I hunt in south GA mostly, but in most ways it's pretty similar to south AL. Last season we didn't really see too many deer in the plots and they really weren't eating them good it didn't seem like. The acorns were abundant all year long and the deer were happy to have them. When they did actually hit the plots, it was late in the season when other food was minimal. This year, they are hammering the plots hard already. Every evening sit on the plots everyone has been seeing a bunch of deer, especially compared to last year. You can tell the plots are mowed down with tracks everywhere in them. We are seeing a bunch of acorns this year too, but hunts over acorns haven't produced many deer sightings this year.

Anyone else having the same experience? I know the weather was drastically different leading up to the 2 seasons. We also put out more fertilizer on most of our plots this year b/c the tests called for it. Just trying to be more knowledgeable about what might make up for the difference...

same here.There eating 1 acre plots down faster than it can grow.

Our plots are 1ft high already and there are a ton of deer pics in them but they are not mowing them down for some reason.

Put up some exclusion cages if you haven't already just for kicks. It's amazing sometimes to see how hard they're hitting a field, even if you know they're already there.

We're in a club in north Alabama and the acorns seem minimal this year as compared to being a bumper crop in middle Georgia. I'm afraid the plots are gonna be in trouble

We are seeing similar things to that of which you speak of at my farm in Bibb county. Normally this time of year you don't hardly see them in plots during daylight and they're all over the acorns buys it been the opposite for me this year. And I bet your plots are get hit hard put out an exclusion cage. You cant tell that ours are being hammered, but they are. Here's what one of our looks like. This is after about a month.

my plots are in elmore county , deer are wearing them out . i'm planting a acre of wheat this week end to go with the oats and winter peas i have up . i need rain too .

No doubt. Did this last year and was amazed. It's interesting to monitor the growth inside the cage and see just how much tonnage deer can eat.

I was wondering about my plots at the house.(wms alabama blend). Didn't think it was growing till Saturday when there were 13 deer on the 1/2 acre plot. I'm adding ammonia nitrate this weekend

Ours are getting hammered much harder this early in the season. Acorns didn't seem as productive and are mostly gone, so they have turned to the green.

Autauga county - Our plots in pine thickets are being heavily used. The plots near hardwoods are hardly being used. I'm seeing lots of acorns in our hardwood areas.

My plots sit just outside of some hardwood stands. They aren't completely tearing up the green fields, but they are eating on it nearly every morning. Mine look a lot like jlbucs, plenty of even growth, and hard to tell where exactly they are eating since they are so consistent in their foraging, but the game camera pics say they are eating. I'll use one of those exclusion cages next year to get a better idea.

I went and checked the acorn crop yesterday in the woods and the forest floor is covered in acorns, wasn't like that a two weeks ago, so they have plenty of options right now. But even with the abundance of acorns they are still hitting the plots, albeit only for 10-15 minutes at a time once or twice a day. This front should knock most of the remaining acorns off I would think, after those have been browsed your green fields should see some heavy usage.