Go to whitetail tree???

[Mattyq2402]

I asked a similar question some time ago but It's been a couple years. There's too much good info on here so looking for a narrowed down answer. I'm in SE Ohio 6 but live in Arizona so I have limited time to maintenence my trees. I have help that waters in summer and ferts as well.

I currently have crabs, apple, and pear established, the oldest of the 30 or so trees is going on year 5. I also have 20 yearling grafts of various pear and crab waiting for their final home. I do have a couple old pear that do produce as well.

Looking for the go to trees lower maintenance trees for production as well as deer draw. My hunts are usually Nov 1 thru 10ish but I retire in 7 years and will be back home. Looking to get the best draw trees in that I can, currently my drops range from early October thru January on the various trees.

I've ordered from chesnutt hill, bluehill, nwc, local nursery. Any suggestions on the go to trees? I have a little bit of room, maybe enough for 10 to 20 more currently.

 

[Mattyq2402]

My father did my grafts this past spring with roughly 80% took. I'd be open to scions as well as ordering barefoot...

 

[Mattyq2402]

My list of current trees
On order from blue hill: 2 October crab, 2 #5, 2 Ed's crazy crab

Blue hills in ground: whole season, primetime, roadkill x2, acorn pippin all planted spring of 21

Nwc approximately 4 30-6, 2 droptine, 3 crossbow.

Chesnutt hill 2 Dr deer pear, one produced this year in its 3rd year.

Morse 5 keifers ranging 12 to 17 feet tall but not producing yet, 3 Whitney crabs.

A single freedom, enterprise, and liberty from local nursery.

 

[Tree Spud]

Are you looking for eating, cider, or deer food?

 

[Mattyq2402]

Mainly deer food but multipurpose are a plus

 

[gunfun13]

My go to are crabapples, several varieties you listed, but my trees are young. I haven't had any appreciable crops from any full size apples or pears yet. My views may change down the road, but it seems like it will be tough to beat the growth, production, reliability, ease of maintenance, and attraction that I've experienced with crabs. So it would seem to me that you're already on a great track. I would likely add some persimmons and chestnuts for additional diversity and a hedge against late frost (though my crabs haven't frosted out yet in their young life though there was times I thought they would be).

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I am in the same boat as gunfun, (fair number of trees but limited fruiting yet)....as far as growth goes, droptine is hands down the fastest, followed closely by winter gold from whitetail crabs. I have a 12 foot tall droptine that has been in the ground 1 year (it did not start out nearly that tall) and the winter golds started as 3-4' whips but are now bushy 7-8' trees after 1 year in the ground. I also had to pinch at least 150 flowers off each of my winter golds and a friend with an even larger 1st leaf droptine got a few fruit the same year he planted it.
I also have a few liberty from Blue Hill that have been great growers (from good sized whips to leafy trees) a ways above the top of the 5' cage in quick order.

 

[Tree Spud]

I would add chesnut crab apples as it can be used for cider, good deer food, and great pollinator for all apples & crabs. Other good crabs are dolgo & kerr.

For later dropping, I would add a galarina or shepnose from NWC.

You should look at your trees bloom dates that require cross pollination and fill in any spots.

 

[Telemark]

I would add persimmons and chestnuts. Maybe dwarf chinkapin oaks. Seems like you have a lot of apples and pears. Variety would probably benefit you more than expanding what you already have a lot of.

 

[Mattyq2402]

Any specific place to grab dwarf chinkapin oak? Also is there a chesnut dealer that you all reccomend? I got Chinese chesnut from morse and they flopped.

 

[bigboreblr]

For both 2 and 4 legged critter dining, liberty and enterprise are very good choices. Very disease resistant and a good all purpose apple. Liberty is early october, Enterprise is later in october.

B118 is common stock, but hear M111 is more drought resistant.

I'd get more of those. I'd add more crabapples if the newer planting will not be near any existing crabapple plantings. I'm new to trees myself. Turkey creek could be a good source. Terry treated me well this fall with droptine, crossbow, and 30-06. Think he is out of droptine, but has enterprise and liberty as well as the other ones.

Not sure how many acres or spots you have, but you might mix in other trees too, like oak or chestnut. A few oaks produce at a young age.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I've been obsessively reading about different chinquapin (chinkapin) chestnuts. The allegheny chinquapin is from just south and east of you, but there have been some found in central Ohio and southern Indiana. By area, they produce more nut mast and have higher caloric content than of other chestnut species. I have even found some literature that compared them to oaks and I believe they have relatively higher carbohydrate and protein content compared to most acorns. The only downside is that they typically are producing chestnuts in September to October. From a maintenance standpoint, they seem to be somewhat of an ideal wildlife tree because they are low maintenance and there is a low likelihood your neighbors will also have them.

