early in

To me, white oaks lost some of their credibility as being a deer magnet. Last evening I had a yearling spike walk by me and start eating the white oak acorns just 10 yrds from me. I'm thinking this will be fun watching this guy for a while (it's only 3:30PM) until the others come to dine on these "delicacies". He only stays for like 10 mins then walks on! I thought he'd stay and gorge himself.

Even more strange, is that I only had one other yearling come by this large white oak all evening! This area also has lots of beech which have dropped many nuts, so maybe these deer don't need to be too selective?

WIbuckchaser

Maybe he filled up the tank at a different white oak and he just decided to have desert at your tree.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I know ei, we always read, if white oaks are dropping to be right there. However we also learn in hunting that nothing is a guarantee either.

Is it possible there are other preferred white oaks dropping? Any beans still green in the area as soy beans are hard to compete against. It's hard to say but white oaks sure get a lot of attention.

bassman417

Ive heard white oaks are prefered BUT I started hunting near pin oaks after having deer browse through the whites and then fill up on the pin oak. They say pin oak isnt as palatable to deer as the white but the deer around here must not have read that book.

GMMAT

I've got a good stand of white oaks (and other oaks) in my woods. I've also baited whitetails in the past (with nothing to show for my efforts). What I've found is...deer are browsers...and that's exactly what they'll do. Even when in bean fields......they're moving through.

Around here, they'll walk by corn (bait) to get to white oaks. They'll abandon beans (whatever color) to get to oaks. But I don't see them staying in any one location and "gorging". Just never have.

grahambow

my big white oak is just now starting to drop......it's got alot of acorns still hanging up in the limbs - my big red oak is pumping them out / my willow oaks are lettin them go too - the deer seem to browse back and forth picking up whatever is there --- funny they seem to go back and forth between oaks / they 're looking for whatever they can get and whatever is easy!!!!

RIStrutStopper

I was getting a little frustrated on Saturday. The acorns are dropping big time, so the deer don't need to move much. I was sitting 15 yards from a huge white oak that usually attracts them, but I was watching deer feed maybe 60-70 yards away and not get any closer than that. Oh well...

wallhangr

There are so many acorns on the ground now it's unbelievable. They're everywhere. Sat night I sat next to a big white oak and 4-5 persimmon trees. Not a single visitor all evening.

blindluck

depending on the soil type around different trees will depend on how bitter or sweet acorns are...one big white oak in unhealthy soil will not produce good tasting acorns as a pin oak would in very fertile moist soil...it all jus depends i wouldnt hang a stand on one certain oak tree untill you seee sign that deer are hittin that one...

superstrutter

Too many acorns can be worse than not enough. They can eat anywhere when there is a bumper acorn crop. My White oaks normally don't start dropping until mid Oct. From what I have seen, most trees, and I have a ton of white oaks, are full of acorns. It's hard to key on one tree when just about every other is pouring acorns. Deer are browsers, so they will eat different things. Just remember, deer hunting is primarily being at the right place at the right time, and this usually doesn't happen most of the time in the real world.