Deer in Muscadine Vineyard

SlipperyHill Mo

Senior Member
Just got permission to hunt a small tract in Greene county that has a fairly big 3+ acre muscadine/scuppernong vineyard on it.

Anybody ever hunt one an got any advice or tips?

I am assuming the deer will eat them but there seemed a lot of fruit still on the vine this week. Do the der wait until the fruit is ripe and fall on the ground?

Thanks for any advice or experiences.
 

Vernon Holt

Gone But Not Forgotten
Muscadines

Deer will feed on grape (Vitis sp.) vines early in the year when they are putting out new and tender growth. They are not attracted to mature and tough buds and foliage which is typical of the fall season.

The fruit is another story. Deer will not wait for them to fall, but will eat all that they can reach from vines trained on trellis. You should be able to readily determine the potential for hunting by checking the vines nearest the wood-line. If there is a huntable population of deer you will see an abundance of tracks, droppings, and trails leading into the vineyard.

If there is a scarcity of "sign" and if there are grapes remaining on the vines nearest the wood-line, I would judge that prospects do not look very good. It is a judgement call.

Vernon
 

SlipperyHill Mo

Senior Member
Vernon,

Thanks for the info. Need to check it out a little more.

When do the muscadines quit producing?

Some still seem to b ripening. Week? Month?

Thanks again,

Mo
 

Vernon Holt

Gone But Not Forgotten
Deer and Muscadines

SlipperyHill Mo said:
. "When do the muscadines quit producing"? Mo

Muscadines begin to ripen very soon after they mature, which would be in mid September, depending upon location in the State. They do not ripen all at the same time, but will show color and ripen over a period of three or four weeks. It is not unusual for there to be a few lingering grapes on the vine when the first frost occurs.

The native grapes in the woods usually do not last that long simply because of the demands placed upon them (coons, possums, squirrells, deer, and winemakers)

Hope this answers your question.

Vernon
 
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