Food plots and acorns

[Native Hunter]

Despite the fact that we have the most massive crop of white oak acorns I've seen in 10 years, the deer are still just hammering my food plots (especially the wheat and oats). I know that acorns are the ultimate draw for deer, but that doesn't mean that they won't eat anything else while acorns are present. This weekend we watched them from the blind, and both evenings there would be several deer eat in the plots constantly for over an hour before dark. When they would pass one of my fruit trees that still had mast, they would grab a few bites there too, but very quickly be back at the grains.

Now, I'm sure that at some point after dark, they also filled up on acorns, but I guess I mention this, because some people may feel that plots have little value in a year when acorns are plentiful. That isn't what I'm seeing this year for sure. I think they sense that green stuff will soon be gone and want to fill up on it while they can.

What are your observations on this subject?

 

[swat1018]

I agree. I was at my farm for several days this week. There are acorns there, but not a heavy crop this year. I saw 25 deer in the part of my plot I could see the first night. My perception are that deer are browsers and will always take some variety in their diet. They would eat grains, radish tops, pumpkin, etc, in rotation. I'm always watching what's in their mouth through my binos. I'm sure they had acorn in them, as well.

 

[Elkaddict]

We too have a great acorn crop. Mature bucks are in the trees eating acorns during daylight and only hitting the plots after dark (not an unusual occurrence with a good crop). Half of the doe groups are only hitting plots on their way to or from acorn stands. Last year, with very few acorns and early snows, I had all the neighboring deer in my crops by late October. They didn’t leave until the brassica greens and corn were wiped out in early December. During rifle season, with the snow we’d received, I had a couple dozen deer in the plots every hour of the day. It’s why I plant 5+ acres of brassicas and 4+ acres of corn. Never know what ma nature is going to serve up. Absent a very severe winter, I should have enough to get the deer comfortably through winter and early spring. That means bears will polish off the last of the standing corn when they re-emerge March 26th or so. I look forward to sitting on the front porch watching multiple bears in late March/early April

 

[Triple C]

Totally agree. We have deer in plots every single afternoon in spite of heavy mast crop. The exception is this year with the drought and heat we've had since middle of August. Glad to report we had plenty of rain over the weekend and more in the forecast so green up of plots should be imminent. Interesting enough, I was down the weekend before last and decided to hunt on the edge of a plot bordered by hardwoods with plenty of acorns dropping. Plot looked like a desert but the 1st 2 deer I saw came in to the plot and appeared to be eating dirt. Must have been something in the plot as the acorns were all around me. Before dark, deer came in to the draw and started feeding on acorns.

 

[OkieKubota]

I have a few does and small bucks messing with the plot first light, last light. Mature bucks in the acorns during daylight and is why I am so adamant about getting to my oak stands now. White oak acorns are only hit while they are actively dropping. Once white oaks stop dropping the deer leave them unlike the red oak acorns...red oaks are hit as long as they lay on the ground. White oaks begin to germinate as soon as they fall and deer will not eat them unless they are actively dropping from the tree. It’s the reason I have so much white oak germination...

 

[dogghr]

Your deer have obviously read the BOB bags that say those seed will develop food plots which make for big deer with heavy, wide, massive racks drawn in from miles away. So like any good body builder that heard the Juice would make them awesome, the deer follow. along with the fake news. Otherwise they would be on the acorns and browse that nature has provided for mellineums. Just sayin.

 

[Native Hunter]

Your deer have obviously read the BOB bags that say those seed will develop food plots which make for big deer with heavy, wide, massive racks drawn in from miles away. So like any good body builder that heard the Juice would make them awesome, the deer follow. along with the fake news. Otherwise they would be on the acorns and browse that nature has provided for mellineums. Just sayin.

LOL, you are a mess.......

 

[Drycreek]

My observation is somewhat limited, but from what I’ve seen they only nip a few bites going through my plots on their way to some more woods, at least in daylight.

