The easiest way to tell the difference is to look at the leaves. If the lobes are pointed it's a red oak; if the lobes are rounded at the ends it's a white oak. There are so many different kinds of oak that are in the red and white families that it's difficult to tell them apart by the acorns.

For deer purposes try this test: open an acorn and chew on it. If it's a red oak it'll pucker your mouth off from the tannic acid. If it's a white oak it may be bitter, it may even be sweet. The deer don't read tree books. They search out the sweetest nuts with the biggest crop. The bitterest acorns available will be eaten last.

Dan O.