Opinions wanted on persimmon

[Urban_Hunter]

I have one of the few tracts along a ridge that is old standing timber. Most all around me has been logged in the last 5-30 years. I tend to draw a pretty big crowd when acorns start falling, but I have found a spot I have never quite ventured through. There's about a acre on a hillside that gets complete skirted because of old storm damage that has a lot of logs mangled together around it making access in there pretty difficult. Also, due to the downed trees, there's a lot of undergrowth from the sunlight. Inside this area there are 5 large persimmons. They are dropping like crazy. The ground is littered with them. I know deer CAN get in there as I did, but it would involve jumping over some tree trunks as I climbed over them. There are beds and trails all around this spot, but no droppings or anything inside it. I have a skid steer and could blaze a path through there. Should I?

 

[Jcalder]

I've personally never had luck hunting persimmons. If you feel the need, why not hunt their routes in and out.

 

[ImThere]

I would. When persimmons are hot deer come from all around.
I would set a camera before I done anything

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

I've seen foxes, raccoons, deer etc. feeding on persimmons. Lots of wildlife will be seen hunting around them.

 

[CATCHDAWG]

Could be different where your at and depending on food sources but in my neck of the woods, I've never seen deer go out of their way to seek out persimmons. Racoons, possums and birds like them though!

 

[Stumpsitter]

I'd be hunting that anyway purely for the bedding. Them big boys like fallen mangled up timber like that. Great hiding spots for them.

 

[RobbyW]

Killed my biggest under a persimmon tree but that's the only deer I have seen eating them. Last year I had the mangest coyote on camera that wore them out. He was there every day for a week

 

[rukiddin]

Not all persimmons are palatable to deer. Some trees just never seem to draw deer but every other kind of critter has never seemed to mind. But if you find a good one, from my experience, they will walk past acorns to get to good persimmons.

This persimmon talk has me hankering for a good persimmon pudding. Reckon I need to call momma. Haha

 

[huvrman]

Do it.

 

[TnKen]

I have the same experience with deer using persimmons. I have two places covered with them, and the deer don't seem to eat them much.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I've had a ton of luck hunting persimmon groves in a county just west of here. In my area though, never had any luck even though I have lots of them around. The hogs tend to hit them hard though.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I'm on the other side of state from you but we have persimmon trees absolutely everywhere. I mean all over. Deer don't always concentrate like if there was a single grove because they can get candy food in a bunch of places as they come and go.

I'd look for poo, tracks, and if the ground looks pawed through as if deer are regularly searching daily for newly fallen fruit. I have a half dozen fruiting trees right here by the house that on any given evening can flip the light on and see eyes reflecting back. On the other hand there are trees scattered throughout the farm and the whole area smells like a persimmon wine distillery…fallen fruit fermenting and mostly untouched.

If it's a grove and they're hittin it…hunt it.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

Idk if I would remove cover for access to the persimmons. I'd hang a cam on it and see what they're doing.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I may not have explained it best. I know deer are around the area often due to trails and beds seen. However, an area about the size of basketball court has 5 large persimmons that is coincidentally (in my opinion) inaccessible due to other fallen trees all around it creating a barrier. In that one spot there are no tracks or trails or beds. My idea is to just bust through the fallen trees giving access to the persimmons, in theory increasing traffic to that specific spot. I know deer can jump a 10' fence if they want to, but I feel like the persimmons aren't THAT desirable… however if they could get to them it may help hold deer on my property vs them going to waste. I would guess impact of ground cover would be minimal, but that is the reason for my question.

Thanks for the input so far!

 

[Grainger]

Killed my biggest under a persimmon tree but that's the only deer I have seen eating them. Last year I had the mangest coyote on camera that wore them out. He was there every day for a week

Coyotes LOVES them some 'simmons, and yeah, that guy was pretty rough lookin'.

 

[Ski]

If I were going to open it, I'd open it in several places from all sides. The deer won't be comfortable being enclosed. Having escape routes will put them at ease.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I may not have explained it best. I know deer are around the area often due to trails and beds seen. However, an area about the size of basketball court has 5 large persimmons that is coincidentally (in my opinion) inaccessible due to other fallen trees all around it creating a barrier. In that one spot there are no tracks or trails or beds. My idea is to just bust through the fallen trees giving access to the persimmons, in theory increasing traffic to that specific spot. I know deer can jump a 10' fence if they want to, but I feel like the persimmons aren't THAT desirable… however if they could get to them it may help hold deer on my property vs them going to waste. I would guess impact of ground cover would be minimal, but that is the reason for my question.

Thanks for the input so far!

I get what your saying and I like your thought process.... basically you have a food source and you want to make that food source convenient in turn keeping deer on or around your property more often.....thick cover can be a huge benefit to holding deer ....more so thick cover where deer don't get allot of pressure....and pushing a pathway through tangled mess may encourage them to use the thick area more ....for feeding and bedding.... Maybe push paths through then back out and leave it alone....then run cameras to learn how they react.....if they are not currently using the area then it would likely be low risk trying to make the improvements your thinking about.

 

[Volbuck777]

I like hunting persimmons personally, but I'll say this where I hunt the deer are so skiddish that the least of things will run them out completely. I'm not sure how it is where you hunt but if I saw deer regularly their I sure wouldn't disrupt it for fear that we're way to close to season. Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I like hunting persimmons personally, but I'll say this where I hunt the deer are so skiddish that the least of things will run them out completely. I'm not sure how it is where you hunt but if I saw deer regularly their I sure wouldn't disrupt it for fear that we're way to close to season. Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

Valid point. This spot is oddly close to our house. I feel like nearly nothing could run the does off, but if there's an old dude in there, that would be my main concern

 

[Deer444]

I have one of the few tracts along a ridge that is old standing timber. Most all around me has been logged in the last 5-30 years. I tend to draw a pretty big crowd when acorns start falling, but I have found a spot I have never quite ventured through. There's about a acre on a hillside that gets complete skirted because of old storm damage that has a lot of logs mangled together around it making access in there pretty difficult. Also, due to the downed trees, there's a lot of undergrowth from the sunlight. Inside this area there are 5 large persimmons. They are dropping like crazy. The ground is littered with them. I know deer CAN get in there as I did, but it would involve jumping over some tree trunks as I climbed over them. There are beds and trails all around this spot, but no droppings or anything inside it. I have a skid steer and could blaze a path through there. Should I?

I haven't ever had luck with persimmons except for hogs I have hunted a patch if persimmons about 20 trees and rarely seen deer .