# Learning Natural foods**Updated 7/15/09**



## Public Land Prowler (Jun 26, 2009)

Lots of guys ride through the woods,and figure there ain't nothing here to hunt over.No reason for deer/hogs or any other life to be here.I'm going to set up a series of threads showing what I look for and where.I'm going to teach you that by knowing what food sources you can find in the woods,in certain areas...That you will be able to start picking off similar areas,and know what food sources to look for.

For instance everyone knows there are oak trees in the swamp.I hunt the hill alot,and there are certain food sources that are as common on the hill as oaks are in the swamps.When you start figuring out what foods to look for,where,how,what time of year they become consumable for the animals,then you can figure out where deer will be at certain times of the year and why.You can eliminate ground,and find productive ground..Lots of tracks in the area and you don't know why?Maybe some of these can be the clue.

Things are ever changing in the woods.This is how I have figured where they are,why they are there,and where they will be in the future.Learning to hunt natural foods can take your hunting to another level.It may be that missing link.If I help one person then I have done what I accomplished.

I'm going to show what food sources I found in a 5 minute scouting session.I do alot of speed scouting.I hunt WMA's that alot of times I don't get a chance to scout.I have 2 or 3 days to hunt these WMA's,and I have to know what to look for,where to look for it,and eliminate ground as quickly as possible as well.Over time you will be able to identify food sources quick,and easy.

I first went to an open pine flat,and this is what I found...Doesn't look like much..






First thing I noticed was this..

Item 1-











Sitting right by it was a pile of these..
Item 2-











Well I spun around and here this was...

Item 3-











Looking at a nearby tree I noticed this..

Item 4-
















This was right above that...

Item 5-






And ton of these all over the ground..

Item 6-






In 5 minutes I found 6 food sources that would support wildlife from today to the close of deer season.Any guesses what the 6 items were,and when they would be available as a food source?

Obviously this area will hold deer all through hunting season,pressure will play a factor on how productive the spot will be before hunters push the game into deeper cover...So the next thing to do is start looking for tracks,sign,bedding areas,and how to approach potential stand locations without being seen/heard,and with certain wind directions.Also how to hide the truck,as not to give away my spot..lol


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## Swamprat (Jun 26, 2009)

OK...smilax and palmetto berries, grapes I understand as well which I think are gallberries but I have never seen deer eat blueberries. I have a neighbor right down the road who has around 300 blueberry plants for production and he has never had a problem with deer.

We have alot of deer in our area and the few times I have seen deer in his orchard they were eating pusley weed or other weeds present including green briar (smilax) but not the blueberries

At my lease we have tons of wild blueberries but have neer seen a deer feeding on them. Nor have I seen them eat blackberries.

Great post though and a interesting topic that I am sure will help out other hunters.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 26, 2009)

Not only deer benefit from these food sources,other animals do as well.My friend LG has a ton of blueberry bushes at his house,and on some other land,and they stay in his blueberries year around.I am sure deer and other animals will have these foods placed higher or lower on their list of prefrences.If there is something even better than blueberries,then that's what they will eat.All of these photo's are wild.

Item #1 is wild ground blueberries.
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Ground_blueberry/groublue.htm

I am going to even show pics of coyote scat with those little low brush blueberries in them. May take the weekend to go find that scat again...lol.I'll come back and ID them all when a few more people guess...lol..You did pretty good


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## Swamprat (Jun 26, 2009)

Public Land Prowler said:


> Not only deer benefit from these food sources,other animals do as well.My friend LG has a ton of blueberry bushes at his house,and on some other land,and they stay in his blueberries year around.I am sure deer and other animals will have these foods placed higher or lower on their list of prefrences.If there is something even better than blueberries,then that's what they will eat.All of these photo's are wild.
> 
> Item #1 is wild ground blueberries.
> http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Ground_blueberry/groublue.htm
> ...



I am a land surveyor as well as a hunter so I have seen pretty much all of it.

I'll take you word on the blueberries but in my area the deer don't touch them.

You go to Central Florida and you will find bear scat that is loaded up with palmetto berries as well as the hogs.

Coyotes wil eat anything so it isn't suprising to find them in their scat.

Like I said great topic and should help all hunters whether public or private land.

I can't wait til we get to the persimmons, acorns, and honeysuckle portion.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 26, 2009)

I'll agree.The benefit of knowing what you have in an area,can help when certain food sources deplinish.Gallberries are bottom of the list for deer,but they will feed on them heavily in late season when no acorns are left,and when fresh growth is slim.{Atleast around here}

Deer are browsers by nature,and they tend to spend more time browsing fresh green growth than they do on anything else.Thanks for the input,and maybe more people will kick in too.


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## Swamprat (Jun 26, 2009)

*Plp*

it is amazing that in our area even with alot of ag crops close to travel distance for deer they spend a good time grazing thru on gallberries picking off the new growth.

Same applies for greenbriar...they go thru and nip the tops off like a rabbit.

Something else for al hunters to consider even though it is a short lived food source is mushrooms. In areas of planted pines after a good rain or two they will pop out left and right and deer wil go out of their way to nibble on them.

All hunters must realize that deer are grazers and for their digestive tract to work properly they will feed on several things in season. You can have a ton of acorns and the deer will feed on them heavily at times but you wil also find alot of other browse mixed in if you cut open their stomach.

Just like fishing...cut open their stomach to get an idea of what they are feeding on at different times of the year.

Sorry to steal your thunder PLP, even though I hunt private land I still value the food source. Growing up though in public land hunting I still remember watching deer move maybe 40 yards in an hour as they were gorging on palmetto berries.

I do hope more will chime in and ask questions or give advice...Mother Nature provides the best food plot if you know how and when to utilize it.


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## wack em (Jun 27, 2009)

Item two is quite tasty! I would have had to take a few of those for myself.


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## 00Beau (Jun 27, 2009)

What are the big leaved looking bushes that get purple looking berries on them? Deer wear them out on my property and they really come up good after a burn.


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## sman (Jun 27, 2009)

Here is food sources I found scouting last year, for some reason deer love this stuff.


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## Swamprat (Jun 27, 2009)

300 short mag said:


> What are the big leaved looking bushes that get purple looking berries on them? Deer wear them out on my property and they really come up good after a burn.



If you are talking about leaves maybe 4-6 inches wide and 10 or so inches long with a single stalk that kinda looks like rhubarb and grows around 6 foot tall then it is probably poke berry.

Deer will mow them down for some reason.


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## Buck Trax (Jun 27, 2009)

This is a great post! I commend y'all for helping out others in their quest for better woodsmanship. Swamp Rat and PLP I have to disagree with both of you on one detail though. Deer are neither grazers nor browsers. Although many wildlife biologists referred to deer as grazers in the early days of game management and then browsers later on, we came to realize that they are actually concentrate selectors. Deer have the uncanny ability to not only select the most nutritious plants, but the most nutritious parts of the most nutritious plants. This is why you see them doing things like snipping the ends of smilax shoots off and foraging on mushrooms right after rains. On a side note, mushrooms are concentrated sources of phosphorous which is typically found only in small amounts in the deer's diet and is very important to skeletal and antler growth. But back to the main topic, the fact that deer are concentrate selectors explains why they eat only certain parts of plants and eat them at certain times of the year when those plants are highest in the particular type of nutrient the deer requires during that particular season.


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## Swamprat (Jun 27, 2009)

*Buck Trax*

I understand what you are saying.

Not speaking for PLP but when I say browser it is to mean the best of several food sources available. Does not matter if the prefered food source is available they wil still browse on alternative forage as well. I have never ever seen in a deers stomach just acorns even though it will be the preferred food source at that time. You will also find grasses, greenbriar, etc as well.

