So are you all seeing less activity this year due to acorns? Is it true deer will favor acorns over corn? And if you don't have acorns in a particular area, will deer eat them if you put them out? I'm hearing both side. Appreciate your thoughts / experiences.
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They do prefer acorns if you ask me... -
Acorns = crack cocaine for deer.
They are addicts. Very little, if anything is going to draw deer like mast.Comment
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So if you don't have acorns at your place and are able to bring some in, will the deer eat them or is it too different than what they are used to?Comment
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My place was burned in the fires last year. My deer are letting the acorns and my corn rot in favor of the green browse that has popped up due to the rains we have had in the last few weeks. I have never seen white oak acorns go untouched, but it is happening.
I have never brought in acorns, but I had a persimmon tree in my yard and I harvested the fruit for my lease. They responded to it even though I didn't have any there. I don't know if this applies, but good luck. Try it on an out of the way part of your place and put a cam up. The pics will tell the story. Never know if you don't try!Comment
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Deer need the fat that acorns provide to get ready for the winter. Corn is all carbs. I've never brought in acorns because I hunt the acorn capital of the world but I've heard of others doing it and having success.Comment
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Oh yeah. It's like a drug.Comment
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Same here, since the acorns started dropping I have seen a lot less activity at the feeders and on the cameras.Comment
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Our place is 320 ac of predominantly oaks, we have acorns ankle deep in places. They aren't hitting corn unless it's incidental. By incidental, I mean they happen to walk near the feeder. But I can't tell for sure they are preferring acorns over the fresh green browse.
Definitely a year to get away from feeders & hunt other areas of deer interest.
I do think that it's innate for them to eat acorns if they find em.
On the upside of the acorn crop, my boy & I are going to have some amazing squirrel hunting once the leaves fall! Have t had a decent "skirl" population in 5+ years!Comment
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I hate them. They would be so much better if they would fall during the months of August, and September.Comment
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Two years in a row we had tons of mature bucks all over trailcams during shooting hours in August. Then we got rain in September, acorns dropped and bucks disappeared. It has far more affect on the hunting than the weather/temperature. 105 degrees no acorns, bucks at feeder.....35 degrees with acorns.....nothing.Last edited by Burntorange Bowhunter; 11-06-2012, 07:51 AM.Comment
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Growing up in southern Ohio hunting giant forrest deer , i couldnt tell you how many deer went down just hunting the acorn rich ridgelines, a 22 ft climber in any given tree is basically guaranteed meat. No one uses corn feeders up state (most no one ) anyhow, so the tripod by the feeder sit and wait isnt a typical hunting scenerio at all. This being said Deer Love the Acorn Mast more than Corn ,and more than the Dallas Cowboys. If i were to be hunting right now, i would find and hunt the largest clump of acorns i could find on my ranch ,does,bucks,pigs, everything will be scampering in there....
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We've seen a LOT less movement and interest in corn on the ranch this year due to a bumper crop of acorns. I read an article from the Houston Chronicle that someone forwarded to me saying that TPWD has seen the same thing happening state-wide. They reported a "record" acorn crop across the state. The also reported a bumper fawn crop with an unusually high survival rate.
It's going to be a great year but the latter part of the season will be better than the early season.
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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.635829,-98.219942Comment
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Do cattle eat acorns?Comment
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