Deer hitting corn and not acorns

[Briar Friar]

I set up a camera under an oak tree dropping acorns...and subsequently a mess of live oak acorns between the camera and feeder. The red oak acorns havent dropped yet. In three days I had 200+ pics of doe grubbing the corn but none on the acorns. The live oak acorns are not diseased, not wormy and very plump.

I did spritz the corn with vanilla as I filled the feeder hopper.

Is this a sign that the deer mightve been raised on corn? Or just prefer vanilla corn to oak acorns?

[Huntsman1998]

Live oak acorns arent as desirable by deer just because of the higher level of Tannic acid.
They prefer other acorns over them.

[Briar Friar]

Thank you! Very interesting. What other kinds do they prefer?

[gingib]

I bet they are eating way more acorns then corn for the few pics you have over a 24 hour period

[Tazman70]

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

[Dakota7493]

I can't remember where I read this but I think that White Oak is the favorite acorn for deer?

[KactusKiller]

In texas the post oak are on the top of the list for deer then live oak. Red oak has alot of tannin and are more bitter.

[Bayouboy]

Put that feeder next to a white oak and the corn won't get touched.

[JeffK]

There are a lot fewer feeders that live oak trees. Does will still come get an easy meal at the feeder. You have to be lucky right now for a mature buck to swing by for some corn.

[Briar Friar]

http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/...ns/acorns.html

Thanks Tazman...that is very good to know.

Thanks all for the input and insight.

[Roscoe]

For the most part I'm seeing very little activity on corn in Coryell county from deer or pigs. A Live Oak out in the field where I hunt looked like it had been rototilled underneath....hogs get'n after acorns. They fell a little earlier than usual this year, so hopefully they'll be gone a little earlier. :-)


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[Briar Friar]

At this feeder Ive noticed the live oak acorns are still on the ground...seemingly untouched but the red oaks...which are large bushes rather than tall trees...(due to hypoxolon canker me thinks)...the ends with acorns at browse level are nibbed off and no red oak acorns are lying on the ground. Plenty of red oak acorns are still green and on the tree above the browse line.

[cva34]

I can't remember where I read this but I think that White Oak is the favorite acorn for deer?

Thats the way it was in Nacog......s...Overcup acorns were really popular