as i walked to the back of the property yesterday i looked over and seen the apple tree that had been there for years. iv seen deer by it many times and knew that it was producing as i walked up to it and seen apples growing good already. i thought i knew the property like tha back of my hand, but as i left the edge of the field, i noticed about 5 big apple trees that were becoming huge producers. they were all absolutley filled with apples. have you guys had any luck with apple trees? and if so, how did you set up accordingly to harvest deer off of them?
I think first it would depend on your apple trees. The apple trees in the places I've hunted are all done by September, and our season doesn't open until October so they don't do me any good at all. If yours hold apples into the hunting season, then I'd definitely think about setting up on a trail leading to them.
Here in Iowa in the harsh part of winter the deer absolutely love the apples that are still on the ground and going to waste. They make quick work of em.
I hunted some residential property that had an apple tree and a garden in the back yard of the property owner that gave me permission. The deer tear it up. I set up in a tree along the wood edge too far to shoot (60 yrds) and if the deer use the trail entering the yard I get them before they reach the tree, if they come in from elsewhere I just wait and eventually they will come into bow range. It's a blast watching them stand on their hind legs and pull the apples off, they are red apples BTW. I shoot a buck last year that I watched feeding on those apples the night before. By all means I would hunt somewhere close to those trees, a ground blind might be in order if you have no trees available.
I have never hunted an apple tree itself but have used them as a lure. They work great if you can keep enough in one spot. Works best if you stomp them when you put them out. I put out a 10 pound bag a week before my hunt thinking this would be enough. Nope. When the sun came up, there were no apples. I tried it again puting them out on Wed. of before a Sat. hunt and same results. I didn't try it again last season but, chances are I will use it later this year as an addition to one of my mineral stations. I found an article a while back about apple trees and deer. I found it helpfull and plan on planting some of the apples stated in the article next spring. Here is the link: http://www.qdma.com/forums/archive/index.php/index.php?t-6024.html
If they are still holding apples by season, set up on them the same way you would any other food source. Figure where the deer will be bedding prior to coming to feed on them and get yourself a stand that will work for the prevailing wind and wait for that wind to kill.
Just like what everyone else said. If it is still holding apples, or there are apples on the ground by hunting season set up near them. It is a natural bat pile, and in my experience, deer love apples.
I have an apple tree about 54 yards from one of my better bow stands and I have deer pass me all times of the day to get to this secluded apple tree at the edge of a pasture. I have only harvested one deer actually at that particular apple tree which was a doe (with my rifle) to earn my WI buck tag a few years back. On the property I hunt I have never seen a racked buck during daylight hours near the tree. My trail camera has photos all night of different bucks coming to the tree. The only time I have daylight photos of bucks near that apple tree are in the winter as someone stated above they love them once the field crops are gone or covered up it seems like. Good luck!
We have alot of apple and pear orchards here and deer are allways in these orchards, all year. Doesn't seem to matter if there are apples on the limbs they are in and around the orchards. At night they will bed in the rows, for some reason they are allways in them.
