I think anything from your natural surroundingsthat you can use to stop a deer or alter thier path of travel is a great idea. I've put a handfull of acorns in my shooting lanes before. As long as it's natural and from the area your in , it's o.k.
I wouldn't dump a bunch of apples from a tree a 1/2 mile away. I think that's baiting.
I'll try the branches.