Acorns in December?

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Xpeditionshooter
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Acorns in December?

Unread postby Xpeditionshooter » Sun Dec 08, 2019 9:43 am

Came across lots of tracks and an open scrape around some smaller oaks that were dropping acorns. Anyone know what kind of oaks they might be? I should have taken a picture to show you guys. I’m thinking they were pin oaks or red oaks. My only concern is they are far away from any kind of cover so I think it may be very nocturnal sign.


PublicLand
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby PublicLand » Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:23 pm

Id get down wind of it and see. Food<does < bucks
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purebowhunting
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby purebowhunting » Sun Dec 08, 2019 4:06 pm

White oaks are only a draw for a short period, probably a variety of red oak. It's worth a hunt even it there is no obvious bedding nearly.
MNarrow
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby MNarrow » Mon Dec 09, 2019 8:41 am

We got dumped on with snow last week and just a day or two after the snow it amazes me that all of the red oaks are torn up underneath.
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Hawthorne
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:03 am

I’ve seen some hot sign on red oak acorns December and January. The deer generally don’t eat them early like white oaks in my area.
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Bowonly
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby Bowonly » Mon Dec 09, 2019 3:30 pm

Don't know if it's true but I've heard the longer a red oak acorn lays there the more tannin is released and the more desirable they become.

I always just assumed as food sources dwindled into December they'd eat them out of necessity.
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DaveT1963
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:13 am

Took my daughter out yesterday - we still have a ton of oaks dropping both right now - both white oak and red oak. It is surprisingly late but its happening. I do think acorns get more palatable as they ripen on the ground same as locust pods.
SEMObowhunter
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Re: Acorns in December?

Unread postby SEMObowhunter » Fri Dec 13, 2019 9:47 pm

It will be easy to tell the difference. Pin oaks are black in color and oblong in shape similar to whites, just not as big. Red oaks will be a bigger acorn, reddish tan in color, and more round with a burry cap.

The red oak is the higher protein acorn compared to the white, but they also have a higher tannic acid content, which makes them more bitter. So the longer they lay the more tannic acid comes out of them, the better they taste to a deer.

I was out a couple of weeks ago and saw some red oaks just starting to drop and many high in the trees. These are good areas to key in on this time of year.


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