Hard vs Soft Pears

[treeguy]

I was wondering if anyone has noticed a deer preference for hard or soft pears? I have no experience with pears that wildlife nurseries like Bluehill sell. I do have their Sweet Advent, Hunter Pear, and Rifle Deer pear, they haven't fruited yet though. Are these hard or soft pears when they drop?

Some popular pears that I have at home and would call hard pears would be Kieffer or Korean Giant. A soft pear that I have would be Harrow Sweet or Potomac. I had some rootstock left and ran out of scion so I was trying to see what to concentrate on from my home orchard. I graft some Dana Hovey, but this is the first year it is fruiting. I assume that would be a hard pear when it drops since it is described as a winter pear. If anyone has Dana Hovey, let me know haha.

FYI some people describe Dana Hovey as a better Seckel that can be stored. I'll see if its good for deer, but it might be a good one for you guys to add.

 

[TonySoprano]

I'm sure deer probably have a preference , but will eat whatever they can get. My oldest pears are Kieffers and the deer are under those trees every night when they are dropping. I also have what's considered junk pears Bradford/Callery with the very small pears , that some folks say deer WON'T eat..... However Dec/Jan/Feb when there is nothing else around , they will Absolutely eat them....I've seen them eating them and always have lots of deer crap under those "junk" trees in the yard.

PS Most of the Bradford/Callaway were already here when I bought the property. However I planted 3 or 4 of them 20+ years ago before I knew any better , and my only options were buying trees from Lowes or Walmart. If there were any online wildlife tree sellers 20+ years ago I wasn't aware of them.

 

[PatinPA]

I'm sure deer probably have a preference , but will eat whatever they can get. My oldest pears are Kieffers and the deer are under those trees every night when they are dropping. I also have what's considered junk pears Bradford/Callaway with the very small pears , that some folks say deer WON'T eat..... However Dec/Jan/Feb when there is nothing else around , they will Absolutely eat them....I've seen them eating them and always have lots of deer crap under those "junk" trees in the yard.

PS Most of the Bradford/Callaway were already here when I bought the property. However I planted 3 or 4 of them 20+ years ago before I knew any better , and my only options were buying trees from Lowes or Walmart. If there were any online wildlife tree sellers 20+ years ago I wasn't aware of them.

The PA Game commission used to sell bradfords as "wildlife" trees 20 years ago. My dad bought a bunch and planted them around his house and at our camp in Northern PA. The deer always come eat them but the turkeys love them. We have pics of them sitting in the branches eating them before they even drop.

 

[TonySoprano]

The PA Game commission used to sell bradfords as "wildlife" trees 20 years ago. My dad bought a bunch and planted them around his house and at our camp in Northern PA. The deer always come eat them but the turkeys love them. We have pics of them sitting in the branches eating them before they even drop.

I know a lot of folks cut them down or top work them....I will probably end up cutting half of them down. Mainly the ones the previous landowner planted too close to the property line, that are leaning into my neighbors property. That'll leave me with 4 Bradford/Callery types left in the yard. They are an existing late winter food source when everything else is gone...so can't see cutting them all down. I have recently planted late dropping pears from The Wildlife Group and Blue Hill BUT it will be a several years before I get a crop , and even longer for a crop that'll make an impact and feed wildlife.