No acorns? Check out this food source I found

[MichiganMike]

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Did some more late season scouting today. Was looking for sign along a runway and Came across a very interesting food source that deer are hitting up here in NW MIchigan. Sassafras limbs and buds! Makes sense but Would of never figured! Their hitting the ones knee high, nothing up by my head. Took some pics to show you all. Problem is their all over the place. If you can find them by bedding, could be a hot spot. Hope this helps!

[hunting_dad]

That’s pretty interesting. We have those all over the place as well up here. They’re kinda taking over the woods in some areas which, like you said, makes it hard to narrow down the “where” portion. Good info. Thanks

[Hawthorne]

Interesting. I know where a big sign post rub is that’s a sassafras. One of the first trees they rub in September after velvet shed. Years of them rubbing it. Break a branch or leaf they have a really nice smell

[MichiganMike]

Interesting. I know where a big sign post rub is that’s a sassafras. One of the first trees they rub in September after velvet shed. Years of them rubbing it. Break a branch or leaf they have a really nice smell

They sure do have a smell! I busted one open to make sure it was sassafras- and yep it is! It's pretty dark this time of year as you can see in the pic.

and yeah- I see rubs on it too, and your right- early season usually, probably because its still pretty soft and gentle that time of year. I remember in the summer, behind the house I grew up in there was a woods loaded with it. We used to make all kinds of things out of it. Easy to carve and peel etc. I remember making a bow and arrows out of it haha...

[MichiganMike]

That’s pretty interesting. We have those all over the place as well up here. They’re kinda taking over the woods in some areas which, like you said, makes it hard to narrow down the “where” portion. Good info. Thanks

yeah looks like they hit it early season too like Hawthorne was saying. Some were older for sure, but A LOT of recent ones. If you find them eaten and they have that sasafrass smell still- obviously they were there probably within a few hours I would think. If there were fresh tracks or poop that indicates a good buck in there too(if thats what your after)- Its worth noting for sure!

[jmaas07]

Interesting. I know where a big sign post rub is that’s a sassafras. One of the first trees they rub in September after velvet shed. Years of them rubbing it. Break a branch or leaf they have a really nice smell

I remember we were talking about this a couple yrs ago. We were wondering if the signpost rubs had anything to do with the nice smell. See them on cedars like that too

[UncleBuck3268]

Does anybody know if this is a native species or not?

[hunting_dad]

I know in my area of northwest Indiana along the lakeshore it is native according to the biologists here. Our kids school had a camp when they’re in 5th grade and we stayed in cabins at the lakeshore there for 3 days. They covered the 5 different types of ecosystems there and they me specifically spoke about sassafras trees. I remember them saying how it was taking over the area and was very invasive. Those little trees were everywhere.

[greenhorndave]

Huh... That's cool. I'll have to try and recognize that in the future.

[KRONIIK]

Huh... That's cool. I'll have to try and recognize that in the future.

Copied off a Google search:

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : Sassafras occurs from southwestern Maine west to extreme southern Ontario and central Michigan; southwest to Illinois, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to central Florida. It is extinct in southeastern Wisconsin, but its range is extending into northern Illinois [41].


Dang!

[greenhorndave]

Huh... That's cool. I'll have to try and recognize that in the future.

Copied off a Google search:

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : Sassafras occurs from southwestern Maine west to extreme southern Ontario and central Michigan; southwest to Illinois, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to central Florida. It is extinct in southeastern Wisconsin, but its range is extending into northern Illinois [41].


Dang!

So much for that!

On another note, do see browse on maple tips of young trees, but not sure if they do this after the leaves fall. Same with briar/ blackberry vines.So I guess the dogwood and cedar jumps to mind in big woods, but there’s got to be other attractants this time of year too.

A lot of WI will be dominated by cut ag fields. I do see browse in perennial flower beds in my yard too, but not a ton.

[MichiganMike]

Huh... That's cool. I'll have to try and recognize that in the future.

Copied off a Google search:

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : Sassafras occurs from southwestern Maine west to extreme southern Ontario and central Michigan; southwest to Illinois, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to central Florida. It is extinct in southeastern Wisconsin, but its range is extending into northern Illinois [41].


Dang!

So much for that!

On another note, do see browse on maple tips of young trees, but not sure if they do this after the leaves fall. Same with briar/ blackberry vines.So I guess the dogwood and cedar jumps to mind in big woods, but there’s got to be other attractants this time of year too.

A lot of WI will be dominated by cut ag fields. I do see browse in perennial flower beds in my yard too, but not a ton.

I notice the tips of Maple too- and redbrush of course. an yeah- I also notice they seem to hit evergreens a lot if there's a lot of snow. They like to graze the bushes in my front yard right in front of my house too. I have some soft pine evergreens/firs etc. and a Holly bush that they REALLY hit.

[MichiganMike]

I know in my area of northwest Indiana along the lakeshore it is native according to the biologists here. Our kids school had a camp when they’re in 5th grade and we stayed in cabins at the lakeshore there for 3 days. They covered the 5 different types of ecosystems there and they me specifically spoke about sassafras trees. I remember them saying how it was taking over the area and was very invasive. Those little trees were everywhere.

They sure are! the ones I found in this area they do a lot of logging. they also do some burning. I notice these ones are darker like they were part of a burn. the woods around my house ,their everywhere too but their still that light brown color and not being hit. Interesting