deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

My understanding has always been that deer don't care for these. A friend of mine made a comment the other day that suggested they did. I've always attributed evidence of something eating hedgeapples to squirrels or some other rodents, but perhaps I am mistaken.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

I'm not sure if hedge apples are what I call hedge balls? If they are I'm not sure on deer, but cattle will sometimes eat them. There is a thorn inside them, which will get stuck in a cows throat sometimes so thats how I know some cattle are stupid enough to eat them :)

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Deer definitely eat them. If you are talking about these:


I have always heard these are one of the last things they eat when other food sources are scarce. When I go out shed hunting I have a few places where I know there are these type trees and I always find more sign there than anywhere else in the entire area. I always find multiple smashed hedge apples and it sure looks like they are feeding on them.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

I saw them for the fist time in southern Ohio near the KY border on a trip 2 years ago. I couldn't imagine what they were and now I know. Thanks. Pretty stange looking plant. Looked to me like a pile of oversized tennis balls laying in the woods.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

That's exactly what they are.

Thanks for the responses.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

These are an interesting fruit. We have them around where i grew up. We never saw the deer eating them but I guess anything is possible with deer and things to eat. I once read where a hungry buck in the spring would kick the first run suckers out of the brook and eat them. We used them as ammo during our army games as kid and you always knew if someone got hit with one due to the specially patterned imprint it left on their face for a while. One of the most interesting things about this fruit is that it comes from the Bow wood tree. The limbs have a distinct bow in them and the native Americans used these limbs to make their bows. It is a very strong and pliable wood.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Deer will eat these, but usually as a last food resort in late winter with snow on the ground. Take a good snow thats been on the snow 3-4 days and the deer will flock to a hedge row looking for these.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Where I grew up, we always called them Monkey Balls.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

The only thing I have seen eat hedge apples are squirrels. I think there are seeds on the inside. I have hunted deer among the hedge apples but never seen a deer eat one. I think it would be only as a last resort.

RE: deer and osage oranges/hedge apples
 

Was out shed hunting today...and found tons of sign around the hedge apple trees...and kicked up some deer...

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.