So far the Deer have resolutely ignored the three piles of apples that have been laid out. My game cameras aren't capturing much even though the areas I'm looking at appear to be high traffic areas.
Things are dry around here so I left a camera by the one pool of water I could see, I'm wondering if the lack of rain and the heat are slowing things down?
I've been scouting a lot of wood blocks, up here it's very dense woodland and short of feces, tracks and visually seeing something there is very little to work with.
Well, considering where you live, that isn't surprising.
Bears aren't overly fussy, but unless they've eaten apples previously, usually with their mothers, it's an acquired taste.
Deer are much more fussy, unless they're really hard up for food.
If apples aren't a normal food source in their immediate area, you aren't going to attract Deer.
It's a bit late now but you asked late.
One thing that always attracted Deer was a garden, with corn, potatoes, peas, lettuce.
The Deer would start early in the spring on the first lettuce leaves, then switch over to peas, than onto potatoe plants and corn, after they tried it for awhile.
We used to plant two gardens, one, which wasn't very well kept, such as weeding, which was for the Deer. They even liked the weeds, especially the early dandelion leaves and early burdock. Couldn't get them to touch comfry. The other thing they really liked was the barly and oats we used to randomly seed in their plot and they just loved the pot plants.
The Deer garden was right at the edge of the forest/bush and they didn't have to come far into the open.
This pretty much kept them out of our garden, until early fall, when the does and fawns would start getting brave enough to get close to the house late in the evenings.
There is one thing about apples, Deer are fully capable of splitting the skins, but often won't do it.
Try cutting the apples up, so the scent spreads.
If they're ripe enough, step on them to break them open.
It may take a few seasons to condition those Deer. Mule Deer can be especially fussy with food they haven't acquired a taste for. They require a small plant with waxy leaves and red berries, that's only about 10-15cm tall to help digest their food. It's called Uva Ersi.
Find Uva Ersi and you will likely find Mule Deer.
Most of the advice you're being given here is effective with White Tails. They're more aggressive and not nearly as fussy about their food.
