Which Acorns?

[budrow]

hunting east texas post oak savannah area (henderson county). anybody really and truly know deer preference order of the following acorns?

black jack oak
post oak
sand jack oak
pin oak
red oak

I know of the white oaks having less tannin and all that stuff - but none of the above are a so called "white oak." although some are in the white oak category/family. that being said i've heard growing up here that pin oaks are favorite from the list. but a pin oak is in the red oak family? anybody really know?

[budrow]

it would be easy to say that the white oak species(example: post oak) would taste better and have less tanning according to botany gurus. but post oaks grow on higher/dryer ground where soils are more acidic vs the pin oak that grows in lower more moist soils. would think soil is less acidic here?

[Rishnik]

A biologist told my brother that the Black Jack are their favorites. Other than that bit of hand-me-down information, I don't know.

[Bill M]

From watching the deer around my place I would say the pin oaks. My wife and I were sitting on our back porch last night as it got dark and 6 deer came to the pin oak tree not 25' from us to eat the acorns. I have witnessed over the years how they are drawn to the pin oaks and we have a bunch of black jacks here also.

[Ricky T]

From hunting deer in Liberty, Tyler, Polk and Hardin counties for thirty years I can safely say a big, mature white oak, the light-colored pecan-looking oak with the big rounded lobed leaves that drops the big round acorns is the ice cream acorn. Deer will walk through a pin oak flat to get to one white oak. Of the other oaks that you mentioned, unquestionable the pin oak is next favorite, the smaller, longer pointed acorns.

[Randy]

Last wednesday night I was shooting my bow across my back porch and I looked over my shoulder about 20 yds and there are deer munching on pin oak acorns right there. I kept shooting they'd look up at me ever once in awhile but didnt care that I was outside shooting right next to them.

Deer are tearing up the pin oaks right now all around my house. Hopefully itll rain this weekend and ruin all the acorns.

[timberking]

Some of preference has to do with when the acorns fall. The red oak family seems to mature a little earlier. I think the true white oak is the most desireable. These are still on my trees in Harrison Co.

[Tommy_V]

Dunno, never asked them

[BrianL]

My guess

1. Pin
2. Post
3. Blackjack- usually smaller tree and few acorns
4. Sand - only cause I'm not sure what it is
5. Last I know ...RED

[budrow]

any other guesses? where's our local east texas deer biologist that knows the answer to this?

[trophy_taker]

Check this out:

http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features/armchair_biologist/acorns/acorns.html

[Ricky T]

Neat link, Trophy Taker. Thanks.

[Bill M]

Yes indeed, ditto Ricky T's comment. Thanks much.

[sqiggy]

I look at the ground under the trees. If it looks a little "disturbed" and not a lot of akerns around, I'm looking for a place to set up. Also, deer poop. If theres a lot of fresh deer poop, I'm definitely setting up a stand.

[holdem]

Acorns and smart pills.