Hey all, I recently got permision to hunt a small piece of property that hase three or four trees covered with pears. I am wondering if the deer will hit this food source hard as they fall to the ground this fall. What can you tell me? I need to know weather to hang a stand there or not.

Yes, deer do eat pears. I've witnessed this on Block Island, where I hunt.

They love them after they start getting soft. Usually after the first good hard frost.

They go crazy over pears my grandma has a pear tree in her front yard, and I see so many deer out there eating when the sun starts to set, sometimes big bucks, i once saw a ten point with split G2s hop her fence to eat pears too bad i didnt see him during huntin season.

There is no soft mast crop (fruit) that deer will not attack. Sometimes they will ignore it until it has frozen from the first hard frost of the year, like with crab apples. Some they will pick from trees if they smell they are ripe, like commercial apples. Some they will wait until they fall, like persimmons and pears. Because they are not ripe until they drop.

The bad thing about soft mast is that it is usually consumed before hunting season opens. However if the trees were particularly heavy with fruit, deer remember this and will come back and check to see if anymore are available. Especially after the first good snow fall of the year. They will be trying to put on all the fat they can before Winter really grips the land.

I have both apple and pear trees in my yard from an old farm stead. The deer will walk over the apples to get to the pears. It makes for great entertainment in the early fall. I just wish those trees were farther out back.  

yes

They sure do at my house...

YES!!!!!!!!!!  

Yes, the problem is, they are ripe and falling off the trees now, and the season doesn't open until Oct.

On my club in Oglethorpe Co. GA there is a pear tree that bares almost every year and usually the pears rot on the ground, some with a single bite in them. I guess the persimmons and grapes are more appetizing to the deer.      Pat

I shot the biggest buck of my career coming in to feed on a pear tree. I have seen them trot to the tree.

Thanks for the info guys! I'll hang a stand!

Eating pears in my backyard this Saturday with his two buddies.
 

Deer will clean up the pears before they even look at the apples, I have seen this since I was a kid, and that was a long time ago!!!!!!

Yes they love them in Missouri!

Absolutely.  One of the hotttest stands I ever had was close to my home town of Ruston in norht LA.  It was situated near an old home place out in the woods and had several pear trees. I can remember in early october there being plenty on the ground and the deer would hammer them.  I think there is a housing development there now..

They love em, once they turn soft!!! My old lease had 3 trees at an old homestead, that was hot place for the ladies to parade in early season till the acorns started to fall.... then it went cold as ice...

yes they love them I have a tree and they ate the pears off of the low hanging limbs a month ago  .and three are never any on the ground they ate them as soon as they hit the ground and I have seen a nice 6point and a 4point ateing them.cant wait till the season opens. Jim  LIttle

I'm pumped to hear these reports! I'll be hanging a stand near them this weekend. Thanks again for all the helpfull info