{"product_id":"whitetail-early-season-orchard","title":"Whitetail Early Season Orchard (4 Trees) | Spring 2027","description":"\u003cp\u003eFour full-size trees that put fruit on the ground for whitetail in late summer and early bow season. Two applecrabs (\u003ca href=\"\/products\/centennial-apple-crab\"\u003eCentennial\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/trailman-crab\"\u003eTrailman\u003c\/a\u003e) and two Russian pears (\u003ca href=\"\/products\/krazulya-pear\"\u003eKrazulya\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/larinskaya-pear\"\u003eLarinskaya\u003c\/a\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"mft-facts\"\u003e\u003ctable class=\"mft-facts-table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 trees: 1 Centennial Applecrab (Dolgo full size, 3-5 ft.), 1 Trailman Applecrab (Dolgo full size, 5-7 ft., pruned to 5 ft. for shipping), 1 Krazulya Pear (Ussurian full size, 3-5 ft.), 1 Larinskaya Pear (Ussurian full size, 3-5 ft.). Bare root, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring 2027, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eHardy to\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eZone 2b (winters to about -45°F). Check your spot with our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/cold-hardiness-calculator\"\u003ecold hardiness calculator\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFruit timing\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCentennial ripens mid to late Aug and Trailman late Aug to early Sept. The pears ripen in late summer, and pear fruit drops easily in wind (NDSU), which suits deer just fine.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePollination\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCentennial and Trailman pollenize each other. Krazulya and Larinskaya pollenize each other.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRootstock\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFull size only: Dolgo for the crabs and Ussurian pear for the pears.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAlso feeds\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTurkeys and songbirds.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePair It With the Late Season Orchard\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdd the whitetail late season orchard and you've got fruit from August into late fall, or get both together as the Whitetail Full Season Orchard.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull-size trees usually take 5 to 6 years to bear. That's the trade for a tree that gets up out of browse reach and lasts for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eProtect Them\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeer, elk and moose browse young plants hard, and bucks rub trunks in fall. Cage each tree until it's out of reach: a welded-wire cage about 5 ft. tall and 3 ft. across works for deer. Where elk come through, MSU recommends an 8 ft. fence with a top rail. Trunk tubes alone won't stop rubs. Water with drip the first couple of summers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBear country:\u003c\/strong\u003e early fruit lands right when bears are bulking up for winter. Plant these well away from houses and outbuildings and use electric fence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIs Planting This Baiting?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrowing plants is habitat work. Rules on fruit or nuts you pick, move or pile up vary by state, so check your state's hunting regs before you hunt over it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the full how-to (why these plants work, spacing, protection and timing), read our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/whitetail-deer-orchard-guide\"\u003ewhitetail deer orchard guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSee our other wildlife bundles on the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/wildlife-orchard-bundles\"\u003ewildlife orchard bundles\u003c\/a\u003e page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003ePhotos: white-tailed deer by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Deer_Eating_Apple_(54076330393).jpg\"\u003eLuca Pfeiffer, National Park Service\u003c\/a\u003e (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45838651719746,"sku":null,"price":239.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/1920px-Deer_Eating_Apple__2854076330393_29.jpg?v=1793317858","url":"https:\/\/www.montanafruittrees.com\/products\/whitetail-early-season-orchard","provider":"Montana Fruit Trees","version":"1.0","type":"link"}