Does size matter?

[KY wild]

I have a variety of apple tree some 25 years old that tend to drop smallish apples. This is for several reasons but mostly because they are usually over loaded, the type of trees and drought is common, because of this deer can get apples in mouth and I get pics often with whole apples in mouth of deer. This last 2 years I have had about 7 pear trees starting to drop pears, these pears are all very large, I mean like baseball to softball size and deer have not touched them yet that I have caught on camera, these pears also tend to be pretty dang hard even though they are of several different varieties. I realized there is a learning curve with new food in an area but I also was wondering if it could be due to the size of the fruit, I mean would deer prefer pears which are smaller if other factors are equal? Has any of you gentleman noticed a preference to smaller pears?

 

[buckdeer1]

I have pics of deer eating apples almost baseball size.Main problem with orchards and feeding animals is they feed alot of coyotes and coons.I usually get more coyotes eating pears until they soften and drop then the deer hit them but otherwise the deer will stand on hind legs to eat apples

 

[Native Hunter]

I don’t think so. If deer aren’t eating pears it’s because there is something else available they like better. I’ve been observing deer eating big pears at my place recently but I have more than they can or will clean up at first. In a few weeks as the pears start getting more scarce all of them will get eaten quickly.

 

[bigboreblr]

I don't know much about pears, but there has been several threads where folks have pear trees and they're not being eaten much.

Edit: The pear trees weren't desireable varieties. Like wild callery. Sure they'd love some tastier ones. IF possible try out the fruit.

 

[Turkey Creek]

A lot is site specific and what other food sources are currently available. I know a pear tree that is 5 blocks inside the edge of a town and the deer walk into town from neighboring fields to feed on drops every day that the tree is dropping fruit.

 

[Telemark]

If they're hard, then they might not be quite as ripe as they could be. Deer will mostly go for whatever smells and tastes best. I wouldn't worry about it. They seem to just prefer the apples. They'll probably come around to the pears eventually.

 

[b116757]

I do think there is a learning curve involved sometimes it takes time for a local herd of does to catch onto a new food source and teach the fawns to look for it. I have really poor luck with radishes at my place pretty sure I ate more than the deer did but I only tried them for one year. A buddy of my uncles growing up planted small sweet pie pumpkins for the deer he would throw out a pickup load every week or two all winter long for them the local herd loved them. Again they rot at my place at least the one year I tried them they did. So it could take time for the herd to fully utilize a new food source or as stated there is something else they like better in the local area that they just aren’t that interested in the pears. I have planted several Bur oaks in my yard over the years and many of them drop acorns but I have yet to even see a single squirrel in any of them so even that takes time for the critters to learn about and use a new food source.

 

[sandbur]

Deer seem to prefer apples where they can put the whole thing in their mouth over larger apples.

Crabs are kind in my view. Specifically apple crabs.

 

[Catscratch]

I think the guys saying the deer have to learn a new food source is very accurate. The first couple of years that I grew pumpkins I resorted to dumping corn on them to try to get a deer to eat them. Didn't work. After a couple of years I watched an old doe try one. It wasn't a couple of weeks before a doe and her twins were eating them. Then it seemed I couldn't put a pumpkin out without it disappearing over night.

I've had fruit trees in the ground for 10+ yrs. No big crops yet but certainly some apples and pears have hit the ground. My orchard is just outside of my yard so I get to watch it. Very seldom do I see a deer checking under those tress. Not sure they have figured them out yet.

 

[Native Hunter]

I thought of this thread when I walked through the yard this morning. Even though the Kieffers are dropping well now I only found two pears - both inside the tree cage. Go figure.

 

[DrewMc]

I've watched quite a few deer try to eat Kieffer pears. They struggle eating them due to their size and not being able to bite into them. The deer absolutely gobble up the smaller pears from my wild deer pear tree. This has made me second guess buying more Kieffers. I love how late they drop for hunting season purposes, but I think the best bet are smaller crab apples that drop late and deer have no problem eating.

 

[b116757]

I've watched quite a few deer try to eat Kieffer pears. They struggle eating them due to their size and not being able to bite into them. The deer absolutely gobble up the smaller pears from my wild deer pear tree. This has made me second guess buying more Kieffers. I love how late they drop for hunting season purposes, but I think the best bet are smaller crab apples that drop late and deer have no problem eating.

I think where you are in the country should factor into this equation where I live pears simply do better than apples granted crabapples are generally tougher than apples also but my apple trees suffer from cambium minor attack where as my pear never have an issue with it. Driving around my area you will find very old pear trees in old homestead yards very very few old homesteads in my area have apple trees still living.