Deer will not forfit other food sources as they move along going to their main food source as the season dictates. Even with acorns dropping I have seen them feed on honeysuckle, green briar, and gallberries at the same time within 20- 30 yards of the preferred oak.

Browsing to me is moving along and eating the best as you travel....probably the same but different as you call it. Deer are browsers in the sense they travel and not gorge on one food source but several.


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## boneboy96 (Jun 27, 2009)

very informative posting for me!


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## Swamprat (Jun 27, 2009)

*Other food sources*

If you are a swamp hunter also pay attention to pond or water plants that grow in submerged water. Deer wil feed on these as well just like you have seen videos of moose with there head buried under the water.

Not sure of how much they utilize them nor can really identify what is the best aquatic plant but have seen several deer eating underwater vegetation. To me it looks like mostly coon grass and maybe young stalks of hyacinth.


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## Buck Trax (Jun 27, 2009)

Swamprat said:


> I understand what you are saying.
> 
> Not speaking for PLP but when I say browser it is to mean the best of several food sources available. Does not matter if the prefered food source is available they wil still browse on alternative forage as well. I have never ever seen in a deers stomach just acorns even though it will be the preferred food source at that time. You will also find grasses, greenbriar, etc as well.
> 
> ...



I understand what you're saying and agree with it. I just wanted to help add in some more knowledge. "Browse" actually refers to woody plants and parts of those plants. "Grazing" refers to eating grasses. I know it's a semantics issue, but I just like to help further everyone's knowledge a bit. So, I would say deer are concentrate selectors in the sense that they travel and select the most nutritious parts of palatable plants they pass as they go. Again, I agree with you and I'm not talking down, just elaborating.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 28, 2009)

When I say browser I mean they like a wide variety of foods,as they mosey along.They are not generally ones who sit in one place and gorge themselves,but they will do it on occasion if it is something they really like(soybeans),or if it is in short demand.It is the reason they are creatures of the edge.Meaning they like two or more types of terrain where they travel.The goal is to stuff as much as they can down,and as wide of a variety as they can and do it in the shortest amount of time.I still stick to my statement that they eat mostly green forage,even when acorns are in great supply.

Yes I agree..they prefer the fresh tender green new growth,rather than the entire bush.As the vine hardens it loses appeal.They are very selective feeders,when food is in good supply.

300 short mag if not pokeberry,could it be beauty berries?Hard to know without a pic.

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Beautyberry/beautybe.htm

OK ..Item #2 is what we call gooseberry,deerberry,There may be a different term..It is a summer food that will become availabe in early to mid une,and play out in late july.It is the #1-mid summer foodsource for all animals.Turkeys,squirrels,coons,possums,deer,hogs,coyotes...It is as attractive as acorns are in the fall.It goes from green to powder blue to a deep purple/blue when ripe.

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Deerberry/deerberr.htm


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 28, 2009)

PS I found a new food source today for yotes.I knew coons ate them..Crawfish...lol..As the water drops in the swamp they crawfish holes are exposed,and they are digging them up and having a field day..


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## SELFBOW (Jun 28, 2009)

Public Land Prowler said:


> PS I found a new food source today for yotes.I knew coons ate them..Crawfish...lol..As the water drops in the swamp they crawfish holes are exposed,and they are digging them up and having a field day..



(_E=mc2_)


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## 308NavyDad (Jun 28, 2009)

very good post.thanks a lot. whats next?


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 28, 2009)

308NavyDad said:


> very good post.thanks a lot. whats next?


Not done yet...lo...

Item #3 is palmetto berries they will generally become available in mid august,and pull deer very well up until acorns start hitting the ground.

Item #4 is what we call greenbrier/catbrier.They nibble on fresh growth from it whenever they find it.It also produces fruit that drops in the fall...

Item #5 is muscadines(wild grapes),and around here they usually drop around august up until the first few weeks of bow season.

Item #6 is gallberries,and they are not exactly a favored food,but in late season(Late dec/Early Jan) they will feed on them.

All in all this area will hold game,but this is when you have to figure out that..

first off this area is close to a road

secondly these food items are abundant.

If I were to hunt this area I would find a nearby ti -ti bay,pine thicket,or dense swamp that they could use for bedding cover.I would most likely only hunt this spot in early season before deer become wary,and as soon as palmetto's are putting on good.When the acorns start to drop I would most likely abandon this spot until late season GIVEN there are still deer using the area.Since gallberries are everywhere it is most likely not going to be a deer magnet late season.

So any spot you see like this,you know is generally best early season up until acorns start dropping.This is how I eliminate spots.

Finding spots like this let you know what to look for,when the foods are there


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## kingfish (Jun 28, 2009)

Great post PLP.  Thanks in advance and keep it coming.  I hunt public land exclusively now and can ALWAYS use advice, tips etc.      Kingfish


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## 00Beau (Jun 28, 2009)

Swamprat said:


> If you are talking about leaves maybe 4-6 inches wide and 10 or so inches long with a single stalk that kinda looks like rhubarb and grows around 6 foot tall then it is probably poke berry.
> 
> Deer will mow them down for some reason.



No it is a light colored leaf and the berries are more lavender than purple, they do not have berries right now but they will by bow season, will take a picture next time  I go, should have took one today. Not beauty berry either, will definately take picture this week.


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## Bruz (Jun 28, 2009)

Great info PLP and Swamprat.

Here's something I learned a few years ago. If you have a creek running through your property try to find a big turn or oxbow. The fruit and acorns that drop into the creek from the trees lining it will collect in this curve in the creek.......Deer will wade the creek and eat the floating food source. 

I had a place like this on our Crawford county club and deer would wade out neck deep and eat off the surface. I have a video here somewhere and will post it if I can find it.

Robert


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 28, 2009)

Bruz said:


> Great info PLP and Swamprat.
> 
> Here's something I learned a few years ago. If you have a creek running through your property try to find a big turn or oxbow. The fruit and acorns that drop into the creek form the trees lining it will collect in this curve in the creek.......Deer will wade the creek and eat the floating food source.
> 
> ...


Absolutely!!And if while hog hunting you find an area where acorns have washed like you talked about,and hogs haven't hit it,then you need to keep moving...

I am going to try and set the stage for the next phase.Gotta make a trip out...What my goal here is..Is to help people see there is more there than it looks like,and understand why they may be hunting unproductive spots.Also to understand why just because you find a good food source,doesn't mean the spot will be good.Especially if the location is bad,or the food source is abundant.Keying in on high profile food sources,that are in short supply is the key.

Look at the surroundings.Are there live oaks dropping everywhere?Then how about finding one that is closest to bedding cover.Are there palmetto berries everywhere?They may not be as good at pulling game then.But when you find certain foods,and then you see the food is concentrated in one area,and not so abundant nearby,that's when you hone in.The woods are ever changing.Not only picking up hints from deer,but noticing what other animals are doing can help key you in on what the target animals are doing.If you find food sources that are drawing game in one spot,then you will be able to automatically pick off areas that are similar,and know what to look for.And that means expanding new honey holes.


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## 00Beau (Jun 29, 2009)

The white blooms turn into lavender pods of berries. The deer wear them out. What are they called?


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## Swamprat (Jun 29, 2009)

Bruz said:


> Great info PLP and Swamprat.



Hey I am just piggybacking off PLP's post...he is the originator and offers some valubale advice whether public or private. I am just offering my own insight and advice.

I agree with you about the acorns, etc, getting piled up in one area of a creek.Have also seen deer take advantage of it after a flooding rain and the water recedes and the acorns are piled up in a low area.


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## Swamprat (Jun 29, 2009)

300 short mag said:


> The white blooms turn into lavender pods of berries. The deer wear them out. What are they called?



