In the early portion of archery season, apples can be the food that draws deer in. In years with good apple crops, the deer where I hunt tend to swing by and check out a couple trees on their way to nearby agricultural fields to feed. So, taking some time to help those trees be healthy and producing a good crop of apples could really help me punch more bow tags in the next few years.

One way to help fruit trees is to trim or prune them. Pruning limbs on apple trees can prevent excessive moisture from building in the canopy, causing mildew and loss of fruit. Trees with dense canopies will also shade out lower branches, leading them to weaken and die. Trimming damaged or sick limbs can also prevent further decline to the tree and help it get healthy again. The key is to do the pruning after the coldest part of winter but before the buds open to start the growing season. So, it would be best to wait a little bit longer, say until late February.

The main thing to do is look at the branches and visualize the tree with leaves on. You want to remove limbs that will shade out other limbs once the foliage is there. Branches that grow vertically should be some of the first ones removed. These branches steal the sunlight while being skinny, so they don’t end up holding much fruit on them. If the tree has grown to a size that you like and don’t want it to keep growing, cut the central upright branch. This will result in the tree growing outward instead of upward. Keep checking as you go to make sure you are removing enough branches to allow air movement through the tree. You may be surprised at exactly how much of the tree you end up removing but don’t get too worried because the tree will recover and grow it back.

While you are pruning your fruit trees, look around at the other trees nearby. Trees that are shading your fruit trees can be pruned or completely cut down to allow more sunlight through. If cut down, they also will be less competition for nutrients in the soil. Sometimes you will hear this referred to a “crop tree release” in forest management discussions. Removing the limitations on trees that produce mast, such as oak and hickory trees, can cause them to produce an abundance of food for wildlife. Giving fruit trees an opportunity to thrive can help attract and keep deer during the fall.

To do a thorough job, you’re going to want to an extendable pruning saw, such as the Hooyman brand of saws, some decent gloves, eye protection, and a 6-foot ladder. If you can use a battery or gas-powered pole saw, you can save a lot of time and energy, just be sure to be always be aware of where the bar and chain are. Also, wear hearing protection if using a gas-powered saw.