Deer acorn hierarchy.

[Raylander]

Can’t say about tannin levels. But what I do know is that white oaks either sprout or rot really quick. Red oak akerns last until next spring before they sprout or rot. Reds are good feed through the next spring. That’s why you’ll see Turkeys eating them in March and April; bc they have neither rotted or sprouted..

FWIW I’m on the opposite end of the state from you. YMMV

A freeze will make the unsprouted whites rot. Thus turning the game to the the reds..

Again, all this is subjective..

Find the feed sign, hint feed sign, make notes for future

 

[steveus]

Great topic, thanks. I'm in SE GA, mostly water oaks where I hunt, great crop this season, deer are tearing them up. Killed a nice 10pt. during MZ loader season eating them.
I know of a few swamp chestnuts near me, not in the woods, I have hauled acorns from them to the deer woods and deer have hit them hard. Then last year and this year, they are not eating them. Maybe they taste different each year? Anyone heard of this?

 

[fireman32]

Can’t say about tannin levels. But what I do know is that white oaks either sprout or rot really quick. Red oak akerns last until next spring before they sprout or rot. Reds are good feed through the next spring. That’s why you’ll see Turkeys eating them in March and April; bc they have neither rotted or sprouted..

FWIW I’m on the opposite end of the state from you. YMMV

That makes sense. I’ll add that water oak acorns don’t typically last all year at my place. I wish they did, most of my little area typically holds water from November til April or so.

 

[uturn]

Cold water definitely leaches tannins out over time... have to laugh at one of the methods recommended at this link (though sure it works!).

https://backyardforager.com/cold-leaching-acorns-three-ways/

Interesting method…but, it is logical! At 1st flush anyway!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[dixiecutter]

Water oak = staple. Swamp chestnut= favorite. White oak = close second. Post oak, Blackjack etc= third, but still lots of traffic. Red oak = dead last. Southeast Alabama, Southwest GA

 

[Buckman18]

In the mountains, as a general rule, I tend to find more sign in white oaks in September/October, and tend to find better sign in the reds in November/December.

As a general rule, I almost always ignore chestnut oaks. There’s been a few exceptions over the years, but only a few.

 

[Taxman]

Great list of Oak's! Whitetail, I do not believe I have ever
seen a more comprehensive list in one place. Thank you
for the post!

 

[chrislibby88]

I wish more including myself shared your enthusiasm for early season squirrels. There's no better way to perfect your woodsmanship and marksmanship than spending time chasing squirrels with a .22 and It's a great time to begin scouting for Fall big game seasons. Good luck.

Pigs. Small game season is all about the pigs.

 

[whitetailfreak]

Pigs. Small game season is all about the pigs.

Kill em all

 

[Dan DeBord]

If you hunt North Ga. black oak good . Some ole timmers called them cheese acorns .

 

[chrislibby88]

If you hunt North Ga. black oak good . Some ole timmers called them cheese acorns .

Is that in the the red oak family?

 

[Nicodemus]

One thing to remember about oak trees is that the white oak family are fall germinators, and the red oak family are spring germinators.

 

[fireman32]

Should be a bumper crop of acorns this year with all the rain we’ve had. Those that survived the late frost anyway.
Be interesting to know if the extra water changes a certain trees acorn’s attractiveness.

 

[Triple C]

I'll take the lowly water oak all day. Whites don't produce every year on our place. Water oaks seem to produce every deer and drop throughout much of the season. Deer readily scarf em up.

 

[Dan DeBord]

Is that in the the red oak family?

Black oak -Quercus velutina Lam is of the Red oak family . Acorns look very similar to Scarlet Oak . Cut open Black Oak acorn, inside very yellow-orange color.

 

[chrislibby88]

Black oak -Quercus velutina Lam is of the Red oak family . Acorns look very similar to Scarlet Oak . Cut open Black Oak acorn, inside very yellow-orange color.

So the red oak family is something I’m a little more ignorant on. I kinda just mentally lump all the reds together, northern, southern, pin oak, scarlet, black, etc. I mostly ignore the reds early season when I’m bear hunting in north GA, cause whites are king, then when I come back in December I’m focused more on rut funnels than food.

Do you find that blacks, or scarlets get used early season, or do you treat them like northern reds, and hunt them later in the year?

 

[chrislibby88]

Should be a bumper crop of acorns this year with all the rain we’ve had. Those that survived the late frost anyway.
Be interesting to know if the extra water changes a certain trees acorn’s attractiveness.

I think it does. Seems like dry summers produce some really heavy crops, but there’s so many variables it’s hard to tell. I’ve heard speculation that a lot of rain during flowering can lead to poor pollination, but who knows.. Heavy storms in the late summer knock a lot of acorns down early too.

 

[chrislibby88]

I should grab photos while I’m in the woods this fall and update this thread with pictures.

 

[Dan DeBord]

Black oaks fall early about same time as white oak . If you find them deer love'em . Where i hunt they are at about 2000 ft. I have seen them at higher elevations. Cut one open . Inside cheese color very distinct .

 

[Silver Britches]

Speaking only of South central and Southwest Georgia, these deer prefer swamp chestnut acorns first. The most beneficial oak down here for everything is the water oak acorn. Even wood ducks and quail eat those little acorns and they usually have a very prolific crop every year.

What’s neat to see is a raft of ducks come up on the edge of an acorn hill out in the swamp, and gobble up water oak acorns. But they won’t stay long on that hill. And all at the same time will shoot back into the water. I’ve been sitting on the ground on the edge of a flat, with bushy cover around me, and had them come pretty close to me. But them jokers can sho nuff see. Man, they can see. And they sure are noisy devils. Just a cool experience.