{"product_id":"whitetail-late-season-orchard","title":"Whitetail Late Season Orchard (4 Trees) | Spring 2027","description":"\u003cp\u003eFour full-size apple trees picked for whitetail in the fall up north. Two are \u003ca href=\"\/products\/kerr-crab\"\u003eKerr Applecrab\u003c\/a\u003e, which doesn't drop its fruit and stands up to very late frosts, and the other two are \u003ca href=\"\/products\/haralson-apple\"\u003eHaralson\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/frostbite-apple\"\u003eFrostbite\u003c\/a\u003e, which ripen late September into mid October.\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: 2 Kerr Applecrab (Dolgo full size, 4-6 ft.), 1 Haralson Apple (Spy 227 full size, 4-6 ft.), 1 Frostbite Apple (Dolgo full size, 4-6 ft.). Pruned to 5 ft. for shipping. 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\u003eHaralson and Frostbite ripen late Sept to mid Oct. Kerr ripens late Sept to early Oct and doesn't drop (University of Saskatchewan). How long it hangs on your place varies, and we're starting a drop log to find out.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePollination\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAll three bloom mid season (group 4 of 7), so Haralson and Frostbite pollenize Kerr and each other.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRootstock\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFull size only: Dolgo and Spy 227. No dwarfs or semi-dwarfs.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAlso feeds\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eElk, moose and turkeys.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/div\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 fruit draws black bears and grizzlies. Plant well away from houses and outbuildings, and use electric fence where bears are around.\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 buck by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:White-tailed_Deer_Karl_E_Mundt_National_Wildlife_Refuge_(52389055799).jpg\"\u003eU.S. Fish and Wildlife 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":45838645395522,"sku":null,"price":269.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/1920px-White-tailed_Deer_Karl_E_Mundt_National_Wildlife_Refuge__2852389055799_29.jpg?v=1793317858","url":"https:\/\/www.montanafruittrees.com\/products\/whitetail-late-season-orchard","provider":"Montana Fruit Trees","version":"1.0","type":"link"}