One of the most fun things many deer hunters do each year is augment natural forage with some supplemental food plots or stands of mast-bearing trees such as oak, persimmon or chestnut.

The additional work on the hunting property provides more of a connection on those cold days in the stand. You’ve worked the ground, planted trees or plots, and put in the sweat equity. Now, waiting on a doe or buck is the payoff.

Chestnut trees took a hit in the United States thanks to a blight that killed the beautiful hardwoods many years ago. But one stand survived and today, Chestnut Hill Outdoors has seedlings from those blight-resistant chestnuts that can be planted and provide food for wildlife. Better yet, planting these Dunstan chestnut trees is helping revive a lost piece of America.

Planting food plot trees not only relieves you of a lot of work down the road, but it also saves some of the cost of replanting plots each year. To be successful, choose a variety of food plot trees to offer deer and wildlife what they want to keep them coming back for more. This is where Chestnut Hill comes in.

Chestnut Hill is the only source for Dunstan chestnut trees. Deer and other wildlife flock to chestnut trees for their sweet-tasting nuts, and the Dunstan tree variety is known for its heavy annual crop. But what makes it perfect for a food plot is that it’s easy to plant, easy to grow, resistant to disease, requires little to no maintenance once established, and thrives in a wide range of climates.

The Dunstan chestnut produces large annual crops that will keep wildlife coming back for more. The chestnuts are high in carbohydrates and provide high-quality protein, which deer seek. Dunstan chestnut trees thrive in a variety of locations. Once planted, the trees will bear chestnuts within two to four years and produce heavy crops every year.

Other easy-to-grow tree varieties are offered at Chestnut Hill as well, such as persimmon, an assortment of apple and pear, and even oaks, all of which provide nutrition that will keep the wildlife on your land happy. They also are super easy to plant and grow. Persimmons are widely referred to as deer candy, so these trees are a great addition to any food plot. Crabapples and other apple selections are attractive to deer as well, and Chestnut Hill only selects varieties that have the longest ripening times. This makes them perfect for the autumn deer season.

For more information on Chestnut Hill Outdoors visit www.chestnuthilltreefarm.com.

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