natural food
 

Everyone noticing the large number of acorns falling early this year? Or is it just here in NC that they are? They are about 3 weeks early for my area and that usually means a hard winter coming. Hornet nests are high up in the trees also. Deep snows for that sign. Anyway, if you are seeing early acorns, my question is: Are you hunting differently this bow season due to this early abundance of natural food that deer love? They are still hitting my corn hard. Baiting is legal here. I just thought others may be having better luck this year.
BBO

There are plenty of acorns falling around my tree stand! I have been knocked in the head a couple of times as well. All I can hear all morning is tree rats munching on them. There are others in my state that I have spoken with that say they dont see any acorns hardly at all, so it does depend on your location. I think some oaks only release acorns every couple of years or so and others are affected by late frosts, ect.... As far as them dropping early, I dont think that applies to my area. Whenever there are acorns available, they usually drop around the beginning of archery season.......

I moved from the field I was hunting as the deer can walk only feet and get their fill of acorns instead of coming out into a field to eat. Acorns are raining down.

Luckily I got some good signs where I am at that showthe deer are moving in this area.

Does deer prefer eating natural food?

Yes Helen,acorns are full of protein and fat.I've watched deer move from oak tree to oak tree feeding.Very hard to pattern them,that's why it's called hunting.LOL

Deer take advantage of all food sources available (it's why there is a high fence around my garden and apple saplings). They LOVE acorns, esp those of white oak; they aren't as bitter as red oak. I recently saw 6 deer chowing down on mushrooms (armellaria melli i.e "honey mushrooms"). They were so busy that all 6 were within 30 yards of my stand at the same time and oblivious to my presence.

Yep the acorn crop is heavy here in my neck of west TN as well. The "2 year cycle" plus the cool/wet spring and summer really made a "perfect storm" for the acorn crop this year. My cornplots and oatplots are getting "light" pressure right now as the deer and squirrels are POUNDING DOWN the acorns! My experience of 30yrs in the woods says that NOTHING beats "oak nuggets" for attracting deer. They'll walk thru ANYTHING (including those "golden nuggets") to get at a real heavy crop of acorns. The weights of our critters this year shows this as well.

In general acorns are about 5% or less protien and 10% or more fat. Deer hit them primarily for the fat content. Browse such as honey suckle, tender saplings, etc. are just the opposite, being higher by a factor of 2 or 3, protien to fat ... ranging 10% or more in protien and less than 5% fat.

Interestingly enough, where I hunt in SE Alabama , on about 3150 acres, the acorn crop this year is sparse. I'd estimate less that 50% of what it was last year. White oaks and Chestnut oaks are dropping right now, with a few water oaks dropping as well. I am finding a lot of empty, rotted out acorns and very few loaded trees. So hunting around the relatively few acorn trees that are bearing has been great ... 3 does in the freezer and flat missed a stud buck. Massive rack but could not determine if he was a 9 or 10 pt. He came to feed at about 6:10 in the a.m. Still very, very low light at 6:30-ish. He started to leave about 6:40. Had a great broadside shot at about 25 yards. But still low light. Heard the bolt "slap" something, then a delayed "whap". Buck jumped back 4-5 yards and stood there for a second or two then trotted off. Sun came on up and I saw what I probably hit. There was a small cluster of small limbs leaning near the ground off of a dog wood that was between me and him, about 20 yards from the tree I was set up in. Onme was freshly clipped and drooping. I just did not see them in the soft light. Sure thought I was clear.

Looked for any signs of a hit anyway. Nada. Found my bolt (clean) stuck about 6' off the ground in a black gum about 20 yards past and at 2 o'clock from where the buck had been standing. Definitely a glancing blow off of something. Probably that limb. Climbed back up in the tree and bagged a fat doe at about 10:30 feeding under the same tree.

Have seen a bunch of young bucks but only 3 good ones. Two were just too far for me to try ... 45-50 yards or so.

Headed back tomorrow.

Here in mi we got a lot of acorns falling more then before

acorns are high in carbs, have a good sum of fat and very little protein. They are favored by deer for their ability to pack on fat quickly. This helps them get through a lean winter.

http://skipthepie.org/nut-and-seed-p...ts-acorns-raw/