I went for a short hunt in the mountains of upstate SC this morning. The mountain was absolutely covered with these:





Of course they are Chestnut Oak Acorns. They are very bitter and the deer and bear don't get started on them until all the White Oak Acorns and Red Oak Acorns are gone. The winter frosts and rain leech the bitterness out and they are eaten late in the winter, which is a good thing as they provide a nutritious food source when it is needed most.

Here in the Texas hill country the deer love the little Spanish acorn. It's about the size of the first digit of your little finger. They then move on to the larger ones. They truly love them. powdr

funny how they prefer some acorn trees over others.

The deer and squirrels are hitting the acorns in our yard. I'm wondering if it's another year of spotty mast? Last year around here there was mast on the ridges but not in the hollows.

What I never knew was White Acorns apparently have a short shelf life and after they start rooting , deer turn to other acorns

Around here, White Oak acorns don't last long enough to rot.

Mostly Red Oak, Pin Oak, and Post Oak on our place, with a few big Blackjack Oaks thrown in for variety.

Pretty good mast this year, so the deer (and hogs) shouldn't go hungry.

Ed

So many times back in NC you'd be driving in the dark to get to your stand and see a nice buck eating acorns in the farmer's yard under a street light ...

October hunting is as simple as acorns.