We have them on our lease and for some reason I do not know what they are. If it is the same thing the berries get maybe BB to pea size but there wil be a cluster of them in in a pod. 

I have never seen deer eat them but I know the birds and coons will wear them out. 

Most of of ours wil show up early fall and if the weather is worse up North the robins will show early and go thru them like a rat on acid.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 29, 2009)

300 short mag said:


> The white blooms turn into lavender pods of berries. The deer wear them out. What are they called?


At first I thought you were messing with me..lol..I will be honest I have no clue.It must be something that is in north ga,that we don't have down here along the coast.


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## SELFBOW (Jun 29, 2009)

2 weeks ago I had 3 pigs pounding these plants 20 yds in front of me. I took the pics the next day.
Can you tell what they are?


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## Swamprat (Jun 29, 2009)

Public Land Prowler said:


> At first I thought you were messing with me..lol..I will be honest I have no clue.It must be something that is in north ga,that we don't have down here along the coast.



PLP....if it is the same thing I am thinking we have at our lease then I would beleive it to be a Southern plant since we have them in the Panhandle of Florida.

The berries to me look like the berries of a lantana plant but in a bigger cluster and turning a dark lavender or purple when ripe.

We have only noticed them in areas that have been logged or have been disked. Seems like busted or disturbed soil is needed to get them to grow kinda like dog fennel


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## Swamprat (Jun 29, 2009)

Buckbacks....with all the green in the photo it is hard to distinguish for me. If you can pull a plant up and put it on a solid background and photograph it would help.

I am assuming the taller plant in the middle of the second photo is what you are asking about.


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## bluefieldbowhunter (Jun 29, 2009)

It's called Beauty Berry and the deer do love them.  



300 short mag said:


> The white blooms turn into lavender pods of berries. The deer wear them out. What are they called?


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## Swamprat (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks Bluefield....if it is the same thing the deer do not touch them in our area from what I have seen but other animals and birds will. I have seen coons pull down the stalks to gorge on the berries.

I guess with some of our ample ag fields in the area they are not a prefrerred or priority but I will keep a closer eye on them to see if deer in our area utilize them.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 29, 2009)

I want to see the berry.I am still thinking beauty berry as well,but if it has a pod,and not berries then I am lost.

300Short mag look at it from a different angle..

http://www.thejump.net/hunting/plant-id/french-mulberry.htm

Martin I can't tell what you want Id'd maybe they were pounding that area to eat your corn..lol..Looks like you got some mary jane growing there especially on that bottom pic..lol


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## SELFBOW (Jun 29, 2009)

No it was in GA. They were eating the darker green weed with the thicker stalks.......


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## Swamprat (Jun 29, 2009)

bottom pic does look like the variety of "fatbud" which is common in all 50 states as well as most of the world and can be seen both outdoors and in.

I don't think deer like it but some people do and have been known to graze on a backstrap or ham after consumption.


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## SELFBOW (Jun 29, 2009)

Swamprat said:


> bottom pic does look like the variety of "fatbud" which is common in all 50 states as well as most of the world and can be seen both outdoors and in.
> 
> I don't think deer like it but some people do and have been known to graze on a backstrap or ham after consumption.



 I slipped that one in just for laughs...


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## GobbleAndGrunt78 (Jun 29, 2009)

Well, I got one I need ID'd. It seems to be a tall weed-like bush that I've found near ditches. It's stalk is a weird purplish-red. The deer eat all the leaves and limbs and have even found the stalks chewed on too. They wear it out good every year. I'm guessing pokeweed?


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## 00Beau (Jun 30, 2009)

Public Land Prowler said:


> I want to see the berry.I am still thinking beauty berry as well,but if it has a pod,and not berries then I am lost.
> 
> 300Short mag look at it from a different angle..
> 
> ...


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## CamoCop (Jun 30, 2009)

deer sure do love them palmetto berries down here in Florida.  will deer eat wild black berries?  our lease is absolutely covered in wild black berries.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 30, 2009)

CamoCop said:


> deer sure do love them palmetto berries down here in Florida.  will deer eat wild black berries?  our lease is absolutely covered in wild black berries.


Now we have what I call dewberries.They are low to the ground,and are a prickly vine.But the fruit is usually available in late april-late june with early to mid may being peak.They will eat the new growth from them.They seem to be found along ditches,road edges,and in old fields.They like sloped areas.

First the flower puts on..







Here are the stages it goes through...Solid red seems to be the favorite stage..



























The whole bush..


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## BIGABOW (Jun 30, 2009)

Great job PLP!! Ill stay tuned!


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## Buck Trax (Jun 30, 2009)

300- that is definitely American Beautyberry (_Callicarpa americana_). Deer don't usually eat them in GA, but I've heard that in some parts of Mississippi they wear them out. 

Gobble- what you've described is definitely pokeweed (_Phytolacca americana_). It is a preferred deer forage.

Camo- blackberries are definitely a preferred deer browse. They are arguably one of the most important native wildlife plants in the southeast. They provide soft mast, nutritious browse and excellent escape cover.

PLP- you're right to call those dewberries. They're in the same genus as blackberries (_Rubus_) and have essentially the same wildlife value (except cover).


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 30, 2009)

Again.These are foods that deer like,depending on how abundant they are in your area will determine how well they pull game.As with hunting over any of these foods,the less supply you have the more demand.Then pressure,and location falls into place.

OK before we go to softmass,and then hard mass,does anybody know this one?
















Hey 300 short mag..I found a beauty berry patch,and yours should look like this in a few weeks.Our growth is always a few weeks ahead of north ga it seems.











Ben I think you are talking about elderberry,they do eat it....I don't have a pic yet..

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Elderberry/elderber.htm

Parts of pokeweed is poisonous.They do eat some of it though..Here is some pokeweed..The biggest difference between elderberry and poke weed is the purple stalk of the pokeweed,and if you cut it in half it has hollow chambers in the stem.











http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokeweed


Almost forgot one other food to cover!!Mushrooms especially when other foods are in short supply...I find these highly attractive especially last season(dec/jan)There are different types in the swamp,but when looking in the pine hills you can find them easily in mature pines that are shaded and open at ground level,and also in planted pines that are raked for straw.They pop up after a rain,and deer love 'em.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 30, 2009)

Oops one more thing on the pine hill to look for...Crabapples.They prefer shady areas,and sandy soil.You can find them along ditches,and also old windrows in pine stands,where they were pushed up when the clearing was re-planted.

I have no pic of the apple,but I will get one this season.They usually start falling in early sept,and may fall until late october.They pull deer real good until acorns start dropping.Again if you have a ton of them,picking the right tree to sit at will take a little more effort.

In march they bloom and look like this..

From a distance..






the flower...






The bark around the trunk starts out like an oak,and smooths out towards the limbs...






We've bout covered what to look for up on the pine hill,next I'm going to take you to the sand hills.Then the hardwoods,and finally swamps.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jun 30, 2009)

bucktrax if I am right the major difference between dewberries and blackberries,is that the blackberries have a stalk of sorts..like a briar.


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## huntfish (Jul 1, 2009)

Don't forget one plant that is most common to the state.

KUDZU.


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## The AmBASSaDEER (Jul 1, 2009)

Great thread, Ill be checking back soon.


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## hawgrider1200 (Jul 1, 2009)

*cannibis plants?*



buckbacks said:


> 2 weeks ago I had 3 pigs pounding these plants 20 yds in front of me. I took the pics the next day.
> Can you tell what they are?



Not sure about all of them but one looks like cannibis sativa.


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## GlassEyeJones (Jul 1, 2009)

Do deer eat 'sqaw root'?


