The mighty white oak vs the lowly water oak...

[Triple C]

Definitely with the exception it depends on the particular tree and what else is producing. If the white oaks are producing they won't touch water oaks until they have vacuumed up all the white oak acorns but once they do they wear out the water oaks, especially in December.

You described my property. Got a number of mature white oaks...maybe 30 or so. Got hundreds of water oaks. Year's ago I'd get all jacked up on my white's when they had a crop. But over the course of 10 years, I've learned the water oak produces more acorns over several months and almost always they producer every year. On the other hand, my white's are temperamental. They seems to disappoint me 2 out of 3 years. But I do love em when they have acorns.

 

[280 Man]

Definitely with the exception it depends on the particular tree and what else is producing. If the white oaks are producing they won't touch water oaks until they have vacuumed up all the white oak acorns but once they do they wear out the water oaks, especially in December.

I respectfully disagree. I'm not sure we can say dogmatically the above. I have watched deer eat water oaks while within eyesight of white oaks.

The palatability of acorns depends on tannin levels in the acorns and some species have higher levels than others I have watched deer walk by several white oaks only to get to another white oak to eat, Why? Evidently the acorns on white oaks are not the same, even on the same property. Some have to be "sweeter".

I hunt the same property year end, year out and even with white and water oaks near each other they will eat the water oaks first, most times.

 

[Ray357]

Deer won’t even touch water oak acorns on my SC place until all the rest are completely gone. Then, they don’t eat them much. They are tearing up whites, southern reds, and black oaks right now, and completely ignoring the water oaks.

Same way on my hunting land. Deer won't eat water oak at all.