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Chestnut trees

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
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Mohicanish
Facebook has been sending me an ad about Chestnut trees being great for deer... they're running a special this weekend.... worth buying any? Do the deer truly hit them harder than Oaks?
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Chinese variety? The American chestnut has a problem reaching maturity without dying. I've heard the Chinese is a little better. Dunstin? I think it is a mutt of the two maybe. Not real sure about it. Worth a little research before going all in.
 
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Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
Chinese variety? The American chestnut has a problem reaching maturity without dying. I've heard the Chinese is a little better. Dunstin? I think it is a mutt of the two maybe. Not real sure about it. Worth a little research before going all in.
hybrids... supposedly 3-5 years and fruit er nuts
 
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Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
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Mahoning Co.
I have a few Chinese chestnut trees that are 2-300 yards from the woods and never see deer sign around them. The orchard I hunt at has Chinese chestnut trees next to the woods and deer are regularly near them. So do I think they’re a magic attraction, no. Do I think that, depending on what other food is available, they can help, yes
 
Facebook has been sending me an ad about Chestnut trees being great for deer... they're running a special this weekend.... worth buying any? Do the deer truly hit them harder than Oaks?
If I had to choose, I would put in the English Oak. It starts dropping nuts in a few years, produces annually, seldom frosts out and drops significantly more nuts with less tannin like a white oak. The deer stand under them beginning in August and just look up in anticipation for them to fall.
 
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Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
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How would the deer get them out of the spikey balls. My grandfather had some in Ms and I never saw the deer mess with them. Now his persimmon trees right next to the house got hammered on a nightly basis. You couldn't hardly find deer poop in the woods without persimmon seeds in it
 
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Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
67B04E46-CB96-4683-BA45-7691390CE1BD.jpeg

Talk about spike balls…I’ve got lots of sweet gum trees at one of my properties near a swamp. The good thing about them is that they’ll drop their seed pods through the winter, giving the deer food when they need it most. I’ve seen them come by and suck up the pods like a vacuum. Those pods are tough! This year the trees are loaded.
 
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Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
How would the deer get them out of the spikey balls. My grandfather had some in Ms and I never saw the deer mess with them. Now his persimmon trees right next to the house got hammered on a nightly basis. You couldn't hardly find deer poop in the woods without persimmon seeds in it
The balls split apart as the chestnuts ripen prior to falling.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
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The balls split apart as the chestnuts ripen prior to falling.

Ours never did enough for the nuts to fall out. We would always have to step on the spike balls with both feet and then kind of slide our feet apart to open them.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
Ours never did enough for the nuts to fall out. We would always have to step on the spike balls with both feet and then kind of slide our feet apart to open them.
Neighbor had some where i grew up, some would some wouldn't. My daughter's softball team collected them from a local orchard (?) as a fundraiser. Easily 3/4 or more were opened up on the ground.