Originally posted by Chris Tripp:
We have more white oaks than anything else right around our family farm. The few chestnut oaks just seem less preferred by the local herd, which the trees may very well be Mountain chestnut oaks, but none the less, just don't see much activity from whitetail around them.

Originally posted by Winchester:
I have seen deer utilize them heavily from East TN to as far west as Humphreys county. BSK is right, they fall first, before the White oaks or Red oaks. When the White oak acorns start falling, all others will be abandoned and the deer will walk right past them, and any other food source to get to good white oak acorns.

Originally posted by Chris Tripp:
I will go with the fact they are probably used here for a very short period of time.

all the places i hunt with chestnut oaks, the acorns lay on the ground and rot. i have NEVER seen a deer eating them.

Chestnut Oaks are the first oaks to drop acorns and some of the best early feed sign you will find is under these trees. I have killed many a deer during early bow season under Chestnut Oaks. Once White and Red Oaks start dropping they become the preferred food source.

It appears deer in some areas do prefer chestnut oak acorns, especially if no other acorn is available. However, in the majority of areas, the chestnut oak acorn is not at all preferred.

Chestnut Oaks will grow in much poorer soils than other oaks. They often dominate the rockiest soils and south-facing slopes (south-facing slopes are drier and poorer). The best groves of true White Oaks are often found on the moister-soil north-facing slopes.