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## Tailfeather (Jul 1, 2009)

Buck Trax said:


> This is a great post! I commend y'all for helping out others in their quest for better woodsmanship. Swamp Rat and PLP I have to disagree with both of you on one detail though. Deer are neither grazers nor browsers. Although many wildlife biologists referred to deer as grazers in the early days of game management and then browsers later on, we came to realize that they are actually concentrate selectors. Deer have the uncanny ability to not only select the most nutritious plants, but the most nutritious parts of the most nutritious plants. This is why you see them doing things like snipping the ends of smilax shoots off and foraging on mushrooms right after rains. On a side note, mushrooms are concentrated sources of phosphorous which is typically found only in small amounts in the deer's diet and is very important to skeletal and antler growth. But back to the main topic, the fact that deer are concentrate selectors explains why they eat only certain parts of plants and eat them at certain times of the year when those plants are highest in the particular type of nutrient the deer requires during that particular season.


You must have recently had a class with KVM.

Good info all....keep em coming plp.


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## Buck Trax (Jul 1, 2009)

You're right PLP. Blackberries have stalks while dewberries run along the ground. Tailfeather


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## Buck Trax (Jul 1, 2009)

PLP, that's yellow jessamine _Gelsemium sempervirens_. It's an average deer browse. From what I've read it's used more readily below the fall line than above it.

Huntfish- great point. Kudzu is highly nutritious and provides great cover.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 1, 2009)

huntfish said:


> Don't forget one plant that is most common to the state.
> 
> KUDZU.


Thanks!IDK how I forgot..



Buck Trax said:


> PLP, that's yellow jessamine _Gelsemium sempervirens_. It's an average deer browse. From what I've read it's used more readily below the fall line than above it.


Dead on Bucktrax!!I see right now,ain't too many people gonna play along,and step out,and say what it is unless they know.I wanted to trick some people...lol

Alot of people may think the yellow jessamine is honey suckle..They both put on similar flowers,they both have opposing leaves,but the difference is the yellow jessamine has long slender leaves where as the honeysuckle has shorter,more rounded leaves.You could waste valuable time hunting yellow jessamine when you think it is honeysuckle.

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Yellow_jessamine/yelljess.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeysuckle

Pics..

Matured section of honeysuckle..






Fresh new section..(the lighter colored section)This is what they like.Soft,tender,nutritious and delicious.






Another pic of beautyberry cluster,and a stem with the flower,and newly formed berries.











Blackberry bush






Close-up


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 1, 2009)

GlassEyeJones said:


> Do deer eat 'sqaw root'?


They may,but I don't think they herd to it.It's not found much in my area.It is found in moist areas,not so much in the pines,but it likes shady areas,so if there is a shady moist area in the pines it may grow there.The plant is toxic.

http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H48.htm


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## Swamprat (Jul 1, 2009)

Another food source that I have seen deer eat is the leaves off Mimosa trees. They will only hit them at certain times of the year but there are a couple along a ag field right behind my house that will look like cattle or goats have foraged on them by the definite browse line.

Not sure if it is a regional thing as far as forage but they will grow along fence lines, ag fields or areas that have had the soil disrupted.

Can't remember exactly when they wil eat on them but I am wanting to say late September or early October. Since we have none at our lease I really don't pay attention but do know the deer hammer them behind the house.


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Jul 1, 2009)

Swamprat said:


> Another food source that I have seen deer eat is the leaves off Mimosa trees. They will only hit them at certain times of the year but there are a couple along a ag field right behind my house that will look like cattle or goats have foraged on them by the definite browse line.
> 
> Not sure if it is a regional thing as far as forage but they will grow along fence lines, ag fields or areas that have had the soil disrupted.
> 
> Can't remember exactly when they wil eat on them but I am wanting to say late September or early October. Since we have none at our lease I really don't pay attention but do know the deer hammer them behind the house.



Great job guys!


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## Buck Trax (Jul 1, 2009)

I wanted to jump out on the others, but like to give everyone a chance. I knew what you were trying to pull on this one!


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## ryanwhit (Jul 1, 2009)

Tailfeather said:


> You must have recently had a class with KVM.





Nice job guys, and good thread plp!


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 1, 2009)

who is KVM?..Someone doing a qdm,or hunting seminar?

Thanks for the boost ryan...I hope to get out to do some more pics this weekend.There are so many good food sources to hunt over in the woods..Some people don't know what they are missing..


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## huntingonthefly (Jul 1, 2009)

GON article material, bud! Great thread! PLP- P eople L earning       P lants, lol.


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## Buck Trax (Jul 1, 2009)

Sorry PLP, I'd rather not say who it is on here. Keep 'em coming though, this is my favorite thread on here since... ever.


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## GobbleAndGrunt78 (Jul 2, 2009)

huntingonthefly said:


> GON article material, bud! Great thread! PLP- P eople L earning       P lants, lol.



Nice one!


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## 308NavyDad (Jul 2, 2009)

I gotta say this is the best thread I have ever seen on here.Thanks for getten it going plp.I have realy enjoyed this. Keep it coming.


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## huntfish (Jul 2, 2009)

MODs....Make this a sticky......Other areas to come....Hardwoods etc......I'm still amazed that folks can't recognize a persimmon tree....


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## Buck Trax (Jul 7, 2009)

PLP, where you at? I'm missing the daily posts!


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## itsabouthuntin (Jul 8, 2009)

This is what a forum ought to be about...sharing & learning woodmanship. Thanks.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 8, 2009)

Sorry..Been laying some pork down the last few days,and working.I haven't been able to get out much just to take pics.I did get a pic of some crabapples today on my cell phone to add to the crabapple collection(will try to get a better HQ pic tomorrow).I am going to try and post up a persimmon tree,and the fruit tomorrow.Looks like this weekend I can get some more pics,gonna add up kudzu too I guess,but I imagine most everyone knows what it looks like.

Crabapples...(They are WAY advanced for this time of year)


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## TenPtr (Jul 8, 2009)

Great thread and great posts.  I have not taken the time to read all of them but I figured I go ahead and chime in with an observation I made last week.  My place has a few old home sites scattered around, all of which are now blanketed in the beloved kudzu.  I was amazed at what I found while scouting these areas last week.  It was the ultimate browse line.  I dont know much about the plant but I do know that its in high demand right now.  I have always heard that but for the first time I actually observed it.   I dont often see the deer eat the kudzu during season so Im assuming its very palatable during the early-late summer and then loses its appeal.


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## Buck Trax (Jul 8, 2009)

Glad you're back. Just thought I'd add something on crabapples. The only difference between apples and crabapples is their size. Apples are 2 inches or more in diameter and crabapples are 2 inches or less in diameter. They're in the same genus, _Malus_ which contains many different species and hybrids.


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## TenPtr (Jul 8, 2009)

Touching back on something I just mentioned......An area worth checking-  Old home sites are scattered all over the place and are not always obvious.  Areas that use to be covered by some structure whether it be a shed,home,barn, etc.. and have long since collapsed and rotted often become great honey holes in terms of food sources.  The opening in the canopy allows sunlight to reach the exposed ground and all kinds of vines,fruit trees, and hedge type plants begin to flourish in the area.  Persimmon trees,apple trees, crap apples, muscadines,Honey suckle,smilax etc.. are all quite common in these old sites. Imagine all the fruit trees these remote dwelling families had planted around the house....they werent going to any grocery store so they basically made their own produce section.   Those same trees reseed over the years and are often found in great numbers in these small areas.     These areas provide great bedding as well.  Its just another thing to look for when your out in the woods.  These areas can easily be located on old or new maps.  Look for small openings amongst the tree tops.  They might be grown up in privett or some other shrub,trees,etc.. making them tough to distinguish but they will not be consistent with the surrounding forest.  Color variations, canopy height variation,vegetation density, etc....    Never overlook an old home site!


