Hottest oak youve ever seen?

[megalomaniac]

Yesterday afternoon I was coyote hunting and scouting for the kids. I had 16 deer including 7 bucks and one that was a 125in 4.5yo come into the clover field. All 16 of them at one point or another spent 5min to 20 min crunching acorns on the ground from one particular red oak at the edge of the field. I've seen hit oaks before, but never to this extent. Prob heard over 75 grunts from the bucks during the afternoon as does came in to feed, but none of the does were receptive yet. Watched a 35 min sparring session between 2 youngsters.

 

[GnashviLLe]

Awesome! Did you happen to catch any video of the sparring? Sounds like you had a cool sit yesterday afternoon

 

[hillbillyfab]

Do you happen to remember what kind of oak was it? I'm always intrigued when deer will walk by a dozen oaks for that "one" oak tree.

 

[megalomaniac]

Do you happen to remember what kind of oak was it? I'm always intrigued when deer will walk by a dozen oaks for that "one" oak tree.

Was a red oak. I strapped a cell cam to the tree to see if the pattern continues.

I'm on another farm in a grove of 6 red oaks getting pelted every time the wind gusts. Getting annoying actually.

 

[DoubleRidge]

My first thought was some of the best white oaks I've bow hunted in years past....but honestly I have a similar experience too what you described....we have one big red oak that's in the edge of a 2 acre plot...and most of the time deer enter the plot from the thicket on the opposite side....but no matter what is planted in plot, more times than not, if there are acorns under this tree....they are coming to it......never fully understood why? It's certainly not the only red or white oak around? But for what ever reason they like it....after they crunch acorn's a while they will filter back into the plot and feed till dark.....interesting.

 

[catman529]

Not sure what the hottest tree was, I can think of a few that were covered up in deer over the years. I forgot to check one of em this year, a big white oak on the edge of a thicket that usually drops a heavy crop every 2 years. The big chinkapin oaks (2 of them) on my place dropped a load this year, I put a cell cam under one and deer were frequent, but not as hot as l expected. Probably because there are a lot more oaks across the property line. But they definitely spent a good bit of time there while the acorns were fresh.

 

[catman529]

My first thought was some of the best white oaks I've bow hunted in years past....but honestly I have a similar experience too what you described....we have one big red oak that's in the edge of a 2 acre plot...and most of the time deer enter the plot from the thicket on the opposite side....but no matter what is planted in plot, more times than not, if there are acorns under this tree....they are coming to it......never fully understood why? It's certainly not the only red or white oak around? But for what ever reason they like it....after they crunch acorn's a while they will filter back into the plot and feed till dark.....interesting.

Trees with less competition and more sunlight (which you'll find at the edge of a plot) usually produce more acorns. I wonder if they're "better tasting" as well. Or it could be the conjunction with the high quality green browse in the same spot that draws the deer to it.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Trees with less competition and more sunlight (which you'll find at the edge of a plot) usually produce more acorns. I wonder if they're "better tasting" as well. Or it could be the conjunction with the high quality green browse in the same spot that draws the deer to it.

Good point....makes sense.

 

[Gravey]

I had a couple of persimmon trees by my driveway in my ole house and if they produced deer would hammer them.

 

[megalomaniac]

My cell cam lit up from 3p onwards. There is something about this particular tree. I wish I could figure out what it is.

 

[catman529]

My cell cam lit up from 3p onwards. There is something about this particular tree. I wish I could figure out what it is.

Doesn't matter what it is, all that matters is you know about it now. That's the tree I'd come back and check every year

 

[megalomaniac]

120 pictures of deer so far in 18h with a 1 min delay. No blanks, all deer. I've never seen anything like it. Wonder how many days it will take a herd to clean up all the acorns.... im guessing 3d max at this rate

 

[megalomaniac]

Deer are still hammering it day and night. A large portion of the crown drops right in front of the camera. Going to run out of monthly limit of pics in another few days

 

[megalomaniac]

4.5yo on it at 1130 today. Just crazy

 

[double browtine]

Trees with less competition and more sunlight (which you'll find at the edge of a plot) usually produce more acorns. I wonder if they're "better tasting" as well. Or it could be the conjunction with the high quality green browse in the same spot that draws the deer to it.

I wonder if some of the fertilizer from the plot could help the tree produce a better quality acorn.

 

[double browtine]

4.5yo on it at 1130 today. Just crazy

I bet he takes a bullet on Saturday if he shows up when your kids are hunting!

 

[megalomaniac]

I wonder if some of the fertilizer from the plot could help the tree produce a better quality acorn.

Yes, I've heard fertilized trees may produce more and better tasting. But this oak is on the corner of a pasture that hasn't had cows on it in a year (thus the heavy growth of volunteer clover), and it hasn't been fertilized in at least a decade.

 

[megalomaniac]

I bet he takes a bullet on Saturday if he shows up when your kids are hunting!

I already have a plan for my son Sat am if the wind is right. Perfect buck for him to take!

 

[Dumbluck]

I have seen this happen many times in late season but never this early on a red oak, sounds interesting good luck.

 

[catman529]

I wonder if some of the fertilizer from the plot could help the tree produce a better quality acorn.

They've done studies on that and showed that fertilizer had little to no effect on acorn production. Sunlight, competition from other trees, and individual tree genetics determine which ones produce the best.

 

[Benelli 4 Life]

What kind of Red Oak is it?

 

[megalomaniac]

They've done studies on that and showed that fertilizer had little to no effect on acorn production. Sunlight, competition from other trees, and individual tree genetics determine which ones produce the best.

Are you aware of any studies regarding palatability of acorns? Production isn't an issue.... the deer are walking by thousands of other acorns on the ground from other red oaks within 100y of this tree to eat THESE acorns. Darndest thing I've ever seen. My camera has 3 deer feeding on them right now (noon). Something just makes these acorns taste better than all the others around.

 

[megalomaniac]

What kind of Red Oak is it?

No idea, just a generic red oak to me. Acorns are about a quarter sized diameter, and are a little wider than they are tall.

 

[poorhunter]

No idea, just a generic red oak to me. Acorns are about a quarter sized diameter, and are a little wider than they are tall.

Sounds like regular old red oak.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Have mature oaks of all types all over our property. Have never noticed any trees to be quite like that, but haven't ever run a trail cam on acorn crop either.

 

[catman529]

Are you aware of any studies regarding palatability of acorns? Production isn't an issue.... the deer are walking by thousands of other acorns on the ground from other red oaks within 100y of this tree to eat THESE acorns. Darndest thing I've ever seen. My camera has 3 deer feeding on them right now (noon). Something just makes these acorns taste better than all the others around.

I'm not aware of any studies. The deer know something we don't, they're the ones eating those bitter things lol

 

[catman529]

No idea, just a generic red oak to me. Acorns are about a quarter sized diameter, and are a little wider than they are tall.

Probably q rubra

 

[RobbyW]

I have watched deer walk right past other white oaks to get to one particular white oak. Same type of trees on the same ridge and this one tree has always been preferred. That was until this year. No idea what's going on but this year the acorns are rotting on the ground. Deer won't touch it