Food plots vs. Acorns this season

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woodsman87

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Everybody knows that Acorns are usually king this time of the year. Well they appear to be about gone in my area, which seems to be earlier than normal. I have observed more deer sightings in fields and food plots this fall that previous falls. Maybe this weekend I can scout the hardwoods some and see if there are still acorns on the ground. May have been fewer acorns on my spot than previously thought, or maybe the deer just like the way my plots taste because of the lime I put on it.

What yall been seeing?
 
Unless there is virtually no acorns at all, I've never seen a situation where acorns "run out" (although I hear this from hunters all the time). I've noticed a MAJOR decline in the usage of food plots by deer over the last two weeks, as acorns have FINALLY begun raining out of the trees.
 
I didn't mean literally gone, with none left at all. This is the 6th season in a row we have planted these food plots, and this appears is the most they have hit it during October. In my experience, which isn't near as much as some of you, Acorns are good food source from late September until about mid Novemember, sometimes later.

I usually have my best results with acorns during about October 15th-31st, but it seems to be different this year.

I will just have to get out this weekend when I have time and see if I can find any white oaks with fresh acorns.
 
Acorns all over us, they are everywhere. There are deer on most of our plots every afternoon and our plots are not around the oaks...
 
Our acorn crop has been much lighter than I initially thought this year. I hunted white oaks hard for about two weeks without much luck at all. Since the previous cold snap a week or so ago I have observed through trail cams that plot activity has picked up especially on my clover and winter wheat plots.
 
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On those properties with a decent acorn crop, food plot usage is WAY down over the last two weeks. Those areas with a poor acorn crop, food plot usage is peaking.
 
BSK said:
Unless there is virtually no acorns at all, I've never seen a situation where acorns "run out" (although I hear this from hunters all the time). I've noticed a MAJOR decline in the usage of food plots by deer over the last two weeks, as acorns have FINALLY begun raining out of the trees.
Click to expand...

All that's left under most oaks on my property is the button cap tops. They'll flat wear out about three different stands of oaks and not touch the others.

Maybe this cold snap will drop some more to the ground.
 
benellivol said:
Maybe this cold snap will drop some more to the ground.
Click to expand...

In my area, acorn drop usually peaks around Oct. 10. This year, we still had green acorns in the trees as of Oct. 25, although the freeze Thursday and Friday nights definitely helped bring many down.
 
BSK said:
benellivol said:
Maybe this cold snap will drop some more to the ground.
Click to expand...

In my area, acorn drop usually peaks around Oct. 10. This year, we still had green acorns in the trees as of Oct. 25, although the freeze Thursday and Friday nights definitely helped bring many down.
Click to expand...

Sure wish the leaves would come down too! Hoping the wind with this Halloween storm will knock a lot down

No shortage of acorns in my area either!
 
I'm afraid we're still going to have quite a few green leaves still on the trees at muzzleloader opener.
 
Leaves have changed dramatically just in the last 2 days. The deer are eating nothing but acorns so far where we are. We have corn fields I'm hoping the start hitting again hard in December
 
JCDEERMAN said:
Leaves have changed dramatically just in the last 2 days.
Click to expand...

Isn't it amazing? Juvi we had almost no color at all. Driving through Dickson, Hickman, and Humphreys counties yesterday, I swear the area was at nearly peak color. I've never seen the change happen so quickly.


The deer are eating nothing but acorns so far where we are.
Click to expand...

This year's acorn drop has been truly bizarre. We finally observed a pretty solid acorn fall the weekend before Juvi. I thought the vast majority of acorns were out of the trees. However, yesterday, acorns were absolutely pouring out of the trees at the highest rate I've seen this year. I've never seen such a late peak acorn drop timing.
 

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