What kind of Japanese maple is it? That can make a real difference in its typical growth habit and how you may be able to protect it from deer down the road. Just off the cuff, I don't think what you propose is going to have much value. Without seeing the tree or knowing the variety this is all speculation but the tree sounds like it might be a smaller variety, perhaps even a weeping form. In which case, staking the branches upward is not going to produce the result you intend. Just a word or two on growth habits....... you can stake lower branches to a more upright position but it will greatly affect the beauty of the tree, which is to grow uninhibited in the form nature intended. And they will likely never be really vertical or ever above the reach of a hungry deer. Tree branches never grow higher on the tree than where they emerge initially - it is the trunk that elongates vertically. A better choice might be to remove lower reaching branches but with a 4' tree, that is somewhat of a moot point as well. You are going to be far better served by fencing the tree away from the deer predation or by using a deer repellant on a routine basis

I appreciate the advise, but think many of the roots have been severed. I am low on funds and made a deal with a young man to move these trees into a containers for an exchange for a pool table. He sounded like he new what he was doing. I now fear that the job was too much and that he and his help did not get enough of the root system. They cut many of the large roots to fit into one of those 58 gallon containers. The top off the container was cut off about 1/4 way down and several holes drilled in the bottom and filled about 1/4 way with pine mulch. The containers were pretty tall but not very wide. I am now afraid that in my haste and knowing that this need to be done ASAP that they may not survive. Checking on their progress I saw that they had cut many large roots that were pretty close to the tree to able to fit the diameter of the container. Both trees took them all day to do and I watered both imediately after being put into the containers. It is now several hours later and the one seems fine so far, but the first one dug appears to be wilting. Is this normal do to the shock or have I made a grave mistake. I was advised not to fertilized them, so that I would not burn them. Is there anything I can do to help with the root system? It seems to me that a lot of the root system was cut and only a small ball transported with these 3ft trees that have been in the groung for approximately 10 years. I would appreciate any advice. I will feel horrible if these trees die, when I could have left them on the existing property. I just really wanted these trees for my future home.

Here's another (and simpler) possibility. If the JM is goes for several weeks w/o water during the hottest part of the summer, it may respond by selectively letting some (or most, depending on the drought severity) branches die. This may not become apparent until the following spring, when the affected branches will not leaf out. Although lack of water is the "root cause", it might result in various proliferation of various infections, e.g. verticillium, that may be present in the weakened, dying and eventually dead branch. There's no way to know if this is the explanation in your case, but if your tree went without water for more than a week in July or August, I'd suspect something along these lines.

Is it possible it dried out a bit before the rain? That could cause the coloring and leaf drop. The dropping could also be due to wind. Other than that, the tree looks fine. Just make sure it gets water as needed (assuming it is planted in a well draining soil). And no need for any additional fertilization.