chestnut oaks

[smalljawbasser]

i have found what i believe to be a bunch of chestnut oak trees. i know they are similar to chinkapin oaks, but i believe these are chestnuts.

i know deer like chinkapin oaks, and given chestnut oaks are a member of the white oak family, would it be safe to assume deer like chestnut oak acorns?

 

[stik]

the big chestnut oak acorns lay on the ground and rot around here. the squirrels won't even eat them.

 

[Mike Belt]

I found a mother lode of them on the ground. Not a track. No droppings. I couldn't tell deer liked them.

 

[treefarmer]

I have a lot of Chestnut Oaks on my dry ridge tops. They are in the White Oak family but not preferred as much as a White Oak. They drop early. Some Chestnut acorns are probably preferred over others.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I am not an oak expert, but I do believe there are different types of chestnut oaks. I have one farm with a huge number of swamp chestnuts and the deer will eat them well, but they all start dropping at the same time and when that happens there are so many on the ground all over the place, I've never been able to pattern the deer on them.

 

[smalljawbasser]

You are correct there are two kinds. Mine are not swamp chestnuts.

According to Wikipedia, the way to tell them apart is that if they grow in a low, wet area, they are swamp chestnuts! Lol

If they grow on a ridgetop they are not.

 

[Huntaholic]

LOL Those of us who have been around here long hear this same question every year. Some folks in some parts of the state say they dont touch em, some of us in other parts of the state say they love em. I will say this: Ive killed more deer eating chestnut oak acorns than I have white oaks! Im NOT saying the deer prefer them over whites though. The chestnuts fall first, and I tend to hunt feed sign harder during bow season than any other time. I also hunt harder in general with a bow.
Now as to the possible reasons some chestnuts are preferred over others: Ive noticed through the years that typically chestnuts grow on the highest driest ridges and generally on south facing exposures. THOSE ARE THE ONES THEY DONT LIKE! Find some thats growing on a north facing ridge or slope. THOSE ARE THE ONES THEY LOVE!

 

[hcdeerman]

I agree, Huntaholic. Every one has opinions, just like deer in different areas have different taste buds and different food sources to choose from. During the first 2-3 weeks of bow season, I hunt almost exclusively on 2 ridges that are covered in Chestnut Oaks that are raining acorns. There will be deer activity there like you wouldn't believe! However, by the 3rd week of October you will not find a deer on those ridges unless they are just occasionally passing through. I'll probably be there Saturday morning!

 

[buckaroo]

I've seen deer walk past red oaks and eat chestnut oaks in Nov. and vise versa, i like hunting them early , when they are the first dropping

 

[Winchester]

Chestnut oak acorns fall first most yrs and deer will readily eat both varieties of them from one end of TN to the other. That said, they aren't their favorite and will many times leave them as fast as they started on them when a more preferred food source (white oaks for ex.) come along. Ive killed deer from East TN to Jackson TN eating them when they are the best available.