Critters are hungry

[tellico4x4]

With no nuts or soft mast and plots in bad shape, I'm afraid that it's going to be a tough winter for all our animals.

Have never seen as much daylight activity in my life for all creatures, even saw a bobcat at 10:30 AM out hunting. I was on a plot yesterday afternoon and squirrels were on it eating the wheat seed I sowed on Monday! Guess they've run out of pine cones as that's all they've had to eat this fall.

Won't be surprised if bucks shed antlers early due to stress. In 2019 they were dropping shortly after Christmas. Had a guy shoot a "big doe" that turned out to be a 3 yr old buck that had already shed.

 

[Heath423]

Yeah seeing similar things out my way too

 

[BSK]

The armadillos out during daylight are crazy. I think my local squirrel population is going to be devastated.

 

[knightrider]

Thats crazy we have more acorns than i can remember in the east

 

[cecil30-30]

Thats crazy we have more acorns than i can remember in the east

That's exactly what I was about to say.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Thats crazy we have more acorns than i can remember in the east

That's exactly what I was about to say.

Y'all had plentiful rain all summer - from the plateau east, y'all had it made

 

[BSK]

Y'all had plentiful rain all summer - from the plateau east, y'all had it made

At my place, I believe it has rained only 5 times since early June.

 

[RockMcL]

The armadillos out during daylight are crazy. I think my local squirrel population is going to be devastated.

Anyone need a bucket or two of squirrels let me now. My last sit I had so many squirrels I couldn't count them. Course if you want a bucket of em you'll need to tell me how to get them in the bucket

 

[JCDEERMAN]

At my place, I believe it has rained only 5 times since early June.

That sounds about right. And that is max number of times. One or two of those events only dropped .22-.35"

 

[BSK]

That sounds about right. And that is max number of times. One or two of those events only dropped .22-.35"

Correct.

 

[double browtine]

Correct.

I'm right there with y'all in West Cheatham and another farm I hunt in southwest Montgomery county. I walked 60% of my 46 acres in Cheatham two weeks ago and didn't see a rub or a scrape. And only found a couple of red oaks that were dropping small acorns. Made a mock scrape last weekend and still haven't gotten a picture yet. I've been seeing deer in peoples yards under the oaks almost every night if I'm out and passing by. Saw 5 does that were there inside one homes chain link fence eating under a white oak. Every morning and evening on my way to work and back I have been seeing deer in a bean field that was cut 2 weeks ago. That tells me there aren't may acorns in the woods!

 

[Popcorn]

Same here. Trigg county ky and stewart county tn little native foods, almost no acorns. deer feeding in my yard within feet of the windows and the least amount of activity out of mature bucks as I have ever seen.

 

[Swampster]

Thats crazy we have more acorns than i can remember in the east

In Henderson County I wouldn't say we have that many, but there seems to be at least an average amount. There are enough that I see plenty of them on the ground, so the animals are not snatching as soon as they fall. And as I have posted before, the sawtooths are blanketing the ground and it is hard to tell that anything is eating them the way they pile up. It has been and is dry here, but there has generally be adequate forage. Of course, in Southern West Tennessee we have a lot of lower lying and even wet grounds.

 

[RockMcL]

I'm in Giles & Marshall Counties (south of Nashville) and seem to have plenty of persimmons, acorns OK, various hickory & other nut heavy, the one chestnut tree ok but scrapes & rubs are not normal places.

Earlier in the year we had the heaviest PawPaw production in at least 12 years and the deer seemed to be camped near them at that time.

We had a lot more rain than most of you I guess, too much at times, and too little at times.

My plots are bad but that was not rain issues.

I will probably pull camera picks tonight and scout two ridge lines & flats I have not visited but particularly confusing is the rub lines I am used to are not used at all. Seems like 8-9ish years ago we had similar lack of activity but I am terrible on dates/times...

 

[sneakybow]

With no nuts or soft mast and plots in bad shape, I'm afraid that it's going to be a tough winter for all our animals.

Have never seen as much daylight activity in my life for all creatures, even saw a bobcat at 10:30 AM out hunting. I was on a plot yesterday afternoon and squirrels were on it eating the wheat seed I sowed on Monday! Guess they've run out of pine cones as that's all they've had to eat this fall.

Won't be surprised if bucks shed antlers early due to stress. In 2019 they were dropping shortly after Christmas. Had a guy shoot a "big doe" that turned out to be a 3 yr old buck that had already shed.

Have a friend over in NC and they have acorns everywhere. Literally covering the ground. What a difference huh?

 

[th88]

Have been in the Ozarks of South MO/North Arkansas and there is a crazy amount of acorns! But hardly any by my house on the TN/MS line.

 

[poorhunter]

Saw two deer on the way home today eating privet of all things. Not even November yet, although I've never seen deer eat privet before no matter what time of year it is.

 

[BSK]

Saw two deer on the way home today eating privet of all things. Not even November yet, although I've never seen deer eat privet before no matter what time of year it is.

Very low on the preference list.