Acorns

[ZAG]

Anyone seeing any on the ground yet?

[Cabin Fever]

Been dropping for 2-3 weeks around here. Seems to be a lot.

[mowin]

Trees are loaded in my area, as well as hickory nuts. 

[grampy]

Reds are dropping a bit. Still bunches of em up there in the trees. This is the most abundant crop in three years here on the farm in 4H.

What few whites we have are spotty, but there is some. More than we've had in awhile. Some trees are loaded. Others barely anything. 

Should be a overall good crop this year. Back to hunting my favorite oak ridge this season!!! Killed so many deer there over the decades. 

[mowin]

20 minutes ago, grampy said:

Reds are dropping a bit. Still bunches of em up there in the trees. This is the most abundant crop in three years here on the farm in 4H.

What few whites we have are spotty, but there is some. More than we've had in awhile. Some trees are loaded. Others barely anything. 

Should be a overall good crop this year. Back to hunting my favorite oak ridge this season!!! Killed so many deer there over the decades. 

I've got a spot that has a ton of reds up top and lots of hickory at the bottom of the ridge. Past 3 yrs, deer only passed through occasionally. Looking forward to hunting there this yr. 

[ZAG]

Ok thanks. I’m scouting for them today. I have only found one red that had dropped some a couple weeks ago. 
I’ve been casually looking yesterday but didn’t see any.

[Jeremy K]

Camping at a state campground this weekend ,there is so many on tje ground you can't walk around in bare feet. They're everywhere

[DirtTime]

I have. I was up north yesterday and they were dropping. Down here I'm just starting to see them on the ground but looks like a decent crop this year.

[ZAG]

Found some, not a ton but it’s looking better than the last two yrs!

[ZAG]

Found some, not a ton but it’s looking better than the last two yrs!

[Wolc123]

I haven’t looked at the  reds, but the whites are loaded here this year :

 

I don’t look at the reds at all, because I have never seen them have much attraction to the deer, compared to other food sources around here, when they are dropping early (now until mid September).  

Whites have always pretty much trumped everything else when they drop though, usually in mid October until early November.  

[Wolc123]

32 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Reds are more acidic so deer don't eat them when other food sources are available.  BUT, they don't germinate until the spring and are an important mid to late winter food source.  If you hunt December and January the Red oaks are your best friend.   

That’s good to know,  because I plan on hunting then.  I am sorely lacking in RR corn this year, due to germination failure of old seed.  Usually, that is what I can  depend on for good December action.  

 

Most of the trees in my woods were ash, which is now completely void of any foliage, courtesy of the emerald ash borer.  That added boost of sunlight has really seemed to benefit the white oak mast production.  There is at least as many reds in there as whites, which will get that same benefit.  
 

I won’t miss the ash trees, when they are gone, and I doubt that the deer will either.  Other species, like oaks and maples, seem to offer them far more benefits.  

[ZAG]

Well I ended up finding a hand full of pockets where acorns were on the ground which is a good thing!! Red or white the deer in my part eat em all.

 

 

[Bolt Action]

5 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

Camping at a state campground this weekend ,there is so many on tje ground you can't walk around in bare feet. They're everywhere

Same.  Camped At a state camp ground in 8a that's about 10 minutes from the farm I hunt.  Both spots were loaded with red and white acorns. Whites seemed st still be holding in the trees but reds were all over the ground. 

[jperch]

I think ash leaves are a preferred food for deer in the late spring  as they are one of the highest protein sources available.  Who knows what the loss of another major tree species holds for our woods.  But I doubt it will be good.