Bowhunter24
Senior Member
I just came back from my lease and while scouting i found 3 big whiteoaks. I have hurd that they do not produce every year, was wondering if that was true, and if it is to late to fetlizle them??
Welcome Guest!
a ? about white oaks
- Thread starter Bowhunter24
- Start date
Some years they'll be loaded and other ones you won't find any. Last year was a good year so I don't expect many this fall. I know one thing, find a loaded white oak with droppings under it and you'll see deer. Nearly all of my bowkills have been under a dropping white oak.
Bowhunter24
Senior Member
Thanks Jody, thats what im affraid of, i know lats years acorn crop was crazy, and when i found these trees, u can tell that there had been a whole lot of eating going on under them from last year, so thats why i was wondering if they are gonna be any good this yr.
Thunder Head
Gone but not forgotten
Seems like some years they are loaded, some years they have just a few and some years none at all. We have lotts of white oaks up here so just findin one wont gaurentee you will see deer.
Thunder Head said:
There is always that one special tree that they seem to like better. I don't know whether the acorns are sweeter, more nutrious or what. This tree will have droppings all under it and the leaves will be tromped down. I've saw deer walk past several other trees that were dropping acorns just to eat the acorns off of this tree. If you find a tree like this hunt it, I'll promise you that you will see deer.
Jeff Phillips
Senior Member
Our weather has been real good for acorn production so we could still have a good crop.
Red oaks take 2 years to produce acorns and white oaks take 1 year. With the right conditions those trees could be loaded again this year.
If you want to fertilize them wait until Nov. or Dec. and broadcast 10-10-10 at 2# per inch of diameter between the trunk and the dripline.
Red oaks take 2 years to produce acorns and white oaks take 1 year. With the right conditions those trees could be loaded again this year.
If you want to fertilize them wait until Nov. or Dec. and broadcast 10-10-10 at 2# per inch of diameter between the trunk and the dripline.
Harvester
Senior Member
Jeff Phillips said:
I wait until right after deer season to fertilize, mid jan.
Woodsman
Senior Member
Honey tree......
I agree with you Jody. We would find that one or two trees that would always be cleaned out first. The acorns are sweeter. You should cut them open and try them. If they are more corn like and not as bitter thats the tree to hunt. The land I hunt is 95% open white oak bottom land.
So the food is all over the place. So I have to look for more than just a few white oak trees. The sweeter the better. And this has worked for me many years. Also, as for the good crop years, bad crop years....you should see about 50/50 on the trees. Some will have and some will not. If I were you I would take a close look at that tree and try to see if it will produce this year. I would still hunt it every now an then even if it has little or no acorns this year. They might just be in there looking for them acorns too. 
Good luck, and don't give up on that spot.
Jody Hawk said:
I agree with you Jody. We would find that one or two trees that would always be cleaned out first. The acorns are sweeter. You should cut them open and try them. If they are more corn like and not as bitter thats the tree to hunt. The land I hunt is 95% open white oak bottom land.
Good luck, and don't give up on that spot. 
carabrook
Gone But Not Forgotten
A biologist told me that acorns will be heaviest on oak trees the third or fourth year of dry seasons. The tree is feeling the lack of water and nature has it producemore because of the threat that the tree may die and it needs to carry on the cycle. At one of our stands the last time there was a draught here you could have roller skated on them they were so thick and deer came heavy. The next year with lots of rain just a few acorns. Last year at the end of the season we still had plenty of acorns, white and red left in the hardwood valleys on our property, for whatever reason they turned off them about mid season so mabe they were starting to ferment...........
CPiper
Senior Member
While I am NOT farmer brown, the best time to fertilize is the spring or fall. We use a complete fertilizer, like 10-10-10. You can broadcast it around the tree or use tree spike types. Trees that get fertilizer on a reg basis will get their acorns ate alot more!!!!!
Iv seen white oaks be loaded year after year, in droughts and wet times and then all of a sudden, the acorns disappear one year - funny how that works!
As far as a food source - IMHO, acorns from a white oak is THE food MOST preferred by deer! I LOVE to find a lone white oak in the middle of a pine forest - its almost too easy to kill a deer there!
Iv seen white oaks be loaded year after year, in droughts and wet times and then all of a sudden, the acorns disappear one year - funny how that works!
As far as a food source - IMHO, acorns from a white oak is THE food MOST preferred by deer! I LOVE to find a lone white oak in the middle of a pine forest - its almost too easy to kill a deer there!
