Impossible

Hey guys,

long time no see lol....hows everything going? Just had a quick question, I know its off topic but I like the responses I get in this forum than any other lol. Anyway, since I am having a hard time while scouting (I believe the deer on my property are covering their tracks lol) what do you guys think of finding a big old oak and setting up near it? I have heard from alot that deer smash the acorns in the fall, and since their is no crop field on this property it will probably do ok. Just looking for opinions?

Thanks alot guys,

Mike

Dnk

Hey Mike, deer eat lots of hard mast which includes oak acorns, hazel nuts, beech nuts, hickory nuts etc. Of the oaks, White Oak is their favorite because it has a high protien and cab content. The white oak leaf is easily identified by it's rounded leaves. Red Oak (less prefered) has pointed leaves. Their diet can be made up of well over a third of White Oak acorns. You'll see it right away where the deer and turkeys cratch away at the leaves to get to the acorns. A good crop does not normally happen every year. It is somewhat cyclic and old acorns are ignored. Good idea Mike and its worth a try. Just make sure you seen tracks going to the oak. You may want to sprinkle some cracked corn or apples for desert. Sometimes they like corn and don't touch the apples or visa versa.

Cossack

But make sure that tree and/or those near by are producing acorns. Judging form the oaks in my yards it is not uniform, some trees produce others don't. Yesterday I watched squrrels cutting acorns and a deer was feeding below them on their loss.

lemoyne

I dont know where you live,but we had a bad out of season freeze here [North Central AR]after the oaks were in full bloom it took them just about a month too get leaves back on and I do not believe that their will be any acorns here this year. Lee

two guns

Deer love 'em acorns, that's a genuine fact. You can bet, if there is a producing tree around, the deer will for sure be there. I do all the deer management on our plantation down here in Louisiana, and I hunt it really hardall during deer seasons . I work the deer plots all year for the deer.And I will say, upon many of my bigger bucks are taken around the oaks in the swamps. Now, you might want to think on this. Plant you some brassicas,~~~ Rape, Turnips, or Mustard Greens. I perfer Rape. You can getthe seedfrom your local farmers co-op. Go ahead and purchase the 50lb bags, you get a better deal like that. You don't have to buy all that name brand, special deer, most inspensive stuff they brag about all the time. The seed I buy at the co-ops, and I have better luck with the final product, and germinates better, and saves all kinda money ....
Don't bury you rape, just throw it out, and run a drag over it., all you need is soil to seed contact. After about two -three weeks, on a dry day, put yourself out about 25-30 lbs of 34-0-0 fertilizer per 1/4 acre. That will make your Rape & Greens blow to the moon. After the first frost, the starches in the plants turn to sugar, and the deer will tear it up.You may use a stand, but a ground blind will do perfect !!Set you out a ground blind now, let it sit where the deer will get used to it and will pay no attention to it. Place it where the wind will be in your advatage in case the wind changes. If you have a big buck in that area, you will have a shot on him in that Rape. He will come when the plants turn to sugar.
I also treat my deer, when I first get on the stand during bow season, with Frito-Lay Corn chips, I spead 'em out about where I want the deer to stand, the deer love 'em, and I love the shots ~~~~~ hope this helps !!!

sproulman

DNK gave you good info..

here is what sproul does..

i find white oak acorn tree that was used before by deer, nice if you have 3 real close.
i put fertilizer sticks you can get at agway..
i put about 8 or so around tree..

in years when there are not acorns,i have acorns..
guess where the bucks are,haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....

Dnk

Sproule, I have to say that you have bee much more decent and less troll like lately in your posting and I appreciate that a lot. Thank you very much!!

Hotburn76

Agreed! Old Sproul is doing pretty good! Helping other hunters is so much more fun isn't it? Sproul, we are good friends in here and like to have fun, those of us who lack a life outside of the CB world have been knowing each other by first names, what is yours?

Hotburn76

Almost forgot, acorns....

I am not to familiar with what is in my one area, but there is maybe a half dozen on the edge of woods. One year there was a bumper crop, lots of acorns on the ground, I seen more deer that year then any other year. I have heard others say that oaks go in cycles that is also affected by weather, I am still waiting on a year like that one I spoke of and that was about four years ago. The acorns where on the ground so thick you could shovel them up if you had to!

Pydpiper

Iagree!