[Bruce Hering]

It has always amazed me how a crabapple tree in our yard can be loaded with apples early in the fall until there is a hard frost/freeze. Then all of a sudden, the apples start to disappear on the lower branches from the deer but the ones higher up seem to stay for a bit. Having watched closely, I have seen the jays and cardinals work them over. Now they are almost gone. Frosted/frozen and thawed apples feed more then grouse....