"Small" tract of Land with Small food plot
 

Good Evening,

Please excuse me if I have created a new thread that already exisited!

I am working with a bubby of mine on our 100 acre tract. The land was clear cut about 10/15 yrs ago? So the trees are small, but they are producing food. There is a small squirrel population on the interior of the tract. The tract is surrounded by old big woods, and large food plots and lots of feeders. I just working this area a few years. I put corn out every year, and I see deer (bucks and does) and HOGS on camera.

My question, how do I get the deer to keep coming back to area, preferably during hunting areas, versus the multiple other options for food, etc. The deer in the area seem to love anything apple related. So I how do capitalize on that knowledge and keep an "apple scent" always present in my area?

Thanks for any and all advice!

Plant several different types of Apple Tree's on Your Property,with different types they will have different growing times and maturity so You will have Apples ready/ripe at different intervals...be sure to put wire cages around the Tree's for protection from the Deer until they get bigger.

Personally I like the Dwarf style Tree's because they are easier to reach and prune.You should also try different Food Plots that are ready and mature in the Spring,Summer and Fall to draw in the Deer.

The apple tree advice is good advice, and here are a few additional thoughts. You have to plant trees that cross pollinate each other or you will get no apples. Simplistic advice says plants a different kinds of trees, but that might not be enough. Not all apple trees pollinate other apple trees...the reason is twofold. One, they need to flower at the same time. Two, there are genetic reasons why some trees simply will not cross pollinate others. So ask someone who knows and be sure. Another thing to consider are crabapple trees. Many are great pollinators for regular apple trees but best of all many, if not all, do not require another apple tree...they are self pollinating. Finally, if you are planting regular apple trees they need to be in proximity to each other. Orchards recommend about 20 feet...so if you are scattering trees around 100 acres, like I did, you can concentrate some in an orchard and ensure proper spacing and plant crabapples in other locations and not sweat it. I’ve mixed crabapples in with my regular apples to enhance pollination opportunities. Good luck, and be patient because it doesn’t happen in a year or two.

If buying apple tree and you have cedars in your area, make sure the trees you get are resistant to Cedar Apple rust. I bought some Dolgo apple which are right on the apple/crab apple sizing and they still get brown spots on the leaves, just not crippled up and destroyed like some can.

Cedars do effect apple trees but the good news is it isn’t fatal (not a positive for the tree however) and it’s easily controlled with spray. The timing is important, and it’s when the cedar trees produce those orange weird blobs called galls, which is their fruit or seeds or something. It’s when they are out that you need to spray, which is a couple of weeks. Since I have both eating and crab apples and other fruit I’m careful about fireblight and other fungus related diseases so I spray to control it all and don’t have a problem.