Persimmons

[catman529]

Checked a spot I hunted early last year with a bunch of persimmon trees in a finger of woods between CRP, crop fields and overgrown fence rows. Deer bed in the fence rows. Almost got one last year. Today I looked and there are already ripe persimmons falling, and the big willow oaks are just starting to drop. Actually pretty excited to hunt this spot again. Hope the wind is good when I go. It's like 60 yards from where I park the truck [emoji1]


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[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I love hunting persimmon trees, good luck catman

 

[AT Hiker]

I've attempted to hunt persimmons my whole life, rarely does it ever work out for me. The deer seem to gravitate towards them when convenient but it's usually a quick bite and move on their way.

Even at my granddads farm, which is mostly cattle pasture and wood lots, can you rely on persimmons to provide a solid hunting option.

I will continue hunting them though.

Do you guys have solid success with them?


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[JCDEERMAN]

We used to be on a land lease years ago that had a whole ridge of persimmons- my dad and I called it "the persimmon ridge". We killed a handful nice deer there.

At the place we have now, we've planted a dozen or so persimmon trees, but we have never seen a deer eat them.

 

[Mike Belt]

I think deer consuming persimmons is directly related to what other food sources are present. In almost all my hunting experiences there have been persimmons present but there were other typical food sources available. They hit the persimmons but usually only randomly while passing through the area. They never seemed to be an important destination point. The only place I've hunted where they seemed to be the primary destination for feeding was a place where there was little to no mast crops and they only had browse available.

 

[catman529]

I've attempted to hunt persimmons my whole life, rarely does it ever work out for me. The deer seem to gravitate towards them when convenient but it's usually a quick bite and move on their way.

Even at my granddads farm, which is mostly cattle pasture and wood lots, can you rely on persimmons to provide a solid hunting option.

I will continue hunting them though.

Do you guys have solid success with them?


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I've seen more persimmons rot on the ground than be eaten by deer. However there's just a few spot I've found where deer have torn into them.


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[catman529]

I think deer consuming persimmons is directly related to what other food sources are present. In almost all my hunting experiences there have been persimmons present but there were other typical food sources available. They hit the persimmons but usually only randomly while passing through the area. They never seemed to be an important destination point. The only place I've hunted where they seemed to be the primary destination for feeding was a place where there was little to no mast crops and they only had browse available.

yes, it's more of a staging food source than a destination. Sometimes they'll come out specifically to eat them, but usually they come through to eat a few while heading to fields for the evening.


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[ImThere]

When persimmons are hot they are hot! You just have to be at the right tree at the right time. Last year scouting I found a hot tree and @Catman529 killed a doe off it that evening or the next morning. I think they are too hot or miss to plan a hunt around. I always see them, check them but I don't simply hunt a neck of woods because there is a persimmon grove in there. There has to be a funnel or some white oaks to help the decision.


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[Boll Weevil]

I've got so many persimmon trees they don't really serve to concentrate deer such that I'd hunt over them specifically. They're everywhere on my farm and once they start falling, like cat said, I see more rot than get picked up by critters. Can smell that sweet odor of fermenting "persimmon wine" downwind of every tree and grove once they start falling.

 

[Lost Lake]

I used to have a nice farm to bowhunt, and the hottest spot in October was a funnel of woods coming off a hill that led to a creek crossing and a bean field.

That funnel was full of persimmon trees and any passing deer always stopped to feed on them. I killed a lot of deer there.

 

[catman529]

I've got so many persimmon trees they don't really serve to concentrate deer such that I'd hunt over them specifically. They're everywhere on my farm and once they start falling, like cat said, I see more rot than get picked up by critters. Can smell that sweet odor of fermenting "persimmon wine" downwind of every tree and grove once they start falling.

they stink when they get to rotting


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[TheLBLman]

I think deer consuming persimmons is directly related to what other food sources are present. In almost all my hunting experiences there have been persimmons present but there were other typical food sources available. They hit the persimmons but usually only randomly while passing through the area. They never seemed to be an important destination point. The only place I've hunted where they seemed to be the primary destination for feeding was a place where there was little to no mast crops and they only had browse available.

That's pretty much been my experience as well.

Will add:

Those trees that have, for whatever reasons been more attractive to deer, have typically been more attractive to raccoons as well. Seems the coons often get more than the deer, and, sometimes seems the coons displace the deer (at least at a particular tree).
Coons will often eat them all as they ripen, then allowing for very few to hit the ground where deer can feed on them.

I generally don't hunt persimmon trees, but if there is one near where I plan to hunt, great idea to be set up for taking advantage of any deer that might pause to nibble, and/or just sniff around a persimmon tree. Exception is when there seems to be few other food sources, then persimmon trees can become worth more specifically targeting.

Does seem just about every animal likes persimmons, including coyotes.

 

[fairchaser]

Persimmons by themselves don't mean much. Persimmons with fresh scat equals a good spot.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I think deer consuming persimmons is directly related to what other food sources are present. In almost all my hunting experiences there have been persimmons present but there were other typical food sources available. They hit the persimmons but usually only randomly while passing through the area. They never seemed to be an important destination point. The only place I've hunted where they seemed to be the primary destination for feeding was a place where there was little to no mast crops and they only had browse available.

Does seem just about every animal likes persimmons, including coyotes.

Yep. I'd say that's where our random persimmon trees came from on our property years ago....scat from various animals. I see a lot of coyote scat on our place with persimmon seeds In it and I always wonder where they are because all our neighbors are pines or clearcut. I'd say the coyotes, due to their travel distances, are doing most of the "transporting of seeds" than any other species other than birds

 

[catman529]

I think deer consuming persimmons is directly related to what other food sources are present. In almost all my hunting experiences there have been persimmons present but there were other typical food sources available. They hit the persimmons but usually only randomly while passing through the area. They never seemed to be an important destination point. The only place I've hunted where they seemed to be the primary destination for feeding was a place where there was little to no mast crops and they only had browse available.

That's pretty much been my experience as well.

Will add:

Those trees that have, for whatever reasons been more attractive to deer, have typically been more attractive to raccoons as well. Seems the coons often get more than the deer, and, sometimes seems the coons displace the deer (at least at a particular tree).
Coons will often eat them all as they ripen, then allowing for very few to hit the ground where deer can feed on them.

I generally don't hunt persimmon trees, but if there is one near where I plan to hunt, great idea to be set up for taking advantage of any deer that might pause to nibble, and/or just sniff around a persimmon tree. Exception is when there seems to be few other food sources, then persimmon trees can become worth more specifically targeting.

Does seem just about every animal likes persimmons, including coyotes.

coins will climb to the top of the tree to eat persimmons. I've even seen an armadillo eating them once, that was weird. But if it's a good crop, the deer will get some too.


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[Midnight rider]

We're i grew up in Georgia there weren't very many persimmon trees so if you found one you hunted it. Here they are everywhere and I haven't had a lot of luck hunting them.

 

[rhinoblake]

Good stuff here. I am going to pay attention to a loaded persimmon tree in thick cover between two soybean fields this weekend. I saw a ton of tracks coming around the outside corner of the cover about 70 yards from the dropping tree. I know they are hitting the soybeans first. My guess is the persimmon is helping funnel movement there but not for sure. I haven't found a lot of hard mass on that property yet.