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## RipperIII (Jul 8, 2009)

I hunted down in south Alabama last February, 5,000acres, massive beautifully groomed food plots and elaborate shooting houses...
as i was heading to a shooting house i noticed a broken down barn about 100 yds of the trail in thick grass and overgrown brush. It was positioned in a draw between two food plots. Nobody ever bothered to hunt out of it since they had spent so much time and money grooming their land, I thought that it afforded a perfect ambush site,...great bedding all around, secluded, and food everywhere...just a thought.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 8, 2009)

RipperIII said:


> I hunted down in south Alabama last February, 5,000acres, massive beautifully groomed food plots and elaborate shooting houses...
> as i was heading to a shooting house i noticed a broken down barn about 100 yds of the trail in thick grass and overgrown brush. It was positioned in a draw between two food plots. Nobody ever bothered to hunt out of it since they had spent so much time and money grooming their land, I thought that it afforded a perfect ambush site,...great bedding all around, secluded, and food everywhere...just a thought.


Yep,I've stepped foot on a club for the first time,found out from the guys where the stands,and foodplots were,sat up between them,and shot deer.They get used to where the hunters are,and simply hunting on a curve or spot that can't be seen between box stands can produce,and with a foodsource like you described it could be a hot spot.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 11, 2009)

Here's an update on the palmetto berries..






The persimmon trees are easy to ID for me.They start out very rough barked,and smooth out towards the branches.The biggest give away is the green leaves with the black speckles on them..

















Ok...Let's start getting into oaks.All acorns are not created equal.I like to know where the oaks are,what kind they are,and if they are producing.Knowing what you have in the area,and when they generally start dropping will help keep you on the game.Of course certain oaks pull game better than others.BUT if the area doesn't have many oaks,even the last choice acorns could be a magnet.

The main key in finding oaks or anything to hunt over is trying to find something that is not abundant in the area,and being that it is in short supply it will concentrate deer to the area you want to hunt.If there are oaks everywhere,then you will be better off trying to use the terrain to your advantage,or finding a less abundant(but popular)food source.

Let's go ahead and cull some of them out.One thing I look for is acorns on the ground.If you find an oak that has lots of old acorns under it from last year..That says alot to me.It tells me that tree doesn't pull much game.(or atleast the yar before).Again if you don't have many oaks these may be very much worth your time..

#1..Myrtle oak..Not really worth hunting over in my area.(In this pic the Myrtle Oak is on the left,and a water oak is on the right)

















#2...Southern red oak.Turkey oaks are similar,these 2 are found on sand hills..Not really worth hunting over in my area.







#3..Laurel Oak..Not really worth hunting over in my area.







Now we are getting a little better..These next few trees may be worth your time if the sign is there to go along with it.

#4..Alleghany Chinkapin not exactly an acorn,but they do like them.











#5..sand post oak..decent but not worth my time unless the sign is there with it.Don't confuse it with the the WAY more productive "white oaks".Post oaks are rather crooked,and short.White oaks get way bigger,and have even a lighter color bark than these.Also the leaves are different.Even though these are similar.
















#6...-running oak..These are in big open pines and rarely get over hip high.We call them low brush acorns.They do fair at pulling game.Esecially if there are not many oaks around.












#7..Water oak..Getting a little better.The thing with water oaks is they don't really pull game unless there are no better acorns dropping at the time.They are one of the first to start dropping in my area,but as soon as the live oaks start dropping they will leave the water oaks.If this is the only oak around it WILL pull game.Late season it will also pull game when other oaks are done.


















#8(My favorite in bow season)Live oaks..These start dropping around here in Late sept,and usually run out by late oct.The acorns are green anbd oblong.There is also a low brush version in some places I hunt.It has acorns Exactly like the live oaks,but instead of green they are brown.They seem to pull deer a little better than live oaks.I will try to get a pic of them up later)



























I'm going to have to make a special trip(maybe tomorrow) to find the real good oaks...Swamp chestnut,sawtooth(not native,they are planted in mast orchards,but draw deer pretty good),and white oaks.These 3 are like cotton candy..Find them near security cover,away from roads,and you can be on your way to dragging...


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## mauser64 (Jul 12, 2009)

Great thread. Finding what a deer won't eat might be a better challenge!


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## toolshead86 (Jul 13, 2009)

i know were a few saw tooth oaks are an i kill deer off them every year.  if you need some pics ill get you some.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 13, 2009)

mauser64 said:


> Great thread. Finding what a deer won't eat might be a better challenge!


Well my point to this thread is there are alot of things,alot of them are overlooked,and also I'm trying to point out preference.They key is finding what is in short supply,or high on the priority list,and then capitalizing on limited food sources with good bedding areas near by.



toolshead86 said:


> i know were a few saw tooth oaks are an i kill deer off them every year.  if you need some pics ill get you some.


I appreciate it.I should get some up in a day or two.If you can get them sooner than that please post 'em.


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## Spinnerbait Nate (Jul 15, 2009)

GREAT INFO, THANKS this will help a bunch


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 15, 2009)

OK..here's kudzu even though I am sure everyone knows what it is.We don't have very much of it down here,so I don't usually even think about it.












Also here is that sand live oak.The acorns start out green,but when ripe turn brown(look just live regular live oaks but are brown)..This one pulls deer pretty good.It has a small trunk that is smooth.I've read they can get big,but I only have found small ones.
















Let's move into the top choice oaks...Let's get some guesses on what these are...

#1--

















#2--











#3--


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## swamphawg (Jul 15, 2009)

#1.) _Quercus alba_ white oak , #2.) _Quercus michauxii_ swamp chestnut oak, #3.)_Quercus acutissima_ sawtooth oak. Personally I think swamp chestnut should be number one on the list but maybe they're not in any particular order.


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 16, 2009)

swamphawg said:


> #1.) _Quercus alba_ white oak , #2.) _Quercus michauxii_ swamp chestnut oak, #3.)_Quercus acutissima_ sawtooth oak. Personally I think swamp chestnut should be number one on the list but maybe they're not in any particular order.



You go it!..I didn't put them in preference order,just the order I put the pics up.I would rather hunt a cluster of swamp chestnuts than anything.

I have a few more I want to put up later,but this is about it.Anybody want to add something?


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## Apex Predator (Jul 16, 2009)

If you find a swamp chestnut with feed sign, hunt it now!  Some produce and you won't find any feed sign under them.  You have to find "the" primary feed tree if you want to really increase your odds.


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## dertiedawg (Jul 18, 2009)

Just saw this thread today for the first time.  Great thread.  You have my attention.  As a city boy in NY, born and raised, I never learned about most of these food sources, especially in the south (here 7 years now).  I have known about some of the different food sources like the oaks and muscadines and some of the others but not much more than that.  Looked for a long time for more information about food sources and thats how I learned the little that I now know, but this information is hard to find and often leaves too many variables, such as when is the best time of year to hunt them or when the fruit is ripe.  Most hunting information focuses on the "big buck", the rut, bedding or simply says to find a "food source" and doesn't get into too much detail as to what type of food source and what time of year to hunt it.  Sometimes describing specific vegetation but not showing a close up picture. This type of info is what makes this forum a top notch site.  Thanks for the info and please... keep it coming.
Vin


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## Public Land Prowler (Jul 18, 2009)

Thanks dertiedawg..Like you...I have noticed deer hunting seems to revolve around rack size.I was raised to learn the environment,test your skills,and then by trial and error,get yourself in the right place at the right time.Rack size was a bonus,not the reason to hunt.

Looks like I may have helped 3 or 4 people.That's more than what I was hoping for,so I am glad I posted this.


