Apples for the late season

[RedCloud]

I just thought I would share a little secret I learned about this year..actually in the past few weeks.

If you are able to get your hands on some apples and want to use them for the deer and don't know how to keep them for extended periods of time to use later in the season. I would suggest taking the apples and cutting them in thin pcs. and dehydrating them. When you take them out to your locations just crush them up a bit and dump them on the ground. I have done this and have found the pile of dehydrated apples gone in no time. Seems they like them just the same.

 

[swantucky]

I wish there was a way to dry the volume I use. I bait 2-3 stands a year and seldom let them run out. Last year we went through almost 3 TONS of apples!! Not sure how I could possibly dry that many.

 

[RedCloud]

I wish there was a way to dry the volume I use. I bait 2-3 stands a year and seldom let them run out. Last year we went through almost 3 TONS of apples!! Not sure how I could possibly dry that many.

Would a grain dryer do any good ?

 

[swantucky]

I'm not sure. I try and sort the rotted and good ones and I normally have some untill X-mas. But I bet a bag over the snow at the end of Jan. would be killer!

 

[RedCloud]

I'm not sure. I try and sort the rotted and good ones and I normally have some untill X-mas. But I bet a bag over the snow at the end of Jan. would be killer!

I don't think I will come close to your 3 TONS but I have put out about 125 lbs so far in the past couple weeks. I just picked up a 39gallon bucket full lastnight and took about 40-50 pound back out today.

After seeing how well they hit it now I would say your bet would be a money maker .

 

[hunTer06]

My brother in law put some in his deep freezer for late season

 

[RedCloud]

My brother in law put some in his deep freezer for late season

Keep us updated on how it works good or bad. I was told not to freeze them because they would get freezer burnt and loose all the taste out of it. IDK if that's true or not but, if it works it might be something to look into .

 

[rrr]

Not a bad idea but good luck finding a farm that would let you run apples through his dryer lol.

 

[RedCloud]

Not a bad idea but good luck finding a farm that would let you run apples through his dryer lol.

come on ernie..isn't that job security for you . I have no idea how they work and have never used one either lol. It was just something that popped into my mind as a way to do it lol.

 

[hickslawns]

I don't know much about grain dryers either, but I would imagine the farmers are busy filling up their storage bins with corn/beans right about now. :smiley_bril:

 

[RedCloud]

I don't know much about grain dryers either, but I would imagine the farmers are busy filling up their storage bins with corn/beans right about now. :smiley_bril:

I would bet your right lol. I know the farmers around here are starting to ramp up and get everything done in a hurry lol. I seen 2 combines with 3 wagons right next to each of them working a bean field yesterday. I haven't been out today to see if any new fields have been picked or if any of the corn has started to fall. I figure if the corn hasn't yet it won't be but a few days behind.

 

[swantucky]

I am going to have Ray blow on my apples to try and dry them for the late season. Him a good blower.

 

[hunTer06]

Keep us updated on how it works good or bad. I was told not to freeze them because they would get freezer burnt and loose all the taste out of it. IDK if that's true or not but, if it works it might be something to look into .

Yea we've never tried it before but I guess we'll find out!

 

[rrr]

Beans have got to come off first, then corn (corn can stand til Jan really).

Apples in a dryer just wouldn't be good, and no - that's not job security - THANKFULLY I am back to college before service calls start on dryers. They can be a pain in the ass to work on. Too small and most are pretty picky. This summer we spent 8 hours on one changing four bearings (two on the top, two on the bottom). For the bottom ones, I was laying on a one foot by 4 foot floor section, with 1 inch dividers sticking up every eight inches...in 10 years of shit, waiting for a rat to come out at my face....and that was for about 2 hours of the 8.

Not much room in there and you feel like a caged animal.

My last couple days of work I reskinned one at the shop...I was like F it its my last week, I'm going to use all the new air tools and take my time...didn't get it done either

 

[Bowhunter57]

One thing to add, about the apples. I've not had any luck with apples in a pile. I put some out last fall, in a pile and they went untouched for 4 days. There were tracks around the pile, but the apples remained in place.

At the end of the 4th day, when I got down out of my treestand, I kicked the apples all around in a 15 yard radius. During the next 2 days all of the apples were gone.

Piles of apples are not natural...and apparently the deer know it. :smiley_chinrub:

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

 

[cotty16]

One thing to add, about the apples. I've not had any luck with apples in a pile. I put some out last fall, in a pile and they went untouched for 4 days. There were tracks around the pile, but the apples remained in place.

At the end of the 4th day, when I got down out of my treestand, I kicked the apples all around in a 15 yard radius. During the next 2 days all of the apples were gone.

Piles of apples are not natural...and apparently the deer know it. :smiley_chinrub:

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

I found this out recently. The deer were tearing up the corn and acorns I put out. Apples went untouched. I did the same thing. Kicked them around, threw a few here and there, then they were gone next time I went in. Very weird.

 

[RedCloud]

Sheee !!!! My deer are a little on the slow side on that issue .

 

[cotty16]

Sheee !!!! My deer are a little on the slow side on that issue .

Welp, so much for that theory.

 

[Jackalope]

After watching the BEC livecam of deer on apple piles i think i may have a theory for why you guys aren't seeing many eaten. Deer are food territorial and they love apples. One big doe will stand at the pile and take her time eating apples. If another get close she kicks, and runs them off. By spreading them out the others get to eat also. Basically if you have 6 deer come in and one doe is eating it may take a bit for you to realize the pile is dwindling. But if you spread them out and the others eat too; the apples disappear 5x faster. Swoonie was running a monster apple pile last year.. One old buck was coming in almost every night. A couple nights he would come in and eat. Then bed about 20 yards away. Next picture would be some deer walking up to the apples with that bedded bucks eyes shining in the background. Then the next pic, the buck was up and by the pile. He ran that other deer off.. Them's my apples biotch!.

 

[RedCloud]

After watching the BEC livecam of deer on apple piles i think i may have a theory for why you guys aren't seeing many eaten. Deer are food territorial and they love apples. One big doe will stand at the pile and take her time eating apples. If another get close she kicks, and runs them off. By spreading them out the others get to eat also. Basically if you have 6 deer come in and one doe is eating it may take a bit for you to realize the pile is dwindling. But if you spread them out and the others eat too; the apples disappear 5x faster. Swoonie was running a monster apple pile last year.. One old buck was coming in almost every night. A couple nights he would come in and eat. Then bed about 20 yards away. Next picture would be some deer walking up to the apples with that bedded bucks eyes shining in the background. Then the next pic, the buck was up and by the pile. He ran that other deer off.. Them's my apples biotch!.

I had a doe bed down right next to the pile one night. Made for a cool pic.