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What acorns do deer prefer? #3672013 10/18/12 07:00 PM
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I've never hunted deer around acorns but, there's tons here in the city. Do they prefer the med brown, small green or will they just be happy with what they get? Should be able to get a trash can full pretty easily I got these and persimmons in 20 min before work.


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Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: AdvTX] #3672039 10/18/12 07:05 PM
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Someone posted a link to a page that described all the oaks and which ones deer preferred over the others.
Rule of thumb around DFW and north is White Oaks are king, live oaks are last along with bur oaks.

Make sure the acorns are not wet and rotten. Make sure to keep them dry.

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: Pittstate] #3672045 10/18/12 07:07 PM
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white oak is the top pick for sure...but iv never seen them turn there nose away from a healthy acorn

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: Navasot] #3672120 10/18/12 07:29 PM
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white oak & sawtooth

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: rifleman] #3672315 10/18/12 08:49 PM
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White oak acorns can be sweet, whereas the red oak acorns are bitter. I didn't know that till a couple of years ago, when I noticed that the doe were eating acorns under one specific big oak in my front pasture. I read up on the white/red oak acorn preferences of deer and then took a stroll over to that tree and ate an acorn. It was sweet and not bitter at all. Interesting.

If you are in the woods and looking for white oak trees to set up your hunting stand, look at the leaves. Leaves from the white oak family of trees have rounded lobes, whereas those from the red oak family have pointed leaf lobes.


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Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: 603Country] #3672919 10/19/12 12:24 AM
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I paid a couple bucks and my 5 yr old helped me sweep a church parking lot after school we got a feed bag full mostly white oaks

Thanks for the info


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Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: AdvTX] #3672958 10/19/12 12:35 AM
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positively white oak, I live in the country and have deer in my yard every day, I see both kinds of oaks out my back door, they will not touch the post oak acorns until there are no more white oak acorns left

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: mdcamp] #3672980 10/19/12 12:42 AM
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White oaks have less tannins, and are therefore less bitter

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: Cannon] #3673083 10/19/12 01:08 AM
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It aint that hard. Peel some and taste them. Some are bitter and some are sweet. Some years are better than others. Not necessarily the kind of tree, location is everything. The sweeter the meat the better. Be sure to peel the dark skin too. Varies in locations. I once had a grove of post oaks (about 5 acres) that was like having the keys to the bank, it is now a cutover. Miss that place.

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: gollygee] #3673506 10/19/12 03:03 AM
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I've always heard sawtooth oaks also known as gobbler oaks if they are available.


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Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: 338ultra] #3673517 10/19/12 03:08 AM
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We have a few persimmons on our place and the deer love 'em. They will get them as far as they can reach and clean them all up in no time.

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: GusWayne] #3673519 10/19/12 03:10 AM
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If your deer have never seen acorns they might not eat due to not knowing what they are.


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Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: 338ultra] #3673814 10/19/12 11:39 AM
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Originally Posted By: 338ultra
I've always heard sawtooth oaks also known as gobbler oaks if they are available.


When I was growing up in Arkansas the game and fish commission would give away sawtooth oak seedlings if you would plant them on your land. I took all they would give me. I will ask my cousin and nephew if they have noticed any preference by the deer.

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: gollygee] #3673994 10/19/12 01:10 PM
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Sawtooth (& gobbler sawtooth- smaller acorns) are planted because they yield acorns in 3-5 years, not because they are the favorite food. Deer and turkey like them and eat them, but white oaks are # 1 if they have a choice.

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: Cannon] #3674008 10/19/12 01:14 PM
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Deer love white oak acorns. We have two really large white oaks on our place. Most of our oak trees are pin oak and red oak. We lost a huge overcup oak due to the drought. I don't know if deer liked those but squirrels certainly die.


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Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: 338ultra] #3674032 10/19/12 01:21 PM
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acorns vary in flavor from one tree to the next even in the same species of oaks .....
that being said white oaks are almost always at the top of the list for deer .....
if you observe deer feeding under one specific tree i suggest you get tree spike fertilizer sticks and put them around the perimeter of that tree for next year ....it works well
we used this technique years ago in another state where it was illegal to feed .....the deer came in droves from all directions to eat them acorns under that tree
and for sure last acorn to go in a deers mouth will be a red oak

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: tag saver] #3674190 10/19/12 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted By: tag saver
acorns vary in flavor from one tree to the next even in the same species of oaks .....
that being said white oaks are almost always at the top of the list for deer .....
if you observe deer feeding under one specific tree i suggest you get tree spike fertilizer sticks and put them around the perimeter of that tree for next year ....it works well
we used this technique years ago in another state where it was illegal to feed .....the deer came in droves from all directions to eat them acorns under that tree
and for sure last acorn to go in a deers mouth will be a red oak


Great idea and good thinking!

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: stxranchman] #3674796 10/19/12 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: stxranchman
If your deer have never seen acorns they might not eat due to not knowing what they are.


We have no oaks where I hunt. I raked a bunch up at my dads house and took them and put them in front of my feeder camera. Deer didn't touch them but a big ole boar ate every last one of them.

Re: What acorns do deer prefer? [Re: tag saver] #3675851 10/20/12 02:40 AM
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Originally Posted By: tag saver
acorns vary in flavor from one tree to the next even in the same species of oaks .....
that being said white oaks are almost always at the top of the list for deer .....
if you observe deer feeding under one specific tree i suggest you get tree spike fertilizer sticks and put them around the perimeter of that tree for next year ....it works well
we used this technique years ago in another state where it was illegal to feed .....the deer came in droves from all directions to eat them acorns under that tree
and for sure last acorn to go in a deers mouth will be a red oak


Perimeter of the crown (limbs) not the trunk.

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