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## Shine Runner (Jul 20, 2009)

great info PLP and others...thanks....keep it coming


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## XJfire75 (Jul 20, 2009)

Great info man. 

I've always known we have a few oaks here and there but i didn't which they where and I found several more. 

And I found several persimmons and poke berries too. Watched 2 does eating some of the forage you've posted in this evening.


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## propwins (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks for the edumakation plp.


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## kosmo (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks PLP and Swamprat this is some great info and I sure enjoyed reading it.
Keep it up.


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## JUSTIN37HUNT (Jul 24, 2009)

Swamprat said:


> Another food source that I have seen deer eat is the leaves off Mimosa trees. They will only hit them at certain times of the year but there are a couple along a ag field right behind my house that will look like cattle or goats have foraged on them by the definite browse line.
> 
> Not sure if it is a regional thing as far as forage but they will grow along fence lines, ag fields or areas that have had the soil disrupted.
> 
> Can't remember exactly when they wil eat on them but I am wanting to say late September or early October. Since we have none at our lease I really don't pay attention but do know the deer hammer them behind the house.



Several years ago our house burned down and we had a mimosa tree in the side yard...now 9 years later there are mimosas all around what was then the yard.  We have a food plot past where the house was then and often spook deer as we walk thru.  Never could tell what they were feeding on up that way..now I know!!!  Do they eat the leaves, flowers, or those lil seed pods?


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## 00Beau (Jul 26, 2009)

Had forester look at a tree this week, he even had to get out his book and it ended up being a Mulberry tree according to him. When the leaves turn yellow and hit the ground deer eat the entire leaf like candy, was hunting right over this tree last year in a portable or would have never known it, I will get pics this week, did not have camera when he identified the tree for me, He said it will eventually have  a sweet berry on it, but not mature enough yet. Hope this is not already posted, did not look thru all the new post.


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## deersled (Aug 17, 2009)

ttt. keep it coming boys wont be long now!


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## nwgahunter (Aug 20, 2009)

In North GA I've had good luck before the acorns fall hunting Dog Woods in September. Seems the deer really like them.


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## stick-n-string (Aug 20, 2009)

GREAT THREAD!!!! Its good info to know!


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## secondseason (Aug 20, 2009)

Awesome thread....great information!!!

I made the thread a stickie!


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## Gadget (Aug 20, 2009)

300 short mag said:


> Had forester look at a tree this week, he even had to get out his book and it ended up being a Mulberry tree according to him. When the leaves turn yellow and hit the ground deer eat the entire leaf like candy, was hunting right over this tree last year in a portable or would have never known it, I will get pics this week, did not have camera when he identified the tree for me, He said it will eventually have  a sweet berry on it, but not mature enough yet. Hope this is not already posted, did not look thru all the new post.




Yeah deer and turkey love mulberry trees, the deer will eat the fruit, leaves and even the stems! Not many up here in middle GA, a lot more common in Fla.



Good thread!


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## claydowns1 (Aug 20, 2009)

*This is a great thread*

Just wanted to thank everyone which posts info here, as a fairly new hunter I appreciate the info as I really do like to study the big picture to make the hunt that much better!!!


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## Amarillo1 (Aug 25, 2009)

Looking forward to the rest of the posts.  I have no idea what I have on my place and want to know.  Good thread.


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

*Questions*

Did some walking today just want some confirmation on these thanks.....

#1 ( I think these are persimmon trees but no fruit there could be a male tree???)


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

#2 Persimmons?


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

#3 ( its a vine?)


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## Public Land Prowler (Aug 25, 2009)

1 and 2 looks like persimmon to me.#3 is muscadines(wild grapes).


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

#4 (anybody)?


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

#5 (??????????)


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

#6 ??????????????


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## MidwestAddiction (Aug 25, 2009)

#7 ????????????????


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## rifleroom (Aug 26, 2009)

#4 Water Oak, 5&6 walnut, 7 white oak?


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## alvishere (Aug 26, 2009)

I just came across this thread as well....so I am going to post so I can  come back easily come back and  keep checking on the posts to come......
We have a lot of kudzu here.....where is it on the preference on the food chain for deer?.....acorns, pessimisms, muscidines  ect...?


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## ebr (Aug 28, 2009)

I've enjoyed this thread too, thanks everyone. Good to hear about the Mulberries, I planted 3 of them last winter just because of the old song and I wanted to see what one is!

Also, has anyone heard of a Black Tupelo? I found a bunch of trees that I couldn't identify, thought they may be Persimmon. Now I think they are Tupelo. Right now they have a small fruit that looks like a miniature fig (green), but they are supposed to turn blue and be good. I'll keep an eye on them.


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## Katera73 (Aug 30, 2009)

Up here in north ga we have alot of privet hedge they tear it up in december.


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## BMCS (Aug 31, 2009)

*Check Out*

Will be hunting this Permusc tree .  Big ole persimmon loaded, bonus is the muscadine vine growing all around the base that is also loaded deer are eating it up.


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## nwgahunter (Sep 1, 2009)

BMCS said:


> Will be hunting this Permusc tree .  Big ole persimmon loaded, bonus is the muscadine vine growing all around the base that is also loaded deer are eating it up.



Now that is a buffet


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## famdoc2892 (Sep 7, 2009)

*Reply to N.GaDeerSlayer*

First off, guys, great thread!  I've always had an interest in knowing trees and plants, so kudos PLP for the excellent thread and to the mods for making it sticky!

Not to be disagreeable, but I'll suggest that NGDS's pics #5 and #6 are hickory fruit.  Too small and smooth, sectional outer hull on #5, and light-colored smooth (not ridged) angular shell of the bare nut give it away.  I can't distinguish the type of hickory.


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## danmc (Sep 13, 2009)

Public Land Prowler said:


> Ben I think you are talking about elderberry,they do eat it....I don't have a pic yet..
> 
> [snip]
> 
> Parts of pokeweed is poisonous.They do eat some of it though..Here is some pokeweed..The biggest difference between elderberry and poke weed is the purple stalk of the pokeweed,and if you cut it in half it has hollow chambers in the stem.




Elderberry has opposite compound leaves.  Pokeweed has alternate simple leaves.  That's a huge giveaway.  The way the berries grow is really different too.  

On the mature pokeweeds, my understanding is the entire thing is toxic to people although some birds seem to like the berries.  I've never felt like it was worth eating the shoots.

Pretty much the entire elderberry plant is also toxic except the flowers and the berries.  Never eaten flowers but that elderberry jam I had on my toast this morning was excellent!

Cool thread.  Thanks for starting it.

Now to everyone talking about persimmons, mulberries, muscadines... those are the things that may make me eat instead of hunt...  I can only sit and watch those for so long!  Acorns I'm not tempted by.

-Dan


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## danmc (Sep 13, 2009)

ebr said:


> I've enjoyed this thread too, thanks everyone. Good to hear about the Mulberries, I planted 3 of them last winter just because of the old song and I wanted to see what one is!
> 
> Also, has anyone heard of a Black Tupelo? I found a bunch of trees that I couldn't identify, thought they may be Persimmon. Now I think they are Tupelo. Right now they have a small fruit that looks like a miniature fig (green), but they are supposed to turn blue and be good. I'll keep an eye on them.



The leaves do look somewhat similar between black gum (black tupelo) and persimmon.   Have a pic?  The fruit on a persimmon is pretty much right on the twig and looks, well, like a persimmon.  The ones I've seen are about ping-pong ball sized.  On a black gum, the fruit is smaller, closer to raisin sized and they have a stem.  Another difference is if you pull off a leaf and look at how it attached, there will be 3 little dots on a black gum leaf (bundle scars) and 1 on a persimmon.  Another thing to look for is the bark on a persimmon is kind of broken up in squarish patterns, a little like a dogwood, but larger squares.

