As seen in the photo above, this leaf has rounded lobes or edges which is the telling sign of a White Oak. Also note the bristle on each lobe. Boots on the ground scouting throughout the season will often lead you into oak stands and acorns on the forest floor. As a general rule of thumb, if you were to compare White Oak acorns vs Red Oak acorns, acorns from White Oaks are going to be longer in length but smaller in diameter. Red Oak acorns will be the exact opposite shorter in length but be larger in diameter.
So think Red for girth and White for length. There are a few other characteristics that differentiate the two but again K.
Bark identification can be a lot more confusing, thus we turn to this last and only if needed. Things like soil types, tree maturity, even the height at which you are referencing the bark can give you different visual appearances. Keeping it simple, Red Oaks will generally have a smoother and a darker colored bark.
While White Oak bark will have deeper grooved bark with a lighter grey color. So know we have a basic understanding of a few ways to identify the two oak family groups. Let's talk about about how each relates to a whitetail's diet through out the year and why. Do squirrels eat acorns?
This time of year, a squirrel's main diet consists of nuts, seeds and, of course, acorns. If they're not busy consuming the acorns, the tree-climbing critters are busy storing them for their winter food supply. There are 32 species of oaks across eastern North America, but squirrels only eat and hoard certain types.
Do deer like corn or acorns better? When acorns are available, deer do prefer them over most food sources. Even in ag production areas, deer will leave corn and beans to feed on acorns. They do the same thing at The Proving Grounds.
However, as soon as the acorn crop is gone, deer will readily use the corn and forage soybeans grown here. Will deer eat old acorns? Deer usually do not consume sprouting acorns.
Can you roast acorns? Roasted Acorns One of the easiest ways to cook acorns is to roast them. Place the damp nut chunks on a baking sheet and sprinkle with fine salt. Toast them for minutes at degrees in a pre-heated oven, or roll them around in a dry frying pan over the camp fire.
Do people eat acorns? Every species of acorn is edible, but some taste better than others. However, it is very important you do not eat them raw; in order to not eat acorns that are bitter-tasting and toxic, you'll need to process them first.
Do deer eat carrots? One huge oak can drop up to 10, acorns in a mast year! Masting takes a lot of energy! What acorns do deer prefer? Category: personal finance stocks and bonds. Do deer like corn or acorns better? What do deer eat when there are no acorns? Do squirrels eat acorns? What is the fastest way to pick up acorns?
Pick Up Acorns Early. Do acorns have worms? Can you roast acorns? Roasted Acorns. Why do deer disappear in October? Do people eat acorns? Can humans eat acorns from oak trees? What oak trees Do deer like best? Can dogs eat acorns? Can u buy acorns? What percentage of acorns become trees? Do rabbits eat acorns? In November the swamp chestnut oaks, white oaks, and red oaks began dropping, continuing well into December.
By Christmas the ground was literally covered with acorns and life was good for the deer in Alabama. Because deer digest acorns so easily they eat lots of them each day and the sheer numbers eaten by individual deer provide the protein needed for a healthy herd. One lease we hunt in Alabama keeps records of deer weights harvested on the property. For the season, the average mature doe weight was up five pounds and the average mature buck weight was up 8 pounds. We also weigh all deer harvested on our farm.
Years with good acorn production always produce fat deer. The deer I harvested in the season were fat! I shot two bucks with heavy layers of fat on their rumps, brisket and ribs. The two does I shot were unusually fat for does in our area. The stomach contents of all four deer contained acorns. Deer harvested on both properties during the season, were down on body weight and lacked layers of fat.
Stomach contents revealed heavy food plot consumption but no acorns. Just because you find acorns on the ground does not necessarily mean you have hit the deer scouting lotto and found a deer hotspot. Whitetails prefer certain varieties of acorns over others.
However, when times are tough they will eat all varieties. All acorns contain tannic acid and deer prefer acorns with the least amount.
White oak acorns, the number one hard mast choice for deer, contain the least amount of tannic acid. Preference can vary by region. In my area, they seem to favor the pin oak or water oak, followed by red oaks, black oaks, burr oaks and live oaks. As the season progresses, deer consume the white oaks and move onto the lesser desired varieties. In areas where there are no white oaks, deer will feed on the acorns available with the least amount of tannic acid.
When scouting, look for nuts and caps on the ground. If deer are feeding on acorns there will be numerous droppings and tracks. If you see rubs and scrapes here you are in business. Another advantage acorns offer whitetails is they fall where they feel secure.
Deer, especially mature bucks, are hesitant to enter open places. That is why most mature bucks are killed on food plots at last light. Deer may feed on acorns at any time of day so when you hunt over acorns productive hunting time is significantly extended. One of the problems many hunters face when hunting deer over acorns is deciding which trees to hunt.
Deer will literally walk through acorns on the ground to feed under a certain tree. White oak acorns are lowest in tannic acid but why do deer prefer acorns from one white oak tree over white oaks nearby? How do you locate the magic tree that deer will key on? Some experts speculate that tannic acid values in acorns vary from tree to tree. Another theory is the more that deer feed under one tree, the more scent they leave on the ground.
The accumulated deer scent could attract other deer to the acorns on the ground. I don't really care why deer focus on certain acorn trees; I just want to know where those trees are so I can hunt them.
Obviously, more tracks and droppings under a certain tree indicate heavy use. To find such a tree, you must do the leg work and check individual trees. One shortcut to finding hot acorn trees is to look and listen for squirrels feeding on acorns.
Another is to watch for flocks of grackles feeding on acorns. Where you find squirrels and grackles feeding on acorns, you will also find deer. These animals are noisy when feeding on acorns. Try to identify the tree they are using. Once that is done, look for deer signs.
This process helps to eliminate a lot of time wandering around from tree to tree therefore you will leave less scent in the area. Finally, when you are on stand, notice where the deer you spot are feeding. If deer continually use a certain tree and that tree is out of range or not open for a shot, MOVE! You can bet the next deer you see will be headed to the hot tree. As gamekeepers, we constantly look for ways to enhance our property for wildlife.
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