what are these trees and do deer eat these "beans"???

Slayer

Senior Member
sitting in the stand this morning and I happened to notice this tree right next to me...then I got to looking around and was able to see about 8 more or so within about 40 yards of my stand....

what are they,,,and more importantly, do deer eat them???

I also had a yearling within 25 yards of my tree for about 35 minutes this morning, just wondering around nibbling on browse and green briar....

sorry about the quality, these are from my phone camera
 

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northgeorgiasportsman

Moderator
Staff member
Those beans look like what you'll find on a Redbud tree. We've got several of them lining the bank behind our house. I've had deer in the yard eating azaleas but I've never seen them eat the beans from the Redbud trees, even though they've had plenty of opportunity.
 

apham8311

Member
i believe that is a red bud tree. beautiful trees in the spring. purple blooms. they leave those seed pods on the tree. not sure if deer eat those or not.
 

Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
tough to tell from the pic, but looks like honey locusts and yes the deer love them.

I watched deer after deer walk to one for a nibble in IL this year
 

Rabbitslayer97

Senior Member
tough to tell from the pic, but looks like honey locusts and yes the deer love them.

I watched deer after deer walk to one for a nibble in IL this year

i agree redbud "beans" are only at most 3 inches long those look way longer
 

trentb

Senior Member
if i'm not mistaken, but may be, thats a locust tree and yes deer do eat the pods and is a good winter food source.
 
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Slayer

Senior Member
they had little flat bean pods on them 6 to 8 inches long....each pod had 4 to 6 beans in them
 

Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
this is a pic of honey locusts for ref
 

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Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
redbud

redbud_fruit_winter.jpg
 

Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator
Staff member
Do the trees have long, sharp thorns. If so it is locust
 

bestbucks

Banned
Don't forget about the Mimosa Tree. They also have pods like this. I agree though, it is hard to tell from that picture. Mimosa? red bud? Locust?:huh:
 

vin-man

Senior Member
Got 2 Mimosa trees out back, and a bow hunting friend said deer love the "beans". I will watch them this winter and see.
 

Kahnefan9

Member
If it turns out to be locust sit on it hard next year. Hunted Illinois 2 years ago and placed a stand on a long ridge and my brother and I laughed that there was no food or anything on that top I wanted to hunt. Just alot of hickory and maple trees all over. I just wanted to hunt in a place where I could see a long ways the first couple of days before I hit the edges and bottoms. The next day I hunted there and the property line was just behind me about 150 yds. The property line had locust all over a fence line and probably 10-15 acres of locust trees that popped and cracked everytime the wind blew at all. Told my brother I could not hear anything because of the noise from those locusts. I saw deer all day coming and going but did not know why they chose to pass where I was. By the 2nd day I had seen probably 50 does and 20 bucks all coming from the locust. Finally rattled in and killed a good buck from the locust thicket but still did not understand the logic. There was no corn or anything in that direction. Just 400 acres of timber before the next farm. When I took my deer to the taxidermist he cracked up when I told him about my stand location. He said if you could find a locust stand you were golden and deer sometimes pefer it to corn or beans. Wish I had known before I went up there but it paid off in the end. You can see my pretty top with no food on it in the background of my avatar. Haha!! Good luck!
 
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