Figuring these acorns out...

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CliffordN

CliffordN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2021
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470
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Florien, LA
The woods are full of acorns, and deer are hammering some and ignoring others... Here is one that they are not going crazy over... Northern Red Oak, I believe...
redoak.jpeg
 
Picture This says Northern Red Oak as well. The deer aren't eating them at my place because of the white oaks, persimmons, etc. they prefer.
 
Red Oaks are for winter. White Oaks are for fall. Reds are high in tannin, which makes them bitter. But it also prevents them from going to root until spring. Whites are low in tannin, but they go to root in late November. Once an acorn has gone to root, the taste changes dramatically, and deer do not like them anymore.
 
BSK said:
Red Oaks are for winter. White Oaks are for fall. Reds are high in tannin, which makes them bitter. But it also prevents them from going to root until spring. Whites are low in tannin, but they go to root in late November. Once an acorn has gone to root, the taste changes dramatically, and deer do not like them anymore.
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Great info
 
BSK said:
Red Oaks are for winter. White Oaks are for fall. Reds are high in tannin, which makes them bitter. But it also prevents them from going to root until spring. Whites are low in tannin, but they go to root in late November. Once an acorn has gone to root, the taste changes dramatically, and deer do not like them anymore.
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With this said you can find a red oak in late season for some action once the white oak acorns are already eaten or rotted.
 
Me and my buds have killed some solid mature bucks on red oak acorns in November, mainly in areas where white oak trees were few and far between, or years when the white oak acorns were scarce. SW TN.
 
Young bucks Eating acorns in my yard this morning. Persimmons are gobbled up daily as soon as they fall by deer, coyotes and coons.
 
I know there are a lot of variables involved, but in general, is there any consensus as to which specific acorns are most preferred by deer? Or why preference might deviate even when multiple types are available?

I hunt a stretch of river bottom with a lot of Swamp Chestnut oaks. They drop a big, pretty acorn, deer love them, and I often hunt around them when they're dropping. But a few years ago I killed a 4yr old buck in early November. I wasn't hunting over oaks at the time, but I could have walked 200 yards in any direction and found a couple of Swamp Chestnut oaks dropping. However, this buck's stomach was full of smaller, round acorns (roughly dime sized) with dark vertical stripes. I took pictures but can't find them at the moment. After a few minutes on google I called them pinoak acorns (if they weren't pinoaks, they were similar in appearance). I've never thought pinoaks to be high on the list of preferred acorns, especially that time of year, but this buck had to walk past an abundance of swamp chestnut oaks and other whites to fill up on these smaller striped acorns. Maybe that deer just had a taste for the reds, but I've always been curious about it and wondered if I shouldn't pay more attention to pinoaks.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
I know there are a lot of variables involved, but in general, is there any consensus as to which specific acorns are most preferred by deer? Or why preference might deviate even when multiple types are available?

I hunt a stretch of river bottom with a lot of Swamp Chestnut oaks. They drop a big, pretty acorn, deer love them, and I often hunt around them when they're dropping. But a few years ago I killed a 4yr old buck in early November. I wasn't hunting over oaks at the time, but I could have walked 200 yards in any direction and found a couple of Swamp Chestnut oaks dropping. However, this buck's stomach was full of smaller, round acorns (roughly dime sized) with dark vertical stripes. I took pictures but can't find them at the moment. After a few minutes on google I called them pinoak acorns (if they weren't pinoaks, they were similar in appearance). I've never thought pinoaks to be high on the list of preferred acorns, especially that time of year, but this buck had to walk past an abundance of swamp chestnut oaks and other whites to fill up on these smaller striped acorns. Maybe that deer just had a taste for the reds, but I've always been curious about it and wondered if I shouldn't pay more attention to pinoaks.
Click to expand...
I never pass an oak without checking for fresh droppings. I don't care what kind of tree it is. If they are eating under it, I will hunt there! I often find they will select one tree over the others and feed there until there are no more acorns...
 
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CliffordN said:
I never pass an oak without checking for fresh droppings. I don't care what kind of tree it is. If they are eating uder it, I will hunt there! I often find they will select one tree over the others and feed there until there are no more acorns...
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This is true. Exactly why they do this is a mystery.

