Done With Fruit Trees

[SwampCat]

I was riding my sxs past a few of my fruit trees yesterday when I noticed quite a few dead leaves on this Eliza’s Choice crab. I have no idea what is causing it. Thirty feet away is a Fuyu persimmon that died earlier this year.


Thirty feet to the east are a granny smith and an Arkansas Black apple that have each been stripped of all but one apple each by coons - and these apples arent ripe for three months yet




Further down the same row of trees, the pears have been decimated by fireblight




100 yards away - the peach and nectarine trees were all stripped of their fruit - regardless of duct work on the trunks and protective netting over the tree and removal of several dozen coons and possums in the last two months. The pear trees that were loaded have already been stripped of pears.

I spend far more time working on and around my 30 fruit trees - spraying, pruning, $100’s watering, etc - than I do my 40 acres of food plots.

This Eliza’s Choice was the last straw.

 

[Native Hunter]

I understand how you feel, but don't get too depressed about that Eliza's Choice just yet. What you are seeing on that tree is a light case of Scab. People up north wouldn't call it light, but considering your location, that's not too bad at all. I even see a few leaves occasionally up here almost like that on the best of the best - like Liberty and Enterprise. That much won't cause your tree any long term damage, and you might not even see it every year.

If that tree had set fruit this year, the amount of Scab that you are seeing would not affect the crop at all. Good luck.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Time to get yourself a coon dog and some traps!

 

[SwampCat]

Time to get yourself a coon dog and some traps!

Got both. Dont do much coon hunting anymore unless freezing cold because the coons head to water and the water is full of gators. I have caught several dozen coons in last couple weeks and another dozen early june and another in Mar. I got a grand daughter that loves her some coon trapping

 

[RGrizzzz]

Awesome. I coon trap when I can to help turkeys. Just started in the last year.

 

[hunts_with_stick]

What do you do with the coons? I can’t stand them! Huge pita.

 

[Native Hunter]

Do you ever make toothpicks out of the coon peckers? You could get rich. I just looked on Amazon and coon pecker toothpicks sell for over $13 each.

 

[SwampCat]

What do you do with the coons? I can’t stand them! Huge pita.

Nothing

 

[SwampCat]

Do you ever make toothpicks out of the coon peckers? You could get rich. I just looked on Amazon and coon pecker toothpicks sell for over $13 each.

A few years ago I made a set of 25 and painted them up like candy canes for Christmas tree decoration. Looked pretty good. I am not sure the recipient of that present was as proud of them as I was.

 

[SD51555]

It would be downright poetic to make a bin and compost those coons and put them right back on the trees they were trying to strip.

 

[SwampCat]

It would be downright poetic to make a bin and compost those coons and put them right back on the trees they were trying to strip.

I would if it would keep them out. Kill a hog and the others hogs shy away for awhile. Kill a coon and they are proud you did, more food for the living

 

[bigboreblr]

Not sure about your area, but here in NY there are alot of coon hunters looking to run their dogs. Could even trade coon hunting for late season hunting access. A local farmer traded woodchuck hunting for muzzleloader season hunting rights down the road from my old home. 2 or 3 year probably took out around 50 woodchucks for him.

 

[KY wild]

Coon hunters have not done much good to protect my trees although they start on me often. What has helped is Duke dog proof traps, I put around orchard when I start having problems and knock them back a bunch, usually takes several weeks before the neighbor coons start to fill in the area and then I hit them again. Same situation with sweet corn, I would never have a crop without the traps. I use to use live traps and could save some crop, but with this tool I can save most. Deer are wearing the ground under my trees down to dirt waiting for the next one to drop and coons have also helped by providing organic fertilizer.

 

[bigboreblr]

Dumpster bandits can't say no to marshmallows. This might be something I have to do at my home. Regularly see raccoons on my property. They've been taking a liking to the compost pile. Inlaws next door go through tons of bird seed too.

Not much of a varmint hunter myself. Need a good reason to shoot a critter. Wreck enough of my trees, that reason will be there..... Dont chase coyotes much until I saw one chasing my cat on the camera. Something peeled the skin of his rear leg 2 or 3 years ago.

 

[SwampCat]

I coon hunt some with my Mt Cur in the winter. Rest of the year, the way a coon goes to water with a dog after it - the gators would get your dog. I have been using dog proofs a fair bit for ten years. My coons are on to them. I put out 20 or 30 traps at a time for about three days - catch what I can and pull them for about six weeks. I dont have any fruit left - but prime time right now - mama coons just showed up with half grown coons. A month ago, all I caught was boars.

Cant use any sweet bait or meat here in spring summer or fall - fireants will cover your traps and coon will ignore them

 

[Sportsman94]

I coon hunt some with my Mt Cur in the winter. Rest of the year, the way a coon goes to water with a dog after it - the gators would get your dog. I have been using dog proofs a fair bit for ten years. My coons are on to them. I put out 20 or 30 traps at a time for about three days - catch what I can and pull them for about six weeks. I dont have any fruit left - but prime time right now - mama coons just showed up with half grown coons. A month ago, all I caught was boars.

Cant use any sweet bait or meat here in spring summer or fall - fireants will cover your traps and coon will ignore them

Use some scent free ant killer around your traps. I’ve seen a few brands mentioned


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