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Deer not eating acorns?

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hammer33

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Been bowhunting 3x in my "good" spots. Different Oak patches in the woods that normally are a magnet for deer, especially during bow season. Acorns are on the ground, squirrels are having a party. But the deer are not hitting them, or not much. Zero deer scat, few if any deer tracks, only the occasional notched cap. Haven't been busted going in or on stand. These stands are consistent producers year after year.

Im puzzled. Ideas?
 
Probably just on another patch of them somewhere and will be in the "normal" spot once those are gone. Could make for some good late bow season cooler weather hunting or if on the ground still and not rotted could make for a great place for the does to be and bucks come checking in on them in a few weeks.
 
hammer33 said:
Been bowhunting 3x in my "good" spots. Different Oak patches in the woods that normally are a magnet for deer, especially during bow season. Acorns are on the ground, squirrels are having a party. But the deer are not hitting them, or not much. Zero deer scat, few if any deer tracks, only the occasional notched cap. Haven't been busted going in or on stand. These stands are consistent producers year after year.

Im puzzled. Ideas?
Click to expand...
they're are eating somewhere. do you have any big ag fields near you that may be holding them? Deer around me are only hitting white oaks, not reds at all yet.
 
For whatever reason, deer seem to be drawn to acorns tree by tree. They will pound the acorns under one tree and ignore the ones under another tree, even two trees of the same species.

That said, I cannot believe how much action I'm seeing on my two clover plots that are seriously producing. It's a constant train of deer in and out of these plots.
 
hammer33 said:
Been bowhunting 3x in my "good" spots. Different Oak patches in the woods that normally are a magnet for deer, especially during bow season. Acorns are on the ground, squirrels are having a party. But the deer are not hitting them, or not much. Zero deer scat, few if any deer tracks, only the occasional notched cap. Haven't been busted going in or on stand. These stands are consistent producers year after year.

Im puzzled. Ideas?
Click to expand...
Same thing is happening on my spot. I'm liking what @Hduke86 said. So I will go with that and keep sitting and waiting.
 
BSK said:
For whatever reason, deer seem to be drawn to acorns tree by tree. They will pound the acorns under one tree and ignore the ones under another tree, even two trees of the same species.

That said, I cannot believe how much action I'm seeing on my two clover plots that are seriously producing. It's a constant train of deer in and out of these plots.
Click to expand...
I'm seeing the same thing BSK. I have 250acres of white oaks dropping and deer are piled into my clover/rye plots all day and night.
 
I'd normally agree but have seen it before with one of our neighbors to the south...when it gets put out by truck loads in prep of velvet hunt & continues thru bow season, it will pull them. Also the few guys we have bowhunting our 1/4" tall spotty clover plots are seeing lots more activity than I'd ever thought possible with all the acorns.
 
BSK said:
For whatever reason, deer seem to be drawn to acorns tree by tree. They will pound the acorns under one tree and ignore the ones under another tree, even two trees of the same species.

That said, I cannot believe how much action I'm seeing on my two clover plots that are seriously producing. It's a constant train of deer in and out of these plots.
Click to expand...

Yep they'll eat all of one tree before moving to the next. Gotta find "the" tree of the moment. It might be hot for days or maybe a week, then they cold turkey vacate it for the next one. Wish I knew how they chose.

Interesting you mentioned clover. I think they're washing down the acorns. Over and over I see deer hit an oak feed tree for 15-20minutes then head straight for a cut hay field full of young clover. Back and fourth they do it and according to my cams they do it all night long, and younger deer are doing it all day long as well.
 
Ski said:
Interesting you mentioned clover. I think they're washing down the acorns. Over and over I see deer hit an oak feed tree for 15-20minutes then head straight for a cut hay field full of young clover. Back and fourth they do it and according to my cams they do it all night long, and younger deer are doing it all day long as well.
Click to expand...
I have no doubt that if I killed one of the deer living in my clover plots, and checked stomach contents, 90% would be acorns. But they definitely appear to want variety, and the clover plots are about it right now, due to the local drought.

And by the way, I did not plant the below plot. All of that is volunteer clover from the years and years I've been planting clover in that plot in fall and then mowing down the seed heads in spring.
 

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tellico4x4 said:
I'd normally agree but have seen it before with one of our neighbors to the south...when it gets put out by truck loads in prep of velvet hunt & continues thru bow season, it will pull them. Also the few guys we have bowhunting our 1/4" tall spotty clover plots are seeing lots more activity than I'd ever thought possible with all the acorns.
Click to expand...
Late summer into early fall, you bet corn will draw deer. Once the acorns really start to fall (White oaks), not so much. I'm not saying corn won't draw ANY deer, just nowhere near what it draws August into early September.
 

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