No Acorns. What strategy now?

[xatxay]

Hunting big Hardwoods with zero acorns this year. Buck sign is WAY off.
What food source are the deer using? What's your strategy?
Thanks

 

[poorhunter]

In my area (Hickman County) we had no acorns either and ALL the deer are in pastures...

 

[MUP]

Same situation for me. I'm just continuing to concentrate on travel corridors and terrain features that have produced in the past.

 

[Gravey]

In my area (Hickman County) we had no acorns either and ALL the deer are in pastures...

Same for us in Hickman county. We never saw any real rutting activity either. Very strange and so much so that a copperhead was run over just outside our gate last week.

 

[huntinkev]

In my area (Hickman County) we had no acorns either and ALL the deer are in pastures...

Same for us in Hickman county. We never saw any real rutting activity either. Very strange and so much so that a copperhead was run over just outside our gate last week.

Same in Humphreys. I'm seeing a lot of deer grazing in the fields. First sign of rut activity was yesterday morning a small 8 was chasing a doe out in the field.

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[poorhunter]

In my area (Hickman County) we had no acorns either and ALL the deer are in pastures...

Same for us in Hickman county. We never saw any real rutting activity either. Very strange and so much so that a copperhead was run over just outside our gate last week.

Yep that pretty much describes what I have seen the few times I've been out hunting. Past years I'm seeing scrapes in early October, but I didn't see my first one this year till Thanksgiving. We've had tons of does in our pasture virtually all day but have yet to see a buck. In past years we might see a couple once or twice the whole year.

 

[Hardwoodmaterials]

I killed a basket rack 8 point in Hickman Co. Wednesday and cut open his gut after field dressing him just to see what he had been eating. What I could make out looked like saw briar tips and a little grass along with the indistinguishable stuff. I don't have any fields to hunt but the best I can tell is if you have the pasture you have the deer right now.

 

[hitek7]

Marshall county and we do not have big hardwoods but have so many red oak acorns still laying on the ground it is terrible. At least they should be healthy!

 

[WTM]

in benton county river bottoms they are hitting red oak acorns. i cut one open saturday and she had acorns and greens mixed in. the leaves had covered the acorns and they were raking back the leaves to eat them. probably from the guy hunting my neighbors property and the 50 lbs of turnip seeds he sowed. i did come home one night and had about 50 standing in my yard eating dandelions and broadleaf weeds.

 

[Grizzly McBeard]

Same for me in Hardeman County. My Dad and I were just talking about the lack of acorns this year. We were trying to figure out what makes a boom or bust crop.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

Honeysuckle and Blackberry bushes.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

In my area (Hickman County) we had no acorns either and ALL the deer are in pastures...

Same for us in Hickman county. We never saw any real rutting activity either. Very strange and so much so that a copperhead was run over just outside our gate last week.

Yep that pretty much describes what I have seen the few times I've been out hunting. Past years I'm seeing scrapes in early October, but I didn't see my first one this year till Thanksgiving. We've had tons of does in our pasture virtually all day but have yet to see a buck. In past years we might see a couple once or twice the whole year.

We are also in Hickman. We have zero acorns and our buck sightings are the poorest they've been since we've had the place (since 2000). No sign anywhere. I've never had a hard time getting deer on camera and over mock scrapes until this year. I haven't had a buck on camera I'd shoot since August when I killed my velvet buck. They have vanished to somewhere there is food. Our best pictures show some bucks on the ridges directly above the green pastures across the road from us. My prime spots have produced nothing more than spike and doe sightings. I am baffled at this year. Good thing is the likelihood there is a zero-producing acorn year like this one is very rare for our place. A few reds and that's it

 

[Winchester]

Dang, tons of Acorns here in East TN, however when none are available and your not in an AG area I would recommend hunting the best browse you can find close to heavy cover. Honeysuckle is hard to beat.

 

[rmmonty32]

Thats interesting Blount and Monroe has tons of acorns and hickory nuts... also more squirrels than i have ever seen in my life!!!

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[catman529]

Nashville basin has been over loaded with northern red oak acorns this year. Deer are eating them regular but not on much pattern because they can go almost anywhere and find food, even around bedding cover since red oaks are just about everywhere.


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[hitek7]

Nashville basin has been over loaded with northern red oak acorns this year. Deer are eating them regular but not on much pattern because they can go almost anywhere and find food, even around bedding cover since red oaks are just about everywhere.


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Same in Marshall County. I thin we will still have acorns in July...

 

[catman529]

Nashville basin has been over loaded with northern red oak acorns this year. Deer are eating them regular but not on much pattern because they can go almost anywhere and find food, even around bedding cover since red oaks are just about everywhere.


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Same in Marshall County. I thin we will still have acorns in July...

I bet next spring will be another one for huge gobblers 25+ pounds like it was 3 years ago


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