# what are the best apple trees to get for deer?



## riverrat606

I am looking to get a bunch of apple trees for my hunting land. i wanted to lne my food plots with apple trees, are there better types of apples over others?


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## Quig7557

I can't really tell you any specifics on apple tree's. Its difficult to get the new dwarfs that are cold tolerant enough for most northern areas. I would try to add some pears though, winterhaven, deer love them.


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## Liver and Onions

This nursery is in northern N.Y. Sell northern climate fruit and nut trees.
www.sln.potsdam.ny.us

Dozens of different apple trees to chose from. About 2 dozen pear choices.
I got their wild apple variety. Grown from seed, not grafted very hardy. $50 for 25 1-2foot trees that are easy to plant. Same price for crabapple.

Be sure to read the threads about caging trees if you are not familiar how deer and rabbits will destroy fruit trees.
Delivery in late April....wish it was 2 weeks earlier.


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## Direwolfe

Nursery websites may classify the varieties they carry into early, midseason, and late, referring to when in the fall they ripen (and hence when they tend to drop). This would be for grafted varieties and may be helpful considering when in fall you intend the fruit to be available to the wildlife. Not so much for seedlings including crab seedlings due to genetic variations. The seedling crabs will tend to drop later in the season . That may be preferable..


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## Forest Meister

Check out his web site. http://macd.org/local-districts.html. Some counties have real deals on not only apple trees but on wildlife shrubs, oaks, spruce, pine, etc. Be sure to note the ordering deadlines. FM


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## riverrat606

thanks for the info and opinions, i have looked at tree sale in my county (chippawa) and the are offering 4 apple trees= wolfriver, honeycrisp, red max, and lodi. they are all eating/baking apples. I'd prob be at the trees more than the deer! they also offer a high brush cranberry, and a crabapple. I am planning on getting oak trees as well, but wanted to line my food plots with apple. any more help would be great! 

thanks, jason


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## Direwolfe

Depending on your schedule and the number of trees you want to plant, you may want to start some seedling apples or crabapples. Grow them at your home for a year then transplant to permanent spot. This is what the nurseries do. Do some searching in the whitetail habitat forum for threads on starting apple trees from seeds.


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## Forest Meister

If you are looking for apples that stay on the trees into fall consider Sweet 16, Northern Spy and my all time favorite Northwest Greening (or any of the greening varities). Most years greenings still have a lot of apples on the trees during deer season, even into the winter if not picked or shaken down (baiting???). 

Nurseries seem to charge a lot for their trees so you might want to check with the soil conservation district and see if they can order the varities you desire. They have done it in the past. Also, check the neighboring county sites. Different counties can and do offer different sizes and varities of trees. FM


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## boostfan

are there dis-advantages to having a good mix?

My initial thought is that I want to keep deer around my property, so having some trees which drop early, some trees which drop late, and some in-between. Does that make sense?


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## Liver and Onions

riverrat606 said:


> ........, i have looked at tree sale in my county (chippawa) and the are offering 4 apple trees= wolfriver, honeycrisp, red max, and lodi. ...........
> thanks, jason


I planted apple trees from my county conservation District about 10 years ago. Trees were about 5' tall and bare root. Planted half near my cabin where I was able to water then during the summer on my visits. The other half in areas of full sun and not far from hunting stands. All were planted in light soil and equally protected from rabbits and deer. All of the trees near my cabin are now producing some apples. All of the others that were not watered the first summer were dead by that Sept.
3 years ago I planted 25 of the apple trees that I mentioned earlier. Planted them all in areas of full sun with many near my deer hunting stands. Did not water any, but did protected them from deer and rabbits. 24 lived.
If you can water the trees the first summer the bigger trees will produce appples about 3 years sooner. If not, consider 1-2 trees. 
I noticed that a nursery was advertising on this site and I looked at the apple trees. Then I noticed that the nursery was in Georgia. If you order from a nursery, make sure you get trees that can survive your winters.

L & O


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## MFPS

Check Out Morse Nursery I think they are in GR They have a list as to what apple trees to plant and when the fruit ripens.