-Dan (who has a long ways to go still with learning the 200 trees of GA)

ps.  I don't find black gum fruit to be good.  Sour.  In fact I spit one out today....  Mulberries on the other hand I think are delicious.  We used to collect buckets of them when I was a kid.  Put them on ice cream or cereal.  mmmmmmmmmmm.


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## BassWorm (Sep 14, 2009)

Bears eat on the poke plants also. Course they'll almost eat anything. (cept a yote)
I'm enjoying your post. Good job. Its amazing the variety of plants the deer take advantage of.
Did anyone put in persimmons and pears?


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## chadder (Sep 16, 2009)

4. water oak, 5. swamp chestnut oak, 6. walnut, 7. some sort of white oak


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Sep 17, 2009)

I got some new land to hunt and it has big beech tree dropping nuts in a travel corridor im going to be hunting.I was wondering if any of yall ever seen a deer,hog or squirrel eat beech nuts?I never have hunted near one.But im set up close to this tree and  i will watch and see if anything eats them.


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## weathermantrey (Sep 17, 2009)

Squirrels love them. Deer will rarely mess with them, but I have on rare occasions seen deer feed on beech nuts.


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## COLDBORE (Sep 18, 2009)

*can any one tell me what theses are*

do deer eat these often


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## Nolehunter (Sep 20, 2009)

*Thanks...  Please, Keep up the good work*

This is more helpful than govt. health care.
I hunt N GA, mostly big woods..  I've been trying to put together the puzzle for years with only moderate success.  What do you do in the fall when white oak acorns are everywhere?


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## Hairtrigger (Sep 27, 2009)

Persimmon?


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## danmc (Sep 27, 2009)

Dino said:


> Persimmon?



yep.  yum.

-Dan
(who is eating deer food instead of deer tonight but it's ok 'cause persimmons are yummy)


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## nosfedgta (Sep 27, 2009)

whats the deal with male and female persimmon? I have found several trees that look like the one above. Same leaves and all but, not fruit..


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## danmc (Sep 27, 2009)

I have one book that says they have perfect flowers but are "functionally dioecious".  Not sure what the "functionally" part in that means.  My trees of georgia book from some UGA folks doesn't say at all and a book on gardening with uncommon fruit seems to suggest that for the most part persimmons come in male and female but some of the cultivars have both sexes.  I think for the wild ones though there are male and female.  I know I've found a persimmon tree that had no fruit at all.

You're sure it was persimmon and not blackgum (tupelo)?  It took me a little to learn the difference.  

-Dan
(who wishes hunting were allowed where he gathered persimmons last week and saw deer 4 times, twice in bow range.   grrrrrrrrr)


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## nosfedgta (Sep 28, 2009)

ummmm not sure. I will try to get some pics of the ones I am refering to


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## danmc (Sep 28, 2009)

pull a leaf off.  See if you can see 3 little dots where it attached.  If so, it is probably blackgum or if you're further off base then maybe sourwood.  Persimmon will have 1.  Obviously if it were fruiting (and yours wasn't) then the fruit would be a dead giveaway.  Also look at the bark.  Persimmon bark on the trunk is more broken up into blocks, kind of like a dogwood but larger blocks.


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## kingfish (Oct 3, 2009)

*What is this ?*

Public land in the thick planted pines.  Where they pushed the debris up is where this is growing and the deer are wearing the leaves out


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## danmc (Oct 3, 2009)

maypop?  Not sure though.


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## ILHunter (Oct 4, 2009)

I found this thread to be very beneficial to me. I'm new to Ga and this is my first year hunting here. It's always good to learn new plants and food sources.


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## kingfish (Oct 4, 2009)

DanMC, Dead on.  My sincerest thanks.  After some more research, also known as the Ocoee Vine.  The deer are absolutely working on it.  It's mixed amongst the grapevines.  Finally found an oak in a clear cut where I can put a loc-on and get above the action and maybe get a shot.  Again my thanks.  Great thread.   Kingfish


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## cgn526 (Oct 29, 2009)

Are any of you familiar with wild lemon bushes? I guess that's what they're called. They look like a moderate sized thorny bush without leaves. Their fruit is like a miniature lemon. Do deer eat these?


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## n2huntin (Nov 1, 2009)

So I  found one real big white oak on the property where I hunt.  I found it last weekend, and from the looks of the ground underneath it, it looked like there had been a lot of activity on it.  Went monday and put a stand up and a camera, and left it for the week.  Went out friday and checked thecamera, and not a single picture, and it looks like they haven't been back.  I am guessing it has stopped dropping.  The white oak seems to be at the intersection of several game trails .  Would you still hunt it even though there appears to be no activity at this actual tree in hopes that they are still walking the trails to other food sources?  Will they move to some of the other less desireable oaks next?


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## n2huntin (Nov 1, 2009)

I have also heard that some oaks don't produce acorns every year.  Is this tree specific, or is it based up rainfall, or type of tree?  I have been hunting my entire life, and the natural food sources are the part of my game that is lacking.  I have always hunted sign, because I did not know exactly how to hunt food sources (other than acorns).


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## joedublin (Nov 2, 2009)

PLP...please show us a photo or two of poison sumac...I got into it a couple of years ago and, believe me, it ain't no fun!!! I still don't know what it really looks like so it's hard to know what to avoid.Thanks....JoeDublin


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## dd1978us (Nov 2, 2009)

joedublin said:


> PLP...please show us a photo or two of poison sumac...I got into it a couple of years ago and, believe me, it ain't no fun!!! I still don't know what it really looks like so it's hard to know what to avoid.Thanks....JoeDublin


google-poison sumac

























By the way, these are from this site
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/tove.html


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## John Waddell (Nov 11, 2009)

A few years ago, I watch 2 does walk thru 2' planted with plenty of browse, my 100 yd. long 3" high food plot, only to stop for @ 5 min. to feed on crushed pine cones (seeds) laying in the logging road. It just goes to show the variety of food that deer need to maintain their dietary needs. Those deer completely bypassed an automatic corn feeder @ 250 yds. away  which is maintained year round.


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## Kendallbearden (Nov 25, 2009)

another idea for hunters. This may or may not have already been mentioned on this thread, and that is natural food plots. Natural food plots, unlike conventional food plots dont require you plant anything. Instead, you find an area where there is already stuff growing. For example, you may find a clearing with broom-sage. In order to create a natural food plot, all you need to do is cut the area down to the ground. You can use a regular old lawn mower to get it done. Once its cut down, seeds from surrounding vegitation in the area will have somewhere to hit the ground and germinate. This will cause food sources to grow that the deer are already used to eating, and can even be more effective than traditional food plots.


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## Kendallbearden (Nov 25, 2009)

cgn526 said:


> Are any of you familiar with wild lemon bushes? I guess that's what they're called. They look like a moderate sized thorny bush without leaves. Their fruit is like a miniature lemon. Do deer eat these?



I got a few on my land, and its my experience that no, the deer do not eat them.


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## HeavyMass (Dec 9, 2009)

If a guy really wanted to increase his success he'd memorize this thread.....good as it gets! FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!


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## Bigslinger (Dec 10, 2009)

Thanks For the information.


