. Then I'd add mulch/gravel/or dirt around the trunk in a cone shape tapering away from the tree. Hopefully anything that can... will hit and role out from under the cage.

t-roy x 2.

T-roy X 3

Import some dwarf deer. Then relative to the deer the trees wouldn't be dwarf sized?

Spread apples all over every inch of your property Then work on your problem

RK does that require turning into apple sauce to get them to spread?

“Import some dwarf deer. Then relative to the deer the trees wouldn't be dwarf sized?”

Almost spit out my coffee.

Plant more trees. ( Full size) Deer usually don’t destroy every tree. Sacrifice some so that others may live

Folks put nets over there fruit trees around here for crows, squirrels and the occasional deer that comes through town. Similar to these:https://www.walmart.com/ip/3-Pack-Fruit-Tree-Netting-7x6-Ft-Garden-Netting-for-Tree-Protection-Large-Tree-Cover-to-Keep-Birds-Squirrels-Insects-Out/7191706590?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101573511

Fence them to protect at least until limbs get out over fence.I leave all me fruit trees fenced

I had some beautiful dunston chestnut trees growing in my backyard. The second year one five pointer killed them all rubbing a ring clear around them. Next time I will try the pvc pipe route and cut it off when they are about four. I saw a guy on one video use about 5 inch diameter pvc and it worked fine protecting his trees.

Thanks for the suggestions. Many of these trees are in an area where yes, the deer would find and ultimately kill every tree on a bad winter/spring. The apple trees will probably get the cone treatment, or using t-roy's suggestion I could halve the diameter but make the fence "tube" twice as high. The hazelnut and chinkapins grow more bushy, so I'll leave the tree tubes on them until they are well clear and see how they make out. Some browsing may actually help them become more bushy. Those are planted in a long line that could be easily electric fenced if necessary a few years from now. Sacrificing any tree is unacceptable to me - it takes a lot of work to buy, drill holes, plant, tube, stake, spray and tend to a tree to get it to 2-3 years or more to fruit. Nets for trees would do nothing for the deer and if you've ever used them they just get tangled in the branches and create more work than their worth.

I use tree pro tubes on hardwoods and cage fruit and chestnuts.I wouldn't advise using drain tile or pvc pipe and only use light colored vented tubes.

Register here to reply to this topic