My brother in Ohio keeps the numerous deer feeders on his 200 acres feeding corn all year round. I don’t start feeding corn in the couple feeders I have until September or so, but I do start feeding deer on my hunting land in early summer. Let me explain.
I found out years ago that deer love fruit; people whose fruit trees get raided annually by the local deer will attest to that. There were several cider mills near where I grew up and lots of folks took the apples that fell to the ground to those mills in the late summer and early fall and had them pressed into apple cider. Many church groups and FFA clubs also picked up fallen apples and had them pressed into cider to sell as fundraisers. The bottom line is that most fruit that fell to the ground under apple trees there was used by someone for cider. Here in south central Kansas there are few if any cider mills so fallen fruit can be had nearly everywhere you can find it. I have accumulated a list of several apple tree owners near my home, some right here in town that are pleased-as-punch to have their fallen apples picked up. One guy is so happy not to have to cart the apples off to the dump that he even picks them up for me and puts them in buckets I provide. My dad and I gather them by the bucket full and dump them directly under my deer feeders. Its good early nutrition for deer and our cameras get some neat pictures of does and fawns. They love good ripe pears too, and I also rake up acorns when I have the patience. I’m told that deer love apricots as well and will actually eat the flesh and leave the pit. So if you want to feed deer early without spending money on corn, try picking up unwanted fallen fruit; the deer will love it just as much.
It’s been so hot and dry lately I couldn’t resist ending this week’s offering with a few observations about that.
It’s so hot and dry that the Obama Administration has announced a water pistol buyback scheme.
It’s so hot and dry that cities around here are begging kids to pee in the pool.
It’s so hot and dry that congress has had to take their hands out of OUR pockets to fan themselves.
It’s so hot and dry that ducklings born this year in Kansas don’t yet know how to swim.
It’s been so hot that I saw a guy with a backpack standing on the street corner with a sign that said “Will work for shade.”
And finally, it’s been so hot and dry that I heard a whistling noise in the backyard the other night that turned out to be the maple tree begging my dog to come and pee on it.
Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected]. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!
