Pumkins or Apples

[Mallardmasher]

If you could use either at your blacktail camera location, which would be your first choice, Pumkins or Apples, and would you use any grain. I plan on feeding them thru the winter into spring.

[vandeman17]

I have found hay/alfalfa works well on eastside. They like apples and pumpkins but love hay.

[Mallardmasher]

Do blacktail like alfalfa hay?

[vandeman17]

Never tried on westside but I would think so. 50# bale of condensed alfalfa is like $12 so worth a shot.

[headshot5]

apples. 

[Britt-dog]

Corn is king, followed by Alfalfa, followed by apples/everything else.

[JDHasty]

If you could use either at your blacktail camera location, which would be your first choice, Pumkins or Apples, and would you use any grain. I plan on feeding them thru the winter into spring.

Once they start on pumpkins they are hooked.  Kick one or two open, they eat the seeds and guts.  Apples always get them going, using wet cob we frequently need apples to prime the pump before they take off on it.  Once on wet cob or pumpkins there is no stopping them. 

[N7XW]

Tagging along for this.

[PolarBear]

Do blacktail like alfalfa hay?

No they do not.  Elk do but I have never had a blackmail even take as much as a nibble of alfalfa.  Acorns and apples seem to be their favorites.  Blacktails have a lot different taste than whitetails or mulies.  You almost have to force feed them to start eating grain. 

[Eric M]

Never had any luck with alfalfa or minerals. Apples always works. They seem to lose interest in Apple's beginning of October at least for me. Cant figure it out. Maybe eating acorns? Have to try pumpkins

[JDHasty]

Never had any luck with alfalfa or minerals. Apples always works. They seem to lose interest in Apple's beginning of October at least for me. Cant figure it out. Maybe eating acorns? Have to try pumpkins

Ya' don't say?  Actually, it usually works that way on dumped apples for us, apple trees, they go steady on.  Yes starting them on grain, even wet cob is work.  Once they are on it, or rolled corn, it is something they never forget though. 

[Band]

Do blacktail like alfalfa hay?

No they do not.  Elk do but I have never had a blackmail even take as much as a nibble of alfalfa.

Might be because alfalfa holds to nutritional content for deer.  I've heard reports of deer dying of starvation with stomachs bloated with alfalfa.  Different story for elk though.

[Eric M]

Never had any luck with alfalfa or minerals. Apples always works. They seem to lose interest in Apple's beginning of October at least for me. Cant figure it out. Maybe eating acorns? Have to try pumpkins

Ya' don't say?  Actually, it usually works that way on dumped apples for us, apple trees, they go steady on.  Yes starting them on grain, even wet cob is work.  Once they are on it, or rolled corn, it is something they never forget though.

Interesting thanks for the tip.

[fishnfur]

Do blacktail like alfalfa hay?

No they do not.  Elk do but I have never had a blackmail even take as much as a nibble of alfalfa.

Might be because alfalfa holds to nutritional content for deer.  I've heard reports of deer dying of starvation with stomachs bloated with alfalfa.  Different story for elk though.

I think that was corn.  High carb, low protein.

[PolarBear]

 
The mulies and whitetails push my buddies horses off of their alfalfa in NE WA.  They are fat as hogs all winter. 

[snake]

Hard to beat alfalfa or corn, but apples would be next on the list.

[beav1980]

I've had a pumpkin sitting at my cam for a week and nothing has touched it!

[lokidog]

APPLES, they don't seem to touch the pumpkins until after they have frozen or are starting to get soft.  I did buy five for a buck each at Home Depot right after Halloween though. I will toss one out tomorrow and pout some apples next to it and see what happens. 

[fishnfur]

APPLES, they don't seem to touch the pumpkins until after they have frozen or are starting to get soft.  I did buy five for a buck each at Home Depot right after Halloween though. I will toss one out tomorrow and pout some apples next to it and see what happens. 

The trees have been bare of apples for a few days.  I never considered pumpkins, so I cut one up and threw it in front of the cam.  We'll see what happens.

[JDHasty]

I've had a pumpkin sitting at my cam for a week and nothing has touched it!

They eat the guts and will kick them open themselves after they start eating them.  Try kicking them open to let them at the seeds.  Like I said above, they don't start on them like apples.  Once they are on them, they will stay with them though. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Being that pumpkins are not one of their natural foods is this causing any damage to their digestive system?

[JDHasty]

Being that pumpkins are not one of their natural foods is this causing any damage to their digestive system?

They seem to thrive on squash.  I know a woman who spent $50K on fences to keep them out of her organic farm and they were really after her squash. 

[JakeLand]

Just plant some rose bushes in front of the camera

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[JDHasty]

Just plant some rose bushes in front of the camera

Or a spot of this behind each ear before heading out to hunt:

[Blacktail Sniper]

Just plant some rose bushes in front of the camera

Or tomato plants or Big Leaf Maple seedlings or tulips....

[boneaddict]

Just plant some rose bushes in front of the camera

 
 

[JDHasty]

Just plant some rose bushes in front of the camera

Or tomato plants or Big Leaf Maple seedlings or tulips....

Had a lab that was a tulip bulb eating machine.  I gave her to my elderly mother when she was about nine.  She would dig up and eat every tulip bulb in the neighborhood when she got out.  I suspect she would have made a fantastic truffle dog. 

[lokidog]

If you could use either at your blacktail camera location, which would be your first choice, Pumkins or Apples, and would you use any grain. I plan on feeding them thru the winter into spring.

Once they start on pumpkins they are hooked.  Kick one or two open, they eat the seeds and guts.  Apples always get them going, using wet cob we frequently need apples to prime the pump before they take off on it.  Once on wet cob or pumpkins there is no stopping them.

I've also had good luck with them eating the Allstock pellets from Del's, they seem to like them better than others I've tried.  Priming the pump with apples definitely helps.  They also need to be kept dry.

[Mallardmasher]

A little all source mixed with sweet cob mixed with golden nuggets and BD&J  deer chow equal parts, laced with a little acorn rage. Is working gooood. They gobble it up before the apples, and has about 20% protein and about 15% corn.

[Come Get Some]

Do you need any more apples yet, I might still have some pumpkins left too. Let me know

[Mallardmasher]

Oh yes, gonna need more apples, the other is good, but spendy. Getting them ready for when apples are no longer avail.... Thanks

[JDHasty]

Oh yes, gonna need more apples, the other is good, but spendy. Getting them ready for when apples are no longer avail.... Thanks

Wet COB $12/bag on sale vs apples & pumpkins free.  No brainer.  Remember to kick a couple pumpkins open to let them know there are seeds inside.  Once they know the drill they will not hesitate  though.  Deer Cane will also work as a starter sometimes.  If they go for it, they will eat a 4x4 foot rotten stump in a year or dig a hole three feet deep if you pour a gallon out.  I haven't used it much, but know a guy that swears by it.  He has a dozen holes dug on his place where they have eaten all the dirt.  He maintains them year after year.