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## perchjerker (Dec 20, 2009)

*Florida Pusley*

Found in sandy areas and around ag fields.Stems are lite purple in color and have small white hair.Deer hammer this stuff and it grows almost every where I've looked for it.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/51495/


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## dylankd22 (Dec 26, 2009)

nosfedgta said:


> whats the deal with male and female persimmon? I have found several trees that look like the one above. Same leaves and all but, not fruit..



one produces persimmons and the other doesnt


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## killa86 (Mar 24, 2010)

Buck Trax said:


> This is a great post! I commend y'all for helping out others in their quest for better woodsmanship. Swamp Rat and PLP I have to disagree with both of you on one detail though. Deer are neither grazers nor browsers. Although many wildlife biologists referred to deer as grazers in the early days of game management and then browsers later on, we came to realize that they are actually concentrate selectors. Deer have the uncanny ability to not only select the most nutritious plants, but the most nutritious parts of the most nutritious plants. This is why you see them doing things like snipping the ends of smilax shoots off and foraging on mushrooms right after rains. On a side note, mushrooms are concentrated sources of phosphorous which is typically found only in small amounts in the deer's diet and is very important to skeletal and antler growth. But back to the main topic, the fact that deer are concentrate selectors explains why they eat only certain parts of plants and eat them at certain times of the year when those plants are highest in the particular type of nutrient the deer requires during that particular season.



i know this is old but never heard of concentrate selector line isnt it called browse line?


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## schreck_1 (May 17, 2010)

Its referred to as a browse line when its on woody plants like trees, privet, etc.


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## thurmongene (Jul 29, 2010)

this is alot for my old eyes.  Hay public land prowler, do you have a printer?  I would gladly buy you a rheem of paper and pay postage, can you mail me a copy of this?


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## j_seph (Aug 8, 2010)

Public Land Prowler said:


> Oops one more thing on the pine hill to look for...Crabapples.They prefer shady areas,and sandy soil.You can find them along ditches,and also old windrows in pine stands,where they were pushed up when the clearing was re-planted.
> 
> I have no pic of the apple,but I will get one this season.They usually start falling in early sept,and may fall until late october.They pull deer real good until acorns start dropping.Again if you have a ton of them,picking the right tree to sit at will take a little more effort.
> 
> ...


 We got a big one on our club in Hall county and the apples will lay and rot. Thought I had found a goldmine when I found it


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 11, 2010)

Education is a great thing. When you pass it on it becomes awesome. But when a Person pass it on they becomes a teacher. We have a short time on this earth and when the good Lord calls us, we will go. Those left behind will always remember a teacher and the person. This is good thing so everyone can pass it on.


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## willie (Aug 19, 2010)

Very informative, thanks.


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## rutandstrut (Sep 23, 2010)

Thanks for taking the time to make this post! It will help a lot of people to identify Natural Food Sources and become better Hunters!


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## garnede (Oct 15, 2010)

I just read this thread and thanks to those who started and contributed to this thread.  I know most of the plants and trees, but never hunted or knew what the preferred food sources were.  Thanks

Does anyone who lives around Columbus want to take a walk around my lease in Harris Co, to help pick out the better natural food sources?  Thanks


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## DonAltman3 (Oct 19, 2010)

*Another good plant*

Here in south Georgia I often see this plant.






If there isn't anything else more appealing to the deer I have seen them nibble on the leaves.

This is a good plant to know for other reasons as well.  It is called the American Beautyberry.
It offers EXCELLENT insect control.   If your ever out and about without repellant and the misquitos are crazy.. just pull some of the leaves.. crush them in your hand and rub them on your skin. The oils in the leaves have been proven to be as effective as deet.


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## howie_r (Oct 24, 2010)

*is this the same berry?*

I found a bunch plants with these berrys I think they are the same as the one's pictured above can someone verify?


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## chrismhaase (Oct 28, 2010)

I see the above 2 posts all the time in SW GA.  I was wondering what they were.  So am I to assume the deer like these and we can use them as a insect repellant?  Excellent!!


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## BassHunter25 (Dec 7, 2010)

This is a good thread.  I don't mean to be a complainer, but it is nice when you have the pics and the info on how much the deer like them. Instead of having to read all the replies about them then look back and so forth. 

These are two things at my lease that I will soon lose that I have wondered about that I didn't see in the thread.

The first one is a red oak which I suppose looks like a big turkey oak, it produces some huge acorns which sometimes the deer eat and sometimes they don't.  My research has shown they are full of fat, and the deer will eat them certain times of the year.

The second I really don't know what it is.  It grows on a sandy hill and the fruit ripens in August.  The animals eat them the time they hit the ground.  They are completely gone by the opening day of bow season.

The fruit is small about a half inch in diameter.  They are sweet with a pit in the center.

Here is a pic


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## danmc (Dec 12, 2010)

DonAltman3 said:


> This is a good plant to know for other reasons as well.  It is called the American Beautyberry.
> It offers EXCELLENT insect control.   If your ever out and about without repellant and the misquitos are crazy.. just pull some of the leaves.. crush them in your hand and rub them on your skin. The oils in the leaves have been proven to be as effective as deet.



wow.  I had no idea and I've been chewed up while sitting 20 feet from a large patch of the stuff....  Thanks for posting that bit!


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## sparta391 (Jun 8, 2011)

how is virginia creeper? we are eaten alive by it at my grandpa's in some areas. it is a five leafed vine... i know better could grow but how's it?


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## Gamikatsu (Jun 12, 2011)

This is a very great post, and thanks OP!  what are the chances we could get this thread cleaned up a bit.  a lot of good information but i kind of found it hard to follow.  just my opinion i guess.


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## Forest Grump (Jul 9, 2011)

BassHunter25 said:


> The second I really don't know what it is.  It grows on a sandy hill and the fruit ripens in August.  The animals eat them the time they hit the ground.  They are completely gone by the opening day of bow season.
> 
> The fruit is small about a half inch in diameter.  They are sweet with a pit in the center.



(little blurry), but pretty sure that is a Mayhaw (also popular with humans for making jelly).


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## BassHunter25 (Jul 21, 2011)

*What's this???*

And do the deer eat it?
It was gowing on a vine, I would say the inside reminded me of a bell pepper.  Especially the white soft part of one.


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## Forest Grump (Aug 20, 2011)

BassHunter25 said:


> And do the deer eat it?
> It was gowing on a vine, I would say the inside reminded me of a bell pepper.  Especially the white soft part of one.



Passion flower, or commonly, "maypop": no they don't eat it , it contains some toxic alkaloids & Mao inhibitors; herbalists sometimes use extracts of it for anxiety & reportedly you can make a marmalade from the fruit, but I've never known anyone to do so, & I don't recommend it. For us, it is a weed.


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## Milkman (Oct 7, 2012)

ttt


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## Georgia Hunting woman (Sep 17, 2014)

very helpful ! Thanks  we hunt wma's exclusively and need all the learning we can get!


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## Georgia Hunting woman (Sep 17, 2014)

Bass hunter that is called a "May pop" in South ga.  relative of the passion fruit or maracuya in South America.  We lived in Brazil for two years and I love them and have tried to grow the seeds here with no success. ( only the wild ones, which don't taste good....)

Not sure if deer eat them or not... anyone?


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## JimmyD (Sep 17, 2014)

Never seen a deer eating a maypop.... I wish!!! I have one spot covered in them!!!


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## Quickbeam (Sep 18, 2014)

Forest Grump said:


> Passion flower, or commonly, "maypop": no they don't eat it , it contains some toxic alkaloids & Mao inhibitors; herbalists sometimes use extracts of it for anxiety & reportedly you can make a marmalade from the fruit, but I've never known anyone to do so, & I don't recommend it. For us, it is a weed.



I may die an early death then.  We eat quite a few of them at a time when they're ripe.  After reading your comment I did look it up and apparently it's important to not eat them and chocolate at the same time.  Whew, good thing it's too hot to carry chocolate when maypops are ripe.  I dodged a bullet there.


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## XJfire75 (Sep 29, 2016)

bump for the new season!!


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## RipperIII (Sep 30, 2016)

Thanks guys, this never gets old


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