acorn preferences

[Shedder]

I saw an article in the new Deer and Deer Hunting mag on acorns. It claimed acorn preferences for deer were

white
pin
red
black
burr
live

I thought this is a weird list and pin oak really! I never heard that before. A quick google makes it likely the author was aping this info.

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

http://www.nyantler-outdoors.com/acorns.html

https://www.google.ca/search?q=deer...&gfe_rd=cr&ei=XZyfV-umLYeZhQTNpLpo&gws_rd=ssl

So is this just web crap or are Pin acorns of real use to deer?

 

[bueller]

Highly regional. We have black oak acorns and they are a HUGE draw for us. BUT we don't have any white oaks. IF we were loaded with whites then I'd imagine the blacks would be much less sought after.

 

[PackerBacker]

Deer hammer the northern pin acorns at the property I have permission to hunt closer to home. As Bueller mentioned, might be regional though, since the majority of the oaks in that area are pin oaks with very few white oaks to be found.

 

[Btaylor]

He has never hunted around nuttall, overcups or cow oaks if he thinks that list is accurate everywhere.

 

[bwoods11]

In my area bur oak acorns are "hot" when they drop!

 

[Merle Hawggard]

He has never hunted around nuttall, overcups or cow oaks if he thinks that list is accurate everywhere.

I planted one of our old fields in cow and chinkapin oaks just to add them both to the mix. Both make nice acorns the deer and turkey tear up.

 

[browndog]

White and bur oaks are tops here. Red/black oak acorns hardly get touched here.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

Reds are not too preferred in Ohio. ...white is king for sure.

 

[wiscwhip]

As bueller stated, highly regional, and there can even be a preference among trees in the same stand. That said, if they were both hitting the ground at the same time, I refuse to believe that black oak acorns would be prefered over SWO acorns, in any part of the country.

 

[wbpdeer]

Does anyone believe if you have a stand of white oaks or other highly preferred trees, if you fertilize one or two by burying the fertilizer in the ground at the drip line it will make those trees the one they browse. You hear people say it makes the acorns sweeter.

 

[H20fwler]

It's definitely white oaks here followed by pins.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

White oak ( Quercus alba ) and Chestnut oak ( Quercus prinus ) are the 2 favorite acorns in northern Pa. followed by red oak acorns. The first 2 are sweet when they hit the ground. The red oak acorns are bitter and as the fall progresses into winter, they lose tannins laying on the ground, making them less bitter and more desirable later.

 

[wiscwhip]

Does anyone believe if you have a stand of white oaks or other highly preferred trees, if you fertilize one or two by burying the fertilizer in the ground at the drip line it will make those tree the one they browse. You hear people say it makes the acorns sweeter.

I have seen preference of one or two trees in a stand over the rest of the trees all dropping at the same time. I've seen deer walk through a grove of white oak picking a few here and there, and they will walk to a particular tree and then spend 10 - 15 minutes concentrating on that trees acorns even though they were almost being hit by dropping acorns on the way to that tree. This was in the middle of a county forest, so no extra fertilizer used in this case. I don't feel it is the fertilizer, I feel it is slight differences in the soil pH, which in turn will increase uptake of nutrients already in the soil, which I believe makes these oaks slightly healthier trees within the group and thus more preferred over other oaks in the same general area. No real science to back that up, more or less just observations over many years.

 

[Shedder]

Ok, similar comments to when this subject has come up before. I was not impressed with the article. The author gave no justification for his list which he likely ripped off the web. A classic sign of the times.

I don't remember any studies on acorn preferences but would love to see some. It varies by tree and its local conditions for sure. I suspect a consistent water and nutrient supply followed by genetics as factors. 5% of the trees are supposed to be the best producers, too.

From what I have gathered

white group

white, swamp white, swamp chestnut, Chinkapin, DCO's, Concordia, burr,

are the most palatable

post, chestnut, live, english

less so.

red\black group

Reds, pins, etc. are higher in fat but the tannin levels are high so they come last. It would be interesting if breeding or engineering could lower red tannins although that could just make weevils happy.