High Priority Browse/Food

[Camoface13]

Besides the normal AG and acorns, what other trees do you key in on for destination feeding areas? I know marsh hunting an oak island can be dynamite, what else is something to not be overlooked?

[backstraps]

Sugar maples leaves, persimmons and honey locust pods are big here

Maple leaves just as they are falling. The locust pods are golden here after they get frost on them

As crazy as it seems, persimmons are hit or miss here

[PK_]

Aquatics.

[Camoface13]

Sorry did not see the other post on Big Buck browse, moderator can remove this one

[Hawthorne]

Wild apple trees. I have dozens marked on my gps. They don’t produce every year but when they do there is deer activity and some have nice bucks visiting them in daylight. It takes some years to figure out which ones they prefer and in the areas they prefer them in

[Twenty Up]

American Beautyberry, Pokeweed, Kudzu, Privet Hedge, Briars, Wild Blueberrys

[weingarb]

Aquatics.

What types of natural aquatics have you found they like? Fairly new to hunting south and central Florida

[PK_]

Aquatics.

What types of natural aquatics have you found they like? Fairly new to hunting south and central Florida

Lillies. I should know this more intimately but I believe there are two different ways/times that they feed on them. They eat the flower blossoms of the regular Lilly pads. They also eat the root bulbs of the Flag Lillies. You can literally see tons of them uprooted floating in the water with the root bulb chewed off in areas with good amount of feed pressure.

The flag lillies are a staple food in most of south FL, in central FL I have only seen them eat heavy on the aquatics during late season when the other browse and acorns are likely exhausted...

I assume they eat some other aquatics but I have never really looked into figuring them all out. But it is funny to watch deer get up in the evening and wade out about 3-4 feet deep Into a lake and munch on plants.

[weingarb]

Thanks Pk, appreciate the response. During early season, how do you typically hunt oaks that are dropping? I find that these oaks are typically along transitions of narrow creeks where edge and creek island bedding really gives them the advantage. I also find it challenging how Florida public lands have such great access haha