 

[howboutthemdawgs]

Same observation. Had 9 does in a little plot plot Saturday evening while I could hear the acorns raining across the way. I think they are loving the young tender wheat and rye that is finally popping with the new rains.

 

[OkieKubota]

I am sitting an amazing field of Durana white clover, Barduro Red clover, BFO, WR, and wheat as we speak... I can see 2 deer at this far end of the field and I have watched them since daylight. Neither has so much as attempted to eat any of it. They are going back and forth between a big white oak and a corn feeder...there is still so much natural browse here that the plot is useless and they get their greens wherever they happen to be at the moment...

All the trees near the feeder are white oak except the couple of short leaf pines...I could hear the acorns dropping and the deer crunching the acorns. In defense of the plot I saw the deer nibble in a couple spots when they left...

 

[Mennoniteman]

Like Okie said, when acorns drop and the rut activity really hasn't started yet the yearlings and does keep hitting the plots but no mature bucks in daylight.

 

[jsasker007]

This year the bumper crop of acorns did give my plots a break for maybe 2 weeks. Also acorns drop about the same time the trees lose their leaves here and the bare trees seem to take awhile for the deer to get used to. Plots are getting hit on a regular basis again now and there are still a lot of acorns in the woods.

 

[OkieKubota]

Giving it a shot this evening on the plot as opposed to an abundance of white oak acorns still dropping. My decision to sit here was made by the wind...I killed a mature 13 point 6 days ago in the oaks with my bow. I am still getting mature buck photos in the oaks during daylight but to keep from ruining it I am staying out of there with this swirling SW based 15 mph wind to keep from ruining it. I checked a camera on the plot and it looks like only a doe and fawn using it before dark and after dark the oldest bucks right now on camera in this plot are 2.5...

There is no agriculture for 40 miles and I am even the only food plot in about 6 miles. Lush Durana white Clover, Barduro Red Clover, BFO, wheat, WR, and some groundhog radishes that didn’t really make this year.

It’s the perfect test with the only food plot food for miles and the rest of the area is huge dark white oak forest...are they gonna choose the few greens before they are gone or are they gonna stay to the woods...

Wind is perfect for this stand!

Last year at this time we had no acorns at all and this food plot was hopping!



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[Native Hunter]

Giving it a shot this evening on the plot as opposed to an abundance of white oak acorns still dropping. My decision to sit here was made by the wind...I killed a mature 13 point 6 days ago in the oaks with my bow. I am still getting mature buck photos in the oaks during daylight but to keep from ruining it I am staying out of there with this swirling SW based 15 mph wind to keep from ruining it. I checked a camera on the plot and it looks like only a doe and fawn using it before dark and after dark the oldest bucks right now on camera in this plot are 2.5...

There is no agriculture for 40 miles and I am even the only food plot in about 6 miles. Lush Durana white Clover, Barduro Red Clover, BFO, wheat, WR, and some groundhog radishes that didn’t really make this year.

It’s the perfect test with the only food plot food for miles and the rest of the area is huge dark white oak forest...are they gonna choose the few greens before they are gone or are they gonna stay to the woods...

Wind is perfect for this stand!

Last year at this time we had no acorns at all and this food plot was hopping!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great test Okie. Looking forward to your observations.

 

[split toe]

They are on the white oaks and sawtooths at this point down here.

 

[OkieKubota]

They are on the white oaks and sawtooths at this point down here.

My sawtooth oaks didn’t make at all this year...bumper crops the last couple years and none this time...

 

[OkieKubota]

Same doe and fawn I always get pictures of came into plot from North and are as skittish as they can be. They crossed to a hidden corner. They actually are nibbling on some stuff. down in that area it is grains.

 

[Drycreek]

Okie, you know it’s the time of year that anything can happen. Hang in there and good luck !

 

[OkieKubota]

4 wood ducks just settled on the pond. 3 male

 

[OkieKubota]

Doe and fawn went back to the white oaks...