Deer & Acorn Question

[booger]

Could deer still be finding "good" acorns that aren't sour or wormy? There is a spot beside my house that had such a heavy mast crop that it's still like walking on marbles they're so many acorns. I would have thought that all the acorns would be rotten by now but every night for the past month, during armadillo patrol, the deer are in there as thick as fleas.

I can't think of anything else to eat that would draw them in like that, but I don't know much about deer anyway. It's fairly open woods with little browse and the deer don't seem to be bedded down.

[judge jb]

the deer are there, but not for acorns... tree mast only attracts deer for a few weeks to say the least... with a brief examination you will find that the acorns on your property have no food value at all inside the hull.... if you do find that they are scavinging for the nut, then you have a population problem that needs to look into.... best way is to check any honey-suckle vines for a browse height... then you may want a MDWFP bioligist to assist you... sounds as thou you may have some good under cover browse available for the deer... one of the best this time of year is Smilec, better know as Saw-Briars... good luck and holler if i can help....

judge jb

[booger]

Saw briars? Well I'll be, there may be some of that. Clearly it ain't acorns, thanks judge.

[SB]

It is possible the deer are still eating the acorns. Here is a simple test one can do to see if acorns are still good or not. Pick up a hand full and throw them in water. If they float then they are no good, if they sink then they are good. The meat in the acorn, if it still there and good, will make the acorn sink. Hollow acorns float.

Also, deer will often times eat the white oaks species of acorns first due the lower amount of tanins. Red oaks species have more tanins (making them taste bitter) than white oaks. Over the course of the winter red oak acorns become more palatable due to the tanins leaching out.

[jbeam17]

hey, heres a idea...pick one up and try it yourself! you find out real quick.j/k [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]