Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: crazywednesday on September 08, 2020, 09:54:39 AM

Title: Elk feeding habits
Post by: crazywednesday on September 08, 2020, 09:54:39 AM: Has anyone ever observed elk eating pears off the ground?
Title: Re: Elk feeding habits
Post by: predatorG on September 08, 2020, 10:15:46 AM: Yes
Title: Re: Elk feeding habits
Post by: crazywednesday on September 08, 2020, 08:06:31 PM: Thanks predatorG. The reason I ask is that I have and apple that the deer have eaten all but not a single pair from the other tree. Just wondering if elk eat them.
Title: Re: Elk feeding habits
Post by: Quackwhacker on September 08, 2020, 09:44:53 PM: Might be because the pears are not ripe enough yet and your deer are picky eaters.

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Title: Re: Elk feeding habits
Post by: Bango skank on September 08, 2020, 10:28:10 PM: Generally seems to me the more ripe, or even over ripe fruit is, the more critters prefer it. But i did just find an old orchard with still green apples, nowhere near ripe, and a bunch of bear piles clearly composed of half digested green apples, that bear was climbing the trees to eat them, so you never know, when you think you got a critter figured out, theyll do something totally unexpected and throw you for a loop.
Title: Re: Elk feeding habits
Post by: vandeman17 on September 10, 2020, 10:29:04 AM: Quote from: Bango skank on September 08, 2020, 10:28:10 PM
Generally seems to me the more ripe, or even over ripe fruit is, the more critters prefer it. But i did just find an old orchard with still green apples, nowhere near ripe, and a bunch of bear piles clearly composed of half digested green apples, that bear was climbing the trees to eat them, so you never know, when you think you got a critter figured out, theyll do something totally unexpected and throw you for a loop.

What is funny is to watch a bear or deer after eating a pile of apples/pears that have been fermenting for a while. I have seen some fruit drunk bears that stumble away from the pile and end up just posting up for a long nap...

Been there, done that :chuckle: