It happens every fall and this year was no exception.
“Hey John, where can I find some hedge apples?” the voice on the other end of the line asked. What he was referring to was the softball-sized knobby fruit of the Osage orange tree.
While many have seen these yellow-green spheres littering the ground in rural areas, few know much about them.
Osage orange trees are actually a member of the mulberry family, named after its bright orange-colored wood. It is a tough, durable tree that transplants easily, tolerates poor soils, extreme heat and strong winds. In this area it was once widely planted by farmers as a living fence. When pruned into a hedge, it provided an impenetrable barrier to livestock and also delineated property lines. The widespread planting of Osage orange stopped with the introduction of steel fence and barbed wire.
Often called iron wood because of its density, Osage orange trees were also used in making bows and arrows. And, as far as burning the wood in fireplaces and wood stoves, it ranks number one in heat produced.
However, it is the fruit that most people still find intriguing. I can tell you first hand that in the hands of playful children, the hard orbs can become dangerous weapons. They are also a nuisance in home landscaping and provide little if any food benefit to wildlife.
But where their interest lies is in ridding the home of unwanted pests like mice and insects. Some believe this is only a myth as no scientific proof exists proving the fruits power as an insecticide. Yet others swear by the fruit’s effectiveness.
“I don’t care what people say,” said Brian Riddle of Kokomo, who used to have problems with spiders invading his home every fall. “I have used them for five years and they work.”
Placing the fruit around the foundation of a home or inside a basement is claimed to repel all types of insects and rodents. If you don’t believe this, take a drive into the country-side where it is common to spot older homes with hedge apples lying around the building’s foundation.
“Oh my yes,” said Dan Glaze, owner of Arab Pest Control when asked if he has heard of people using hedge apples as a method of pest control. But he was cautious when asked if they really work. “You can not change a person’s mind when they really believe in something.
“One thing I will say,” he added, “is that if you leave them out there over the winter and through the summer and they begin to rot, they can attract gnats.”
Although no scientific proof provides a logical explanation as to why they work, just ask any rural resident who uses the fruit and they will tell you otherwise.
Tournament results
Mississinewa Reservoir was the site of Burton’s Ultimate Outdoors end-of-the-season classic tournament. Bob Rose and Terry Thor came away with the win after carrying four largemouth bass to the scales totaling seven pounds, eight ounces. A 2-pound, 5-ounce fish also earned them the event’s big fish award.
Second place went to Dick Mugg and Doug Pence with three fish weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces. Jim Morgan and Ray Miller took third place with two fish weighing 2 pounds, 4 ounces.
Hunting results
For the past 23 years Dan Pickell has enjoyed hunting deer. Through the years he has collected several respectable bucks, but nothing like the one he took last week. While hunting in Tippecanoe County, he harvested a huge 16-point buck carrying a field-dressed weight of 225 pounds. Besides great mass, Pickell’s trophy also sported an outside spread of 25 inches.
Here is this week’s list of bowhunters who have also collected deer and taken them to one of our area’s state approved deer check-in stations. This information, which includes county of harvest and field-dressed weights, is provided by Burlington Locker, Bryant’s Outdoor Store, Full-Draw Archery, Jack’s Tackle Center and Frank Simpson’s Deer Processing.
Carroll County: Susan Bickel — 165-pound, 10-point buck; Randall Roark — 115-pound doe; Todd Combs — 180-pound, 11-point buck; Jeremy Mote — 120-pound doe; Gene Weitzel — 135-pound, seven-point buck.
Cass County: Shannon Young — 135-pound, seven-point buck; Matt Grau — 125-pound doe; Mike Lay — 100-pound doe; Jeff Packard — 150-pound, seven-point buck.
Clinton County: Ken Ritchey — 65-pound, button buck; Ryan Blodget — 162-pound, 10-point buck.
Fulton County: Chuck Nunnally — 208-pound, eight-point buck; Jerry Buckner — 87-pound button buck; Ralph Harvey — 82-pound doe.
Hamilton County: Greg Duke — 122-pound doe.
Howard County: James Addison — 115-pound doe; Mike Cody — 145-pound, 12-point buck; Cory Hunt — 65-pound doe; Dan LaShure — 85-pound doe; Calvin Hunt — 130-pound doe; Robert Carter — 155-pound, six-point buck; John R. Bass — 110-pound doe.
Marshall County: Kent Bowers — 133-pound, eight-point buck.
Miami County: Tyler Harrington — 65-pound doe; Nathan Mosier — 192-pound, 10-point buck; King Davis — 125-pound, five-point buck; Tom Offutt — 100-pound doe; Joe Conyers — 100-pound doe; Adam Fouch — 130-pound antler-less buck; Bill Young — 100-pound doe.
Tippecanoe County: Dan Pickell — 225-pound, 16-point buck.
Wabash County: Carl Dishner — 140-pound, eight-point buck.
Warrick County: Toby Miller — 150-pound, eight-point buck.
Tribune catches of the week
Bryant’s Outdoor Store: Ted Sprinkle and Terry Roe caught a mixed bag of numerous crappies, bluegills, redears and largemouth bass while on a recent trip to the strip pit area of southern Indiana. The Kokomo anglers caught three bass tipping the scales at over 5 pounds. Their largest redear measured 10 inches. The majority of the fish were taken on a variety of artificial lures
Jack’s Tackle Center: Mark Linebeck and Cliff Hill hauled in 35 crappies, keeping 22 for the table, after a recent outing on Salamonie Reservoir. The fish, averaging 11 inches in length, were taken on minnows.
Peoria Bait and Tackle: Mel Mock reeled in a walleye measuring nearly 28 inches in length, tipping the scales at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Mock hooked his fish from the Mississinewa River.
