I am hoping that a few members here can give me some insight/advice in reading the public land that I hunt...I cannot determine what the main food source is for the Deer in the area. I'll do my best here to give you what I know about the land. It is a huge area of public land located 10-20 miles South-East of Longville, MN...just south of Lake Inguadona. There are long wide strips of very healthy acorn producing Oak's...but for the most part the land is Pine and Cedar covered...and riddled with Cedar and Tamarac swamps...deep, thick, nasty swamps.

There is onlya couple"fields" that I am aware of that are anywhere near this area I hunt...and in shining those fields over the years...I haven't seen enough deer to make it worth mentioning. And, the fields are really just wild growth...nothing of consequence ever seems to be growing in them.

I know that the acorns are an obvious source of food for the Deer...but that is a short lived supply at best. And by early Novemember they are almost all eaten up.

Given the lay of the land...and that acorns can only last so long...what else should I be looking for that would be a viable, long term, consistent food source for Deer living in this type of terrain?

I know where many of the bedding area's are...I have a few dozen potential...and "for-sure" water sources...I have Deer trails mapped into my GPS units...but I have just never been able to determine the mainstay food source.

Can anyone help with this?? If I haven't given up enough info...just ask...I'll post it here.