Robert Johnson said often-overlooked food sources that will draw deer are fruit orchards, with apples and pears being excellent. These crops are not always easy to hunt, but they can provide excellent hunting. Small clusters of fruit trees can be heavily hit by deer.
“Deer love these fruits and will visit them every afternoon until all the fruit is gone,” Johnson said. “Trail cameras can help you determine where to go and when to hunt. I’ve noted that pears often drop around (Youth Day) in North Carolina (Sept. 24), making them a great choice for a youngster’s first hunt. A ground blind tucked away in a tree line or brush is a great way to set up for a gun hunt with a youngster. I recommend bowhunters set up on the trails leading to the fruit-bearing trees, since trying to set up at close range in the orchard trees usually is hard to pull off because of scent and sparse cover in most orchards.”
Johnson said if isolated trees or clusters of fruiting trees such as crab apples are in the area where you hunt, check them for deer traffic. It can be a short-lived opportunity, but often very productive.
“If fruit trees or orchards are in your hunting area, they are prime crops to hunt.”
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