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.