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Are my deer broken?

Posted By: EmeraldTides

Are my deer broken? - 10/27/22 11:42 PM

So I always hear about deer hammering oaks trees and really focusing on acorns over other food sources. For some reason the deer on the properties I hunt really don't seem too interested in acorns. I'll see them eat them occasionally, but there never seems to be a high concentration of deer around oaks and most the time the acorns will end up rotting if the squirrels don't get them all. This happens with multiple kinds of oaks in multiple places. Any thoughts?
Posted By: Mdees

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/27/22 11:51 PM

I suppose it may have a lot to do with the distribution of oaks over your area, the type of oaks, the amount of available mast and the location relative to main bedding areas over your area.
We have a lot of white oaks on the areas that the timber company can’t cut. Many other species as well but most years the deer really keyed on those but it was still hit or miss. Especially with a couple seasons that had very heavy acorn drop. They could stay tight to the bedding areas and had more acorns than they could eat. I’ve also seen a season, maybe four years back or so that we had another bumper crop of white oak acorns but the deer, for the most part, stayed down on the creek flat and ate water oak acorns like it was going out of style.
Posted By: Teacher One

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/27/22 11:52 PM

What kind of acorns are dropping there? Deer have taste preferences just like we do. Whiteoak is the acorn of choice. Plant some Sawtooth trees and they will be dropping in less than 5 years. Deer love them and they fall during bow season.
Posted By: CNC

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:10 AM

My guess is that its likely due to a low deer density in relation to the total amount of acorns being dropped. Lets say we're talking about large amounts of closed canopy hardwoods......You may not have enough bedding to support large deer populations but you may have tons of oak trees.....Acorns would be in surplus most years.
Posted By: Squadron77

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:11 AM

You can have a 100 oak trees and sometimes the deer will only feed under the one tree that they like. That's the reason you have to do some scouting during bow season. You will know it when you see it.

Warren Womack
Posted By: EmeraldTides

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:26 AM

We have mostly water oaks. Not the preferred species, but I've heard many people say that they should still eat them. There are others, but I'm not great with my oak IDing. There's definitely not a low deer density and we have more pines than anything. They just seem to prefer eating rye or hay grass or just privet leaves over acorns in all my observations. I'll have to get out and get some hiking in and see if I can find any particular tree they're feeding on.
Posted By: Forrestgump1

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:42 AM

My guess is they are definitely hitting your acorns, and if you have majority water oaks, they aren’t that high on the preference list. Deer are browsers and will nibble on a little of this and that at they move through. A deer will seek out a good white oak like corn on the ground, and will change patterns for it. Water oaks not so much.
Posted By: DeerNutz0U812_

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:54 AM

There is a really good acorn crop this yr guys surprisingly ....find the white oaks first and its money....Mother nature is prepping us for a cold winter this yr with all the acorns....02 ....if Anybody else believe in these type signs....
Posted By: DeerNutz0U812_

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:57 AM

The neighbor poured out a pile of corn half the size of a pickup truck bed and I aint seen a deer on it in the daylight....It aint shrunk none either...they got to be hammering those acorns...
Posted By: DeerNutz0U812_

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 12:58 AM

Originally Posted by Teacher One
What kind of acorns are dropping there? Deer have taste preferences just like we do. Whiteoak is the acorn of choice. Plant some Sawtooth trees and they will be dropping in less than 5 years. Deer love them and they fall during bow season.

This...X2... thumbup
Posted By: Mbrock

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 02:45 AM

Your deer are eating acorns right now, somewhere, of some variety. They key in on them heavily for increased body mass through winter. I’ve got feed out in several locations for inventory purposes, and yet the deer are absolutely killing acorns. Killed every deer I’ve shot on acorns this year. Seeing lots too.
Posted By: Hunting-231

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 03:18 AM

All things being equal - deer are foragers. I personally believe that IF they find a sustainable food source they will eat it until that food source has been depleted OR they feel threatened OR there is a better food source. I am certainly not a wildlife biologist, but my experience tells me that deer are somewhat habitual and will return to the same feeding and bedding areas consistently as a learned behavior.

That is why I am not a huge believer in using corn as an attractant, unless you are feeding 365-days a year - you may hold them temporarily in an area, but once the food source is exhausted the will move on. I also believe that deer have somewhat of a herd mentality which would be learned behavior that is passed down from the "matriarch" to the group. I have seen it time and time again based on row crop maturity, time of year, and watching how deer traverse an area while feeding or bedding.

I always welcome and respect Mbrock's opinion - he is certainly more educated and experienced than myself on the behaviors of wildlife.
Posted By: outdoors1

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 05:32 AM

Deer want good food. Check the acorns and see if they are good. Sometimes worms get in acorns and deer know. Most deer prefer white oaks, but there is an order to what they like. I know where a group of about a dozens water oaks are surrounded by other oaks. When they are dropping it is hard to not see all animals around them. They may not be their favorite, but usually water oaks drop every year, creating a more consistent food source. I have seen White acorns that sprout some years and the deer just not get to them there are so many. A bunker crop of acorns can make for some tough hunting on highly pressured ground, but I can assure you they are eating good acorns somewhere, especially at night.
Posted By: metalmuncher

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 09:59 AM

To late for this year but try fertilizing a few select trees or a patch of trees for next year.
Posted By: HippieKiller

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 02:33 PM

Down here in extreme SW AL, white oaks are as rare as hen's teeth, so don't be surprised if there isn't one anywhere on you or your neighbors. And while you probably do have a majority of water oaks, I'd bet there are some red oaks dropping on your place right now too. I have found them to be much more preferred by deer down here.

As to all the acorns you see rotting on the ground, you've posted a lot of pictures of some swampy creek bottom type land. Those acorns won't last in those damp environments too long. Check the high ground, outer edges of SMZ, and ESPECIALLY oaks on the edges of fields/pasture. Deer may love acorns, but they are also lazy. The easier the acorns are for them to find, the more they like them.
Posted By: slippinlipjr

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 05:06 PM

If your property is down here in SW bamer, find red oaks. Look up what a southern red oak looks like. They are after them harder than the white oaks right now for some reason. I've never seen this before until this year. Our white oaks we have that are dropping aren't dropping very good akerns.
Posted By: EmeraldTides

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/28/22 09:20 PM

Thanks for the advice y'all. I'll have to get out and see if I can find any red oaks and see what's going on with them.
Posted By: Ridge Life

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/29/22 12:17 AM

I seen a group of nice bucks and a few doe under some water oaks right after dark in a yard. They left a 190 acre block of hardwood mix and crossed a 40 acre hay field to get to em. There is beans close as well… I watch em from my truck from a cow pasture. I can’t hunt any of the ground they were on.. but that’s what they were wanting to eat I guess.
Posted By: ronfromramer

Re: Are my deer broken? - 10/29/22 12:35 AM

If they're laying on sandy ground, they will be there into the spring if they don't get eaten. I'm covered up in big old water oaks and plenty of all sizes. I had deer and turkeys feeding on then during turkey season
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