Red Oaks
07-25-2004 | 12:41 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,970
Likes: 0
From: Clermont Florida U.S.
RE: Red Oaks
Deer prefer white oak acorns but will also gladly indulge in reds if easily available. It's kinda like you having a T-bone or a hot dog. The T-bone would likely be your first choice but the tube steak will do if the T-bone isn't available!
07-26-2004 | 10:48 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Litchfield County Connecticut USA
RE: Red Oaks
Everyone always says they like the white oaks so much. They do, but they eat all of the reds too. The white oak produces much smaller crops around here than the reds. They do like beech nuts and hickory nuts too.
If the acorns are there they will come!
If the acorns are there they will come!
07-26-2004 | 11:06 AM
#8
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,555
Likes: 0
From: Maine
RE: Red Oaks
Ron,
I know what you mean by lack of oak trees. I have a camp in Handcock county and there are very few good stands of oak around. The paper company cuts the big mast producing trees and what's left standing is too small to produce. If you've got red oaks and no white oaks your reds will be a perfered source of food. If you have reds and white the whites will take precedence.
Most of my hunting grounds are void of good white oaks. The property I hunt in New Hampshire is covered with beech trees. Problem is there are so many of them they don't concentrate the deer. IMO the key is to find the best food source in the area and get between it and their beds.
Where about in Maine Ron?
I know what you mean by lack of oak trees. I have a camp in Handcock county and there are very few good stands of oak around. The paper company cuts the big mast producing trees and what's left standing is too small to produce. If you've got red oaks and no white oaks your reds will be a perfered source of food. If you have reds and white the whites will take precedence.
Most of my hunting grounds are void of good white oaks. The property I hunt in New Hampshire is covered with beech trees. Problem is there are so many of them they don't concentrate the deer. IMO the key is to find the best food source in the area and get between it and their beds.
Where about in Maine Ron?
07-26-2004 | 11:31 AM
#9
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: Big Oak by the Pond
RE: Red Oaks
I recently read this information from Quality Whitetails magazine.
Deer prefer the white oak acorns over the red oak due to the lower tannin content. Tannin is a chemical produced in plants to deter predators from eating them. You can taste the difference in the two. The red oak acorn is much more bitter. The tannin also causes trouble for an animals ability to digest protein. Deer's saliva contains compounds that bind to the tannin and reduces the protein digestive problem. The red oak family acorns contain 2 & 4 times the amount of fat content compared to the white oak.
Also the red oak group produce larger acorn crops when compared to the white oak.
Deer prefer the white oak acorns over the red oak due to the lower tannin content. Tannin is a chemical produced in plants to deter predators from eating them. You can taste the difference in the two. The red oak acorn is much more bitter. The tannin also causes trouble for an animals ability to digest protein. Deer's saliva contains compounds that bind to the tannin and reduces the protein digestive problem. The red oak family acorns contain 2 & 4 times the amount of fat content compared to the white oak.
Also the red oak group produce larger acorn crops when compared to the white oak.
