I agree with farm hunter; you've got some well fed picky deer there. Were the apples handled much before you put them out? They may have spray or wax on them that the deer don't like the smell or taste of.

Dan O.

hey i have used apples off season and they eat them right up

I guess it depends on there mood. Its like when a deer abandons farm food like corn beans and such to go get the acorns that have just fallen.

Brian

I'm looking out the windoww at all the new buds and green shoots that have grown the past few weeks with all the warm weather, maybe something tasty and green has their preference.

Cardeer I am constantly trying to come up with new ideas to post and I cannot believe I didn't ask the same question you did. All last fall I dried apples and came up with about 11 gallons worth. In the future I hope to get more but I start feeding in Jan and this year I will use just one gallon a week so it will last until the end of this month.
Problem is I don't think they are eating them. I set them out and they sit there for a while and the corn and soybeans are gone. I also freeze acorns to mix in with there feed. I also put carrots out and they were not touched. I have read that deer need time to get used to food they are not accustomed to eat. This happened to me when I began using pumpkins in the fall. They were slow to touch them, but when they did they hit them hard. So maybe because they are not used to eating something during that time of the year they are slow to approach them.
That wasn't the case of some old Halloween candy I put out. It was those peanut butter chewy candy things and the night i put them out they were gone the next day. What do you think of my deer smorgasbord?

Mike in MN

Sounds good to me ,think I'll sneak in to the feeder some night. I found out they like them red candied carmel coated apples in the summer time.

cardeer please tell me you will try some bananas, I have to know!!!

The Tazman

Thats Strange.Apples I love Em! - they bring in every animal that draws breath!I used apples(strictly Macintosh(sp)up thru Jan season.I've found out,at least around here,they are a bit picky on type of apple they eat.If I spread them out "whole",it might take 2-3 days before they hit them.I figure due to human scent.If I throw them out and crush em on ground,kick em around - GONE in 24-72 hrs.I figure crushing them covers up human scent on skin,keeps the scent in area longer,and it takes them longer to eat crushed apples.Darn things are expensive,no matter how you buy em.

Edited by - aj52 on 03/10/2002 12:06:48

maybe you should try a red delicous

Everything we throw out from apples to pears the dear eat them right up. Havn't tried any bananas though. A buudy of mine threw out some old dog biscuts, dear ate those too....

*Mark*