Typically this time of year every evening I'm eithier in a tree, working or dreaming and skeaming. But having my back jacked up the past few weeks has changed my priorities!
Been spending my evenings driving around and observing in the evenings from the comfort of my truck. We have been hammered with rain for more than a week straight which also brought some cooler temps. What I have observed is the deer pulled off the acorns and back on the greens. Any one observed anything similar? I recognize my conditions prob vary, but I'm wondering if the constant rain is the culprit. Souring acorns, sprouting fresh growth greens etc.... No solid evidence but usually u won't see a deer in the fields this time of year under normal conditions with a heavy acorn crop. Still no mature bucks or rut activity but mucho family groups and young bucks which typically would be hammering the ridges.
Also seen a post recently on deer feeding on leafs, specifically Maple. In my neck of the woods it's Silver Leaf. And it's not necessarily the tree but where the leafs congregate. As some mentioned they hit em when they are brown I find it opposite in my southern area. It's always bout the green, suspect brown turns it bitter due to lack of chlorophyl. Spot a patch of greener grass in a pasture (usually along a ditch or back side of pond) that's what there gonna hit here.
Thoughts, opinions, differences??????
Observation
- Boogieman1
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Re: Observation
North Dakota observation: Acorns were almost non-existent this year after what could be considered a bumper crop last year. Wet weather has led to wet fields. Harvest has been pushed back because of the weather so crops that would be normally gone are still left. Soy beans and beets are getting hammered right now, lots of deer in the fields around these parts, no studs until after last light according to cameras.
- WV Bowhunter
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Re: Observation
In WV I’ve noticed the same. Most rain in the fall I can remember. Everything is still green and growing, most of the leaves haven’t begun to turn colors. Probably 2 or 3 weeks off of past years. Lots of deer in the hay fields around my place.
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- brancher147
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Re: Observation
I haven’t had time to glass any fields but with all the rain there is still corn standing that is usually cut a month ago. I scouted a ridge above standing corn yestetday and most sign was up on the ridge in the acorns. But acorns are few and mostly half rotten and sour from rain. Looks like early November deer will be on acorns but by gun season and december they will be back in fields. I have never seen green fields still growing in mid october here. We have still not had a frost most places although some higher elevations did have snow last week. Leaves are way behind and many still green except higher elevation they are all mostly off now.
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- DaveT1963
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Re: Observation
I do not recall deer eating brown leaves (brown pods yes) What I see is that the sugar content appears to be high just as they turn color (some red some yellow) and when leaves first fall - that seems to be when I see deer hoarding maple leaves. And they do it to ones closer to bedding and along their normal travel patterns. it is like everything, if it is an abundant food source they hit it randomly under favorable conditions; if it is limited food source, they tend to hit them harder.
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- Drenalin
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Re: Observation
The few deer I've seen so far have been browsing on wild greenery, in spite of there being acorns everywhere. Very frustrating as I've been hunting acorns close to bedding.
- DaveT1963
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Re: Observation
Drenalin wrote:The few deer I've seen so far have been browsing on wild greenery, in spite of there being acorns everywhere. Very frustrating as I've been hunting acorns close to bedding.
IMO - Deer will always browse on some green plant food sources when they are present. They never full abandoned them while they are available... even when higher caloric foods like nuts, corn and beans are readily available.
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- brancher147
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Re: Observation
Drenalin wrote:The few deer I've seen so far have been browsing on wild greenery, in spite of there being acorns everywhere. Very frustrating as I've been hunting acorns close to bedding.
Are the acorns rotten? I have seen a lot of that this year. What kind of acorns? Some are more attractive than others. But wild greenery is always attractive to deer.
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- Drenalin
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Re: Observation
brancher147 wrote:Drenalin wrote:The few deer I've seen so far have been browsing on wild greenery, in spite of there being acorns everywhere. Very frustrating as I've been hunting acorns close to bedding.
Are the acorns rotten? I have seen a lot of that this year. What kind of acorns? Some are more attractive than others. But wild greenery is always attractive to deer.
I've been focusing on white oaks, since there are so many whites and reds this year. I haven't really hunted near or checked on any chestnut oaks, but it seems to me like they are typically more prone to rot than others. I don't know if that's true, but it's my perception - it may be as much due to the specific areas as it to the species of oak. Most of the acorns I've checked have looked good so far though - not much rot at all. My observation is more that the acorns don't seem to be the destination like I expected. For example, the young buck I saw Sunday night walked past a couple of white oaks that were dropping like crazy (a lot of that because of the squirrels) to feed on some low-growing green plants (I stupidly didn't stop to identify it on my way out). Saturday and Sunday nights, all of the does I saw were out in hayfields and cattle pastures. I just get the sense that deer are walking by acorns because they can get them anywhere right now, at least where I'm hunting. I've only seen thirteen deer this year, but only one of those was feeding on acorns. I'm in northeast Tennessee.
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Re: Observation
Drenalin wrote:The few deer I've seen so far have been browsing on wild greenery, in spite of there being acorns everywhere. Very frustrating as I've been hunting acorns close to bedding.
Same here. Bean fields are ghost towns. Scout / stalk about 2 weeks ago showed them in the greenery (clover, etc.) Does at least.
First frosts have started, so that may change, but certainly seems the most plausible right now.
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