Apples will work, but the deer probably won't get to em if you got tree rats running around. Best bet is to add some Feeder Fire or other additive to the feeder to get more scent out. If you have a tripod feeder, you'd be wise to invest in about 15 feet of chicken wire and build a cage around the legs of the feeder and down about 2' and cover the bottom up. The tree rats and coons will sit there and spin the feeder to get the corn down to their buds. My feeder holds 175# of corn, and it used to need filling 1 time a month. Now it lasts almost 3 months with it going off for 4 seconds a daybreak and 4 seconds at dusk. It only puts out about 1 cup of corn at a time, but it keeps the deer, turkeys, hogs, coons, tree rats, and doves happy.
just found out ther is at least one bear hangin around the area where my feeder is in bkvl, confirmed by 2 diff reliable people.
Uh oh! Time to get a game cam and see how big he is. Might need to switch to soybeans.
that explains a few things. I showed some scat to Carlos and we both agreed it looked like bear poop but " theres no bears here", then that strong fence was bent in 1/2 in a few minutes with me within 150" and heard nothing, I was saying that had to be one big mf hog and I should have heard it, so that explains that also. I have pipes pounded at least 2' into the ground near each leg of the tripod stand and wired together so hogs can't knock it over, but doubt it's bear proof. why switch from corn to soybeans? do bears not eat soybeans? plus I've been noticing alot of large purple and red berry's that look like big rasberry's plus some old tangerine trees bearing fruit, maybe thats attracting them also. haven't been there in at least 10-14 days, suppose I should go take a look see.
A bear will tear your feeder down if he can reach it. They also have bright yellow piles when gorging on corn.