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## Drisc13

Liver and Onions said:


> I planted apple trees from my county conservation District about 10 years ago. Trees were about 5' tall and bare root. Planted half near my cabin where I was able to water then during the summer on my visits. The other half in areas of full sun and not far from hunting stands. All were planted in light soil and equally protected from rabbits and deer. All of the trees near my cabin are now producing some apples. All of the others that were not watered the first summer were dead by that Sept.
> 3 years ago I planted 25 of the apple trees that I mentioned earlier. Planted them all in areas of full sun with many near my deer hunting stands. Did not water any, but did protected them from deer and rabbits. 24 lived.
> If you can water the trees the first summer the bigger trees will produce appples about 3 years sooner. If not, consider 1-2 trees.
> I noticed that a nursery was advertising on this site and I looked at the apple trees. Then I noticed that the nursery was in Georgia. If you order from a nursery, make sure you get trees that can survive your winters.
> 
> L & O


I've got very similar experience as this. I currently have about 35 tree's ranging from 1 to 8 years old (including one that just "showed up" on the edge of my swamp!).

I used to pay $20 a tree and go through a nursery but last year got some great looking tree's for under $10 at Menards. I know, I know, I was skeptical too, but after doing some research they met the criteria I wanted (late dropping) and have held up great. I didn't lose one out of about a dozen all summer. (Normally if you can get 2 years in, you've made it.) I fence all the tree's to keep deer out and wrap trunk against mice and rabbits etc...

Be sure to check the type of tree you get, some need cross pollination, which is okay because you probably should play with different kinds. I found the gala and jonathon to do very well in my area.

And the key is to water, water, water!!!!


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## PLUMMER47

This is what I would suggest, I goto Miller's Big Red farm in Romeo. I do quite a bit of plumbing and service there so I get to see 80 acres of 12-16 varieties of apple/peach/pear/ and now CHERRY tree's. I would definitely say there is a favorite apple or fruit they like. But this is true for that farm. I know they are killing the young cherry trees BEFORE hitting apples all around them. Cherries were put closest to the road and barn too. Anyways farmers are alot of help and you might be able to buy directly from them on your order. I would have to say Macoons and red delicious are not favored there at least early and thru most of the hunting season. They love the buds of Jonathons, cherry and honey crisp.


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## fairfax1

_".......good looking tree's for under $10 at Menards."_

You can get a good looking tree at a very reasonable price at the home center big boxes- Menards, Depot, Lowe's; however, they do not list what the rootstocks are. And you will never get that info from the store. 

Consequently, what is available is almost certainly on very dwarfing roots......B9, or something similar. Those smaller dwarfs grow fast and hence produce a good looking plant is a short period of time and can be sold in huge quantities to the big chains. Many of them coming from the huge wholesale nursery industry centered around McMinville (sp?) Tennessee.

Still, if you can protect 'em well they are good bargain. But if on the smaller dwarfs they will ALWAYS need to be protected. Otherwise the deer will eat 'em up like an ice-cream cone.


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## fairfax1

One more reply *riverrat* --------Take a look at the website of _Adams County Nursery_. It is informative.

They have a useful graphic showing the relative drop-times (harvest dates) of all their species. Plus they offer a fairly wide selection of disease-resistant varieties....which can cut down on some of the maintenance issues we 'plant&forget'-types try to avoid.

I'd suggest you use the 'search' funciton on the habitat forum of this M-S site ....go in using 'apples'...which likely will overwhelm you; or, type in 'Adams County', or 'ACN' or 'Morse', or 'Coldstream'.

There is a wealth of information on this site and on the QDM habitat sites and on the GardenWeb site.


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## riverrat606

hey thanks for all the info and places to look! I just bought some property and want to get a jump on things. I was just wondering if there was a "better" apple tree to plant for deer yards than others.

thanks to all, and keep the info comming.....

p.s. anyone have a tractor to sell?!!!


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## sandbur6

I like the crab apples along with some bigger apples. Keep your eyes open for blooming trees in the spring in your area. If they have an apple that you like, collect some seed and see what grows. 

The seedlilng won't be exactly like the mother tree, but you can get some interesting crab apples.

The native crab apples seem like less work to me.


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## duckhunterr13

the arbor day foundation website is a great tool and also sell 10 trees for ten bucks although they are small and bare root and should be groomed for a year or two before relocation


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## Direwolfe

If you're willing to wait another year or so you can start your own this year. You can still get seeds from apples at the market and start them this spring. Do a search in the Whitetail habitat section for starting apple seedlings.


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## sourdough44

I would start with a few of the larger crab apples. I like the Dolgo crab apple but there are a few others that have the almost golf ball size fruit. There are hardy & fairly resistant to problems. Be sure & protect the tree well whatever you plant, trunk wrap & a cage.


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