Food Plots Acorns

[TNlandowner]

We have a lot of acorns this fall. However the late summer drought has left a lot of them smaller than normal. I'm sure the deer will still eat them.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I do have a few trees that are loaded and to my surprise the acorns have filled in more than I expected. Probably going to put a camera on one in the coming weeks.

 

[TNlandowner]

It seems the early summer rains really helped our hard mast development. Our white oaks, chestnuts, and sawtooth oaks are loaded this fall. The sawtooth acorns will begin falling very soon in time for archery season. ;o)

 

[Ski]

Acorns are HEAVY on my place. They're everywhere and raining down like hail. Whites, reds, and chestnut oaks all dropping and they're viable mature nuts. Deer are going to be healthy going into winter.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

It's a bumper year for sure, even if 20% of them are rotten. Acorns everywhere on the ground and everywhere on the trees. I'm surprised the number of deer I've seen that are very skinny and ribs showing. They should fatten up now

 

[TNlandowner]

Our hard mast is still holding on the trees. I found the first sawtooth acorn on the ground yesterday

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Our hard mast is still holding on the trees. I found the first sawtooth acorn on the ground yesterday

I should have clarified - Just the mountain chestnuts are on the ground. And they are everywhere.

 

[348Winchester]

Not seeing many in northern Morgan County.

 

[BSK]

I should have clarified - Just the mountain chestnuts are on the ground. And they are everywhere.

For some weird reason, we haven't had a good Chestnut Oak acorn crop in about 5 years. They used to be such consistent producers...

 

[Ski]

For some weird reason, we haven't had a good Chestnut Oak acorn crop in about 5 years. They used to be such consistent producers...

That is weird. They usually produce even when nothing else does.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

For some weird reason, we haven't had a good Chestnut Oak acorn crop in about 5 years. They used to be such consistent producers...

That's odd. We didn't have one last year, that's for certain. This is one of those years at our place that you'd be a brave man to look up at the sky for very long. Will be interesting to see plot usage this year.

 

[BSK]

That's odd. We didn't have one last year, that's for certain. This is one of those years at our place that you'd be a brave man to look up at the sky for very long. Will be interesting to see plot usage this year.

I can only hope we have that kind of acorn crop, because I don't have my plots in yet and I don't see much future rain in the forecast after today and tomorrow. At some point, I'll just have to plant and hope for the best.

 

[TNlandowner]

Do deer feed on your chestnut oak acorns? I've noticed these acorns are always lying on the ground late into winter.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I marked a few white oaks over the last few days that look like they have clusters of grapes on the end of every little twig. Loaded to the gills. Most looked barren though. So could be a perfect year from my perspective. Easy to find the trees they are feeding on.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Do deer feed on your chestnut oak acorns? I've noticed these acorns are always lying on the ground late into winter.

It's hit or miss for local areas. I remember having the most lush foodplots for years, yet the deer were non-existent in them before any white oaks were dropping. They would hammer the mountain chestnuts. I've seen them gobble them up. But as soon as the whites start dropping, they leave them alone. It's only a 2-3 week period. But they certainly will. Other folks say they won't, but I've seen them do it every year at our place

 

[rifle02]

Nothing really to brag about at my place. Chestnut Oaks mediocre. Red Oaks sporadic some good acorns here and there. White Oaks I'm not sure, I haven't seen anything but immature little non-legitimate acorns.

 

[BSK]

It's hit or miss for local areas. I remember having the most lush foodplots for years, yet the deer were non-existent in them before any white oaks were dropping. They would hammer the mountain chestnuts. I've seen them gobble them up. But as soon as the whites start dropping, they leave them alone. It's only a 2-3 week period. But they certainly will. Other folks say they won't, but I've seen them do it every year at our place

This.

Usually, Mountain Chestnut acorns are the first variety to fall. Being the only acorn on the ground, deer flock to them. But that period only last a couple weeks. Once the true Whites begin to fall, the Mountain Chestnut acorns are ignored.

 

[Ski]

It's hit or miss for local areas. I remember having the most lush foodplots for years, yet the deer were non-existent in them before any white oaks were dropping. They would hammer the mountain chestnuts. I've seen them gobble them up. But as soon as the whites start dropping, they leave them alone. It's only a 2-3 week period. But they certainly will. Other folks say they won't, but I've seen them do it every year at our place

I've seen the same. I also see them coming back to them after white oaks have all been eaten up, well into late November and early December. Seems they eat until the nuts begin sprouting.

 

[BSK]

I've seen the same. I also see them coming back to them after white oaks have all been eaten up, well into late November and early December. Seems they eat until the nuts begin sprouting.

I've had many hunters ask why acorn sprouting is so important for deer preference. Deer don't like them once they've sprouted. Every taste malt? Malt is just barley that has been allowed to germinate, then dehydrated and ground up. It tastes VERY different thn normal barley. Just the act of germination dramatically changes the taste of barley. Same goes for acorns.

 

[Andy S.]

My buddy in Franklin has had deer eating Chinkapin acorns over the last week or so. He's shared a few pics of them underneath the tree, heads down, totally oblivious to the world.

 

[Ski]

My buddy in Franklin has had deer eating Chinkapin acorns over the last week or so. He's shared a few pics of them underneath the tree, heads down, totally oblivious to the world.

Id love to have some producing chinkapins. They must taste like pure candy because deer seem to gobble them up even better than typical white oaks.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Id love to have some producing chinkapins. They must taste like pure candy because deer seem to gobble them up even better than typical white oaks.

Same - they drop early and are candy. Supposedly much more so than whites as you mentioned

 

[BSK]

My buddy in Franklin has had deer eating Chinkapin acorns over the last week or so. He's shared a few pics of them underneath the tree, heads down, totally oblivious to the world.

Chinkapins are a HIGHLY preferred acorn. I see a lot of them on high ground in the Nashville basin, but they are non-existent in my hunting area (near KY Lake).

 

[BSK]

Sitting on my cabin porch last night, I could hear acorns plopping out of the trees all over the place. Still seeing some undersized acorns falling, but looking up into the tree crowns this morning at sunrise I could see plenty of full-sized White Oak acorns. Below picture is the lower branches of a White Oak along one of my food plots. Crown has far more than this. I may have to reevaluate my "acorn meter" upwards for this year. From what I saw in the trees in July, I thought the crop would be a 6 out of 10. Then with the drought, I thought it would fall to a 4. Now, after seeing what's falling and what's still in the trees, I may put it back up to a 6 or 7.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Sitting on my cabin porch last night, I could hear acorns plopping out of the trees all over the place. Still seeing some undersized acorns falling, but looking up into the tree crowns this morning at sunrise I could see plenty of full-sized White Oak acorns. Below picture is the lower branches of a White Oak along one of my food plots. Crown has far more than this. I may have to reevaluate my "acorn meter" upwards for this year. From what I saw in the trees in July, I thought the crop would be a 6 out of 10. Then with the drought, I thought it would fall to a 4. Now, after seeing what's falling and what's still in the trees, I may put it back up to a 6 or 7.

Yea you can really see them good now. I'd say we are at an 8 at our place. Sounds like a gun going off when they hit the tin roof. If your outside, it will make you jump

 

[TNTreeman]

My buddy in Franklin has had deer eating Chinkapin acorns over the last week or so. He's shared a few pics of them underneath the tree, heads down, totally oblivious to the world.

This is true. We were 65' high in one this week. They don't look huge but are producing.