 

[Telemark]

I've been obsessively reading about different chinquapin (chinkapin) chestnuts. The allegheny chinquapin is from just south and east of you, but there have been some found in central Ohio and southern Indiana. By area, they produce more nut mast and have higher caloric content than of other chestnut species. I have even found some literature that compared them to oaks and I believe they have relatively higher carbohydrate and protein content compared to most acorns. The only downside is that they typically are producing chestnuts in September to October. From a maintenance standpoint, they seem to be somewhat of an ideal wildlife tree because they are low maintenance and there is a low likelihood your neighbors will also have them.

That sounds like a great option for Ohio. That is right in the first part of their bow season.

 

[H20fwler]

The list of what you have planted so far looks really good.

Answer to your question what is the BEST draw?

Acorns
White oaks then reds in that order. You can plant some pinoaks and they will start dropping nuts in eight years or so if protected and in full sun.

Second best draw since you are asking about Ohio….
Corn , shelled. Keep a feeder out year round and a huge pile spread on ground all through season.

 

[hunts_with_stick]

does the corn in ohio work for bucks too?

 

[bwoods11]

Chestnut crab & Swamp White Oak !

 

[H20fwler]

does the corn in ohio work for bucks too?

Yes

 

[Teeder]

I've been obsessively reading about different chinquapin (chinkapin) chestnuts. The allegheny chinquapin is from just south and east of you, but there have been some found in central Ohio and southern Indiana. By area, they produce more nut mast and have higher caloric content than of other chestnut species. I have even found some literature that compared them to oaks and I believe they have relatively higher carbohydrate and protein content compared to most acorns. The only downside is that they typically are producing chestnuts in September to October. From a maintenance standpoint, they seem to be somewhat of an ideal wildlife tree because they are low maintenance and there is a low likelihood your neighbors will also have them.

Sounds like perfect option and timing for deer to be putting weight on.

 

[yoderjac]

I've been obsessively reading about different chinquapin (chinkapin) chestnuts. The allegheny chinquapin is from just south and east of you, but there have been some found in central Ohio and southern Indiana. By area, they produce more nut mast and have higher caloric content than of other chestnut species. I have even found some literature that compared them to oaks and I believe they have relatively higher carbohydrate and protein content compared to most acorns. The only downside is that they typically are producing chestnuts in September to October. From a maintenance standpoint, they seem to be somewhat of an ideal wildlife tree because they are low maintenance and there is a low likelihood your neighbors will also have them.

They grow native on my farm and are easy to propagate from nuts. They are a GREAT wildlife tree in general. Mine seem to take a bush form. Like American chestnuts, they are susceptible to the blight. Unlike American chestnuts, they die back and resprout from the root system and are producing nuts again in just a couple years. They respond to fire similarly, die back and resprout.

As you say, they don't work well for attraction. Everything, including deer, seem to eat them. They are usually gone before our archery season in early Oct. They are zero maintenance for me. Native Hunter has them as well. His seem to take more of a tree form than a bush form. There are some good threads on here with pictures.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[yoderjac]

I asked a similar question some time ago but It's been a couple years. There's too much good info on here so looking for a narrowed down answer. I'm in SE Ohio 6 but live in Arizona so I have limited time to maintenence my trees. I have help that waters in summer and ferts as well.

I currently have crabs, apple, and pear established, the oldest of the 30 or so trees is going on year 5. I also have 20 yearling grafts of various pear and crab waiting for their final home. I do have a couple old pear that do produce as well.

Looking for the go to trees lower maintenance trees for production as well as deer draw. My hunts are usually Nov 1 thru 10ish but I retire in 7 years and will be back home. Looking to get the best draw trees in that I can, currently my drops range from early October thru January on the various trees.

I've ordered from chesnutt hill, bluehill, nwc, local nursery. Any suggestions on the go to trees? I have a little bit of room, maybe enough for 10 to 20 more currently.

If you are looking for something different you might want to consider Jujube. Here is a related thread: https://habitat-talk.com/threads/jujube-varieties-for-deer-transfered-from-qdma-forum.5538/ They have been a low maintenance tree that produce reliably and drop at the right time. I can't speak to how they would fair in your area. I'm in zone 7A. You need to be patient as they ae slow to produce. The linked thread has a lot more details.