Eating Osage Apples?

[teacher]

I opened up a doe that I got to check out what they've been using for a food source. There was mostly grasses, acorns, browse, small red berries, and what looked to be osage apples. I've never seen a deer eat these, and wanted to know if anybody else thinks that it's a regular part of the diet. There wasn't much of it in there, but it surprised me.

 

[Daver]

I have watched deer munch on them, but it seems like it was after many other more preferred food sources were becoming scarce.

 

[Ghost]

[ QUOTE ]
I have watched deer munch on them, but it seems like it was after many other more preferred food sources were becoming scarce.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with Daver here. I don't see them getting hit much until late Winter. Same goes for the Locus pods...late Winter they will get pounded but there is just too much good food available right now.

 

[bjkpharmd]

I saw one that was shredded the other day but couldn't ID the tracks next to it. Deer will hit them late.

 

[tracker]

DEER = GLORIFIED GOAT

GOATS EAT ANYTHING

 

[TimberPig]

I have seen squirrels eat them and I have seen deer eat the osage leaves after they fall, but never the apples themselves.

 

[tineseeker]

squirrels will tear them apart to get to the seed inside.

 

[cornfield]

Not sure, but the other day I was getting dressed by my truck and the cattle were 10 yards away picking up whole hedge apples and eating them. The pasture they were in was in decent shape too.