Dunstan Chestnut Tree Update Late April 2019

If you have been following my posts for a while, you already know I planted four Dunstan chestnut trees on my hunting property in fall of 2018, and I posted an update in March of this year. At that time, I could detect new growth on only two of the trees.

The trees came from Chestnut Hill Outdoors, and are a blight-resistant chestnut tree. They say the real draw for us deer hunters is that deer prefer these chestnuts over acorns 100 to 1! I decided to give them a try and let you readers learn with me as we watch the trees develop over time. I’ve planted them near a traditional food plot which has a permanent deer stand, but which usually underperforms as far as deer sightings. My hope is to draw more deer to the area using these trees.

While hunting turkeys on the property about a month after my March update, I found that all four trees are doing great!

Tree 1 was showing impressive growth, and will hopefully be taller than the grow tube when I see it next.

This is what tree 2 looks like inside its protective grow tube. The tube is recommended by Chestnut Hill and it helps ensure the tree will get a good foothold before its foliage and trunk are exposed.

Tree number 2 is really encouraging. I was concerned about it and tree 4 when I couldn’t detect new growth four weeks earlier.

In March, tree 3 only had a tiny bit of new growth. Now, I can’t even see the tip of the trunk where the new stuff was sprouting forth then.

Tree 4 was the most worrisome last time; this time it’s the tallest of the bunch!

I’m pleased with all of the trees, but I’m especially impressed with tree 4.

Here’s hoping that the next time I see these trees — probably not until August — they will all be considerably taller than their grow tubes and have sturdier trunks to support that growth. Either way, you can count on me to let you know what I find at that time. Meanwhile, thanks for joining me in this learning experience.

If you’d like to plant some of these trees on your hunting land, check with your local Wal-Mart or Rural King and ask if they carry Dunstan Chestnut trees.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.