Southern Sportsman said:
I know there are a lot of variables involved, but in general, is there any consensus as to which specific acorns are most preferred by deer? Or why preference might deviate even when multiple types are available?

I hunt a stretch of river bottom with a lot of Swamp Chestnut oaks. They drop a big, pretty acorn, deer love them, and I often hunt around them when they're dropping. But a few years ago I killed a 4yr old buck in early November. I wasn't hunting over oaks at the time, but I could have walked 200 yards in any direction and found a couple of Swamp Chestnut oaks dropping. However, this buck's stomach was full of smaller, round acorns (roughly dime sized) with dark vertical stripes. I took pictures but can't find them at the moment. After a few minutes on google I called them pinoak acorns (if they weren't pinoaks, they were similar in appearance). I've never thought pinoaks to be high on the list of preferred acorns, especially that time of year, but this buck had to walk past an abundance of swamp chestnut oaks and other whites to fill up on these smaller striped acorns. Maybe that deer just had a taste for the reds, but I've always been curious about it and wondered if I shouldn't pay more attention to pinoaks.
Click to expand...

Every deer is an individual, and like individual people, they have individual tastes. Yes, there is a preference list for acorns, but not all deer "follow the rules." Generally speaking, Swamp White Oak and Swamp Chestnut Oak acorns are the most preferred. 2nd would be the true White Oak. Chincapin falls right after the true White Oak.
 
Falconi said:
Picture This says Northern Red Oak as well. The deer aren't eating them at my place because of the white oaks, persimmons, etc. they prefer.
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I was hunting a place and it was adjacent to an oak flat. What I didn't know was the white oaks (and reds for that matter) didn't really produce anything this year, which is odd, but I guess it happens. What makes it odder is that we supposedly have a bumper crop. I was in a thicker transition area between traditional bedding and that food source. While in my stand, I notice the persimmons are loaded. I saw 0 deer. The persimmons on the ground are rotting.

I feel like they are pretty much on acorns and if you are looking for which ones, find a white oak near thick cover, because they sure as heck aren't moving much.

Now on my land the acorns are spotty, but I do not hunt out there. Daytime movement spiked the last two days and bucks I thought had moved on or were killed in the velvet hunt came back. My brother killed a decent 9 pt on one of his smaller properties yesterday afternoon. Based on all the pics I was getting and what I heard online, I think they were moving good FINALLY, so hopefully that keeps up.
 
BSK said:
Red Oaks are for winter. White Oaks are for fall. Reds are high in tannin, which makes them bitter. But it also prevents them from going to root until spring. Whites are low in tannin, but they go to root in late November. Once an acorn has gone to root, the taste changes dramatically, and deer do not like them anymore.
Click to expand...
By design. White oaks sprout when they hit the ground. Persimmons rot. They are use or lose resources. Red oaks overwinter under leaf litter then sprout in late winter/early spring. They also mature at different rates to buffer against mast failure. Great mechanism to provide for wildlife but I have a hard time wrapping my noggin about the advantage that delayed germination provides to red oaks- maybe avoiding fall drought?
 
CliffordN said:
I often find they will select one tree over the others and feed there until there are no more acorns...
Click to expand...

I've moved my stand 6x in 2wks following the deer from tree to tree. All oaks are falling but the deer obviously have their favorite of the moment and ignore every other tree. Takes scouting but worth the effort.
 
MickThompson said:
By design. White oaks sprout when they hit the ground. Persimmons rot. They are use or lose resources. Red oaks overwinter under leaf litter then sprout in late winter/early spring. They also mature at different rates to buffer against mast failure. Great mechanism to provide for wildlife but I have a hard time wrapping my noggin about the advantage that delayed germination provides to red oaks- maybe avoiding fall drought?
Click to expand...
One theory is that it gives squirrels longer to bury them. Seriously. The grey squirrel is credited for much of the spread of red oaks. Because they're so good at bury them and so terrible at finding them (most estimates are they find only 10% of what they bury).
 
BSK said:
One theory is that it gives squirrels longer to bury them. Seriously. The grey squirrel is credited for much of the spread of red oaks. Because they're so good at bury them and so terrible at finding them (most estimates are they find only 10% of what they bury).
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I've seriously been in stand watching squirrels spy on other squirrels to see where they hoard nuts. Clever little suckers.
 

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