What are your thoughts on crab apples? I've found a few good producing crab apple trees at the bottom of a draw with a hemlock/pine thicket to the east. These trees are right next to our driveway (it's a dirt road up a mountain, though), and the only time I hunted there this year, deer came out of the east to feed on the crab apples.

My dad came home last night (I didn't go out due to the high winds), and he saw a nice bodied deer (didn't see the head) feeding on the apples. Even in the high winds, but I think the pines offer some security. Now, I want to hunt this, but I need to wait for the right wind. How long do crab apples drop? I've heard they can last much longer than apples, and can even hang on well into early winter. Thoughts? Has anyone had any success with crab apples?