uncle matt

.............. already?

It seems that the acorns are starting to fall pretty early arounf here. And they don't seem very sizable, like they haven't fully "matured". Is this due to drought conditions?

And how will this effect the feeding habits?

s. il. hntr

hi uncle matt. i think your right on about the drought condition. i'm not too sure how it will effect feeding habits. normally where i hunt the deer don't touch acorns till the beans are down. but with them falling early i don't know. could have them searching for alternate food sources earlier than usual. whats your take on this?

uncle matt

Exactly what I was thinking Frank. I don't think the deer will pass up the opportunity to eat the acorns now. The acorns are younger, probobly a bit more tender inside (sweet) & fresh. So I am envivioning this..........

1. The deer mop up the acorns now and for a while.
2. They then go back to the crop fields (beans & corn) til they are taken down, then
graze the harvested fields awhile.
3. Then go looking for acorns again cause it's habit, only to find very slim pickings.
4. Then go for our food plots by habit.
5. We intercept them traveling in and out of property .

I think it will help our harvest cause it's mother nature herself mixing things up.

s. il. hntr

I hope were both right. Where i hunt the farmer got his cornseed planted very early this year which i hope means he will mow it down early. GET THEM DEER MOVING!!!

Buckhunter 17

i noticed that they were falling and small too matt. i was out with a buddy in the woods and they were just about everwhere. small but looked like some deer have been feeding on some of them.

Illini_Sportsman

I agree they are falling early which I noticed squirrel hunting the other day. I'mnot sure about size though as I've never really paid attention. I read in Outdoor Life today that deer prefer the mast crops like acorns, walnuts, hickory nuts, etc. over the crops. I always thought they went for the corn and beans before anything else.

s. il. hntr

OOOPS!!!

s. il. hntr

hey i just noticed your in greenville.ever go to north american archery shop in highland? i'm sure if you fish you go to coffeen. hell i'm only about an hour away from you.where you hunting this year?

Illini_Sportsman

A friend of mine hunts near Coffeen sometimes. While I do fish, I'm not nearly as passionate about it as hunting so if you find me on the water, it's going to be a local lake or pond. I think they've got a great thing going over there in Highland. Very nice little shop and very helpful guys working it. I remember I dropped my PSE out of the tree on my very first bowhunt and the only thing that broke was the quick-disconnect bracket of my quiver that screws into the bow. Not only did I not have to purchase an entirely new quiver, they had the little part I needed IN STOCK and I was out in the woods again the same day that evening thanks to them. The shop in Litchfield, while small, is at the top of my list too. EXTREMELY kind and helpful old man usually works there who you can tell just genuinely enjoys his job. I bow hunt in various locations around Greenville.One spot is on Lake Lola if you know where that is and another is a farm off of 140. First year at the farm but I'm very excited because of our earlier scouting trip. Shotgun season though, I'm on our family farm between Ramsey and Herrick with several family members and friends, one is my uncle who comes up every season from Houston. Guess that says something about the deer in the midwest for all you guys that are dreaming of whitetails in Texas.

ddejong

In the Kansas City area I am seeing acorns falling very early and they do not look mature or ready to fall at all. I have two oaks in my front yard and I was starting to think something was wrong with them....we have had very good rains this year, and an unseasonally wet August so I thought perhaps that was the cause.