Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

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wchadw
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Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by wchadw »

I’m in charge of property management at our land. We are looking a fruit and nut trees for deer and turkey.
Planning on some Japanese persimmon and pecans but looking for turkey specific (bonus if deer will eat)

Thinking about mulberries and chinkapin.

Any other suggestions? Like to have something that fruits spring and fall


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Hoobilly
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by Hoobilly »

Autumn olive. Have to keep them under control but they produce a berry that deer and turkey eat. Also nine bark if my memory is correct. Both can be used for hedge rows
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by SwampDrummin »

Whatever these are. I find them in nearly every gizzard I open up from Nebraska to Alabama. It may be because they’re tough to grind down but turkeys seems to like them.
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HunterGKS
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by HunterGKS »

White Oak Pin Oak & Butternut which is slow growing. These are all native & deer, turkey, squirrels, & other wild life will feed on them.
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spider316
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by spider316 »

Red and White oaks, also Beech trees. Unfortunately
none of us will see the tree's into maturity !!!
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by deerhunt1988 »

hoobilly wrote: May 23rd, 2020, 3:29 pm Autumn olive. Have to keep them under control but they produce a berry that deer and turkey eat. Also nine bark if my memory is correct. Both can be used for hedge rows
Please do not plant Autumn olive. They are a non-native invasive species that can take over a site. Much better options out there.
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redarrow
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by redarrow »

Contact your local Co -operative extension service. As far as Autumn Olive I believe MSU is dead set against it. You can also contact NWTF .They have an excellent book available on planting for wildlife. Don't overlook different grasses that attract grasshoppers also. Poult survival depends on grasshopper and other nutritious insects as well as nuts and berries.
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wchadw
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by wchadw »

Thanks all


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wchadw
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by wchadw »

SwampDrummin wrote:Whatever these are. I find them in nearly every gizzard I open up from Nebraska to Alabama. It may be because they’re tough to grind down but turkeys seems to like them.
Kinda look like cedar berries?


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DBLGBL
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by DBLGBL »

Bush Honey Suckle. The deer like them and the produce soft mast that the turkey love. We also have had good success with gobbler oaks. The are a smaller tree and produce a ton of acorns every year. Those look like grape seeds to me..

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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by spider316 »

DBLGBL wrote: May 25th, 2020, 2:02 pm Bush Honey Suckle. The deer like them and the produce soft mast that the turkey love. We also have had good success with gobbler oaks. The are a smaller tree and produce a ton of acorns every year. Those look like grape seeds to me..

2gbl
What are Gobbler oaks, and where can I get them ?
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DBLGBL
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by DBLGBL »

Not sure where we got these. 15 years ago. Native nurseries on the web list them as does tractor supply and home depot. They are a saw tooth oak
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wchadw
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by wchadw »

spider316 wrote:
DBLGBL wrote: May 25th, 2020, 2:02 pm Bush Honey Suckle. The deer like them and the produce soft mast that the turkey love. We also have had good success with gobbler oaks. The are a smaller tree and produce a ton of acorns every year. Those look like grape seeds to me..

2gbl
What are Gobbler oaks, and where can I get them ?
Try local tree places. There’s a pecan tree place here in MS that carries them


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spider316
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by spider316 »

wchadw wrote: May 25th, 2020, 4:28 pm
spider316 wrote:
DBLGBL wrote: May 25th, 2020, 2:02 pm Bush Honey Suckle. The deer like them and the produce soft mast that the turkey love. We also have had good success with gobbler oaks. The are a smaller tree and produce a ton of acorns every year. Those look like grape seeds to me..

2gbl
What are Gobbler oaks, and where can I get them ?
Try local tree places. There’s a pecan tree place here in MS that carries them


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redarrow
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by redarrow »

SwampDrummin wrote: May 23rd, 2020, 4:26 pm Whatever these are. I find them in nearly every gizzard I open up from Nebraska to Alabama. It may be because they’re tough to grind down but turkeys seems to like them.

They look like wild cherry pits.
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by Swampstalk »

Depending on your location in the country, native food source trees, etc., the advice to contact your local County Extension Service office for advice and recommendations is a good start. Search in the County Government directory or Google them. Each Extension office is part of the your state Land Grant university and most services are free. You may even want to have a soil test done for your property through them.

As an aside, I'm a retired County Extension Director here in South Florida. Been there, done that!
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wchadw
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by wchadw »

Here’s what we planted. There are plenty of white and red oaks. This is mostly for deer but I am also trying to make sure I have plenty for turkey as well. Blackberry and some blueberry bushes. Couple pear trees and plum. Added what’s in pic. They were out of chinkapen. Any other turkey specific hardy trees anyone can suggest? Not really concerned about dropping in spring. We plant clover in spring/fall and do sunflower and rye or some other grain for doves
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swampchicken
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by swampchicken »

I planted 400 trees this year for the wildlife turkey/deer definitely look at the oaks that provides the most and the smallest if managing strictly for turkeys. Also have a variety that drop at different times.
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by crow »

Can't believe nobody recommended planting cranberry trees, the dwarf variety matures faster.

nothing gives turkeys better flavor than cranberries
uplandridge
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by uplandridge »

Plant a grove of gobbler sawtooth acorns on 25' x 25' spacing. Plant ladino clover in the middles. Plant a few mulberries on each end of your grove. Works good in Mississippi
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wchadw
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Re: Fruit/nut trees for turkey?

Post by wchadw »

uplandridge wrote:Plant a grove of gobbler sawtooth acorns on 25' x 25' spacing. Plant ladino clover in the middles. Plant a few mulberries on each end of your grove. Works good in Mississippi
Thanks. That’s basically what we did. Planted 10 persimmons for deer. 3 plum 3 crabapple and 3 sawtook oaks and mulberries. On 375 acres. Already had plenty of white oaks


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