RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

As kids we always called them "brains".:D:DActually, traditional shooters LOVE Osage wood for making bows. As was already said, this wood is quite flexable, and SUPER STRONG!!

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

They also make good fence posts :) I'm going to start cutting some when it warms up a little again I just may have to try and make a bow. I'll have to see if I can get some plans.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Don't know if deer like it but Osage Orange is one of the all time favorite trad bow woods particularly for self bows.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Down this way (Alabama) I call these "Mock Orange" trees.You see thme most of the time along a fence line. The wood makes excellent stick bows and from what I have read about the history of Alabama tribes, evidence at village sites indicates that this tree has been used for 1000's of years for such.

The fruit tastes terrible. Trust me on this. Sort of a bland-bitter taste. About as bad as a half ripe persimmon. Just not quite as sharp.

I have never ovserved a deer or any other animal eating them though I have seen the surface of a few that appeared to have beennibbled on by some critter.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Exactly...Around me, these apples are a LAST pick. They eat frozen grass over these.

I have about 20 Osage trees in my yard. I always see squirrels eating and carrying these apples, butrarely everdeer.

In fact, I probably wouldnt even find a single deer track in the snownear these trees.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

X2. The squirrels sure do like them but if the deer are touching them than you know most other available food sources have been exhausted. I used to think the deer were killing them until I sat over a treea few timesand watch the squirrels go at them and the deer just walk by.