Site by Gray Loon. As with white oaks, planting multiple varieties makes for a longer and more consistent acorn drop each fall. Existing vegetation has a jump on your tree seedlings when it comes to root development. From that tree, the chestnuts were brought back from the brink of extinction. Make note that the bulk of swamp chestnut oaks usually drop acorns a few weeks after white oaks and will germinated as soon as they receive a soaking rain. Below I will teach you how to identify 6 common oak species deer hunters need to know and give you a crash course on what you need to know to improve your oak hunting strategy. Popular white oak species include white, swamp white, overcup, bur, swamp chestnut, chestnut, chinkapin (in the Midwest) and live and post oak (in the South). Bucks don’t like the feel of the rebar on their antlers and the clanging metal spooks them. But the fruit is where this one really shines. Squirrels are perhaps the most helpful animals in spreading its seed because they hoard far more than they can actually eat. Like white oaks, I also locate which swamp chestnuts are holding acorns prior to hunting season and log them away as possible hunting locations for fall. There are dozens of species that fit in this category; however, I will focus primarily on scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) and southern red oak (Quercus falcata) because they are generally very abundant in upland hardwood stands. Swamp chestnut oak bark is thick, scaly, loose and light-gray in color. It depends on what you plant. Unlike annual or semi-annual food plots like beans, clover or alfalfa, trees and shrubs are a long-term project. Watch them closely as the nighttime temperatures drop near the freezing mark. Bucks' Unlimited Oak is the oak that you want planted in front of your deer stand or around your food plot. Modern hybrids also produce more poundage of fruit per tree. Their leaves have a bell-like shape at their base and an elongated leaf tip. As the name suggests it can tolerate periodic flooding, but only for a few days or weeks during the growing season; however, swamp chestnut oak can also be found growing as high as 1,000 feet in elevation. It is found in floodplains throughout the Southeast (see range map in the Gallery below) on moist, well-drained soils adjacent to bottomlands, small or big streams, or on the first terrace or ridge away from water. Plant multiple varieties so that acorn drop will be consistent throughout the fall. They do germinate as soon as they get enough soil moisture after falling to the ground, so the attraction is short lived. Again, there are several different bottomland red oak species, but I will only focus on willow oak (. ) The acorns are very similar in size and shape to willow oak acorns. ), soft mast (persimmon, muscadines, black gum, etc. This article will focus on hunting oaks. Swamp chestnut oak acorns are very palatable and eaten by white-tailed deer, black bears, turkeys, red foxes, wild hogs, waterfowl and squirrels. Ripe persimmon fruit doesn’t last long in the woods, hunt them as soon as you see them start hitting the ground. Most white oaks drop from mid-September to mid-October across the southeast. American plum trees serve two purposes in the deer woods. In terms of management, swamp chestnut oak is shade intolerant and requires a lot of sunlight for establishment. Nutritionally speaking, swamp chestnut oak acorns are low in crude protein (4.1 percent) but relatively high in fats (3.3 percent) and carbohydrates (56.1 percent). Keep your eye out for these oaks throughout the fall and make a mental note of those that have acorns under them. Not only did it blanket the Eastern U.S., it produced heavy crops of mast reliably from year to year and the nuts were highly palatable to man and animals alike. Food sources are perfect areas to focus your hunting efforts during early and late season, as during these times of year the bulk of deer movement is focused between bedding and food. They will pull any available nutrients and water from the soil before your tree can use it. Matt Ross of Saratoga Springs, New York, is a certified wildlife biologist and licensed forester and QDMA's Assistant Director of Conservation. However, hunting over red oaks can be extremely productive depending on timing and availability of other foods. The good thing about the American beech is that, every third or fourth year, they will produce a bumper crop of small nuts that every animal in the woods, including deer, will consume. A bonus with both of these trees is their more consistent mast production from year to year. Another similar-sized tree, the honey locust, offers both browse in the form of spring leaves, as well as a sweet-tasting seed pod that deer enjoy in the fall and winter. These are both members of the red oak group, so they have higher tannin levels than white oaks, making their acorns less attractive to deer than those from white oaks. 3 Keys To Becoming Effective At Shed Hunting, 4 Ways Hunting Over Bait Impacts Your Hunt Quality, #114 – How To Build A Custom Ghillie Suit With John Zimmerman, #113 – How To Quarter And Pack Deer Out Of The Field, #112 – Answering Questions: Food Plots, Woods TP, Fighting The Chafe, And Our Archaic Hunting Methods. You will not find this tree on ridges or dry areas and most often will find it in damp bottoms adjacent to wetlands. Don’t fertilize right away. Unlike the summer ripening plum, persimmons ripen in the heart of deer season, providing a huntable food source that is irresistible to every deer in the area. How to Make Your Land Better for Turkey Hunting, 13 Great Spots to Hang Your Treestands for Deer Season. Make sure to plant multiple varieties in close proximity for best pollination results. Luckily, a single seemingly blight-resistant tree was discovered. Again, there are several different bottomland red oak species, but I will only focus on willow oak (Quercus phellos) and water oak (Quercus nigra) in this article because they are so prevalent in the south. Deer, and just about every other animal in the woods, love ripe persimmons. As season progresses all other food sources will fail and eventually these bottomland oaks will be devoured by hungry whitetails needing a lateseason energy boost. I have lumped upland red oaks together because of their similarities and the comparable hunting strategies associated with each of them. Your seedling supplier should have a list of the best cross pollinators for each variety. Besides offering good cover, the American plum has outstanding forage value for deer. But planting trees and shrubs can also be an excellent way to improve the hunting on your property, whether you own, lease or hunting by permission. Once they do start producing mast, they are fairly inconsistent from one year to the next. If white oaks don’t produce one fall, red oaks can be highly attractive early season; otherwise, I focus on them as a late-season food source. Over-fertilizing can burn the tender roots and encourages vegetation growth around the tree. Like the red oaks discussed earlier, these acorns are high in tannin levels and are available all winter long. Many hunters already know that deer love oak trees, but few are actually able to positively identify different oak species and understand the timing of acorn fall, germination, and nutritional qualities that affect how deer use them. I simply keep my eye out for these red oaks dropping throughout the fall during my hunting exploits. Red oak acorns can be an important food source long after the white oaks are gone. (Above) While willow oak can be found on dry sites it is often associated with bottomland hardwood stands. Plant trees in the fall. The small, oval leaves are about 86 percent digestible to most herbivores. You may just be surprised how attractive a stand of red oaks can be during late season when deer are seeking out the last available foods. Editor's Note: This was originally published on August 23, 2017. As the season progresses, deer consume the most palatable local mast crop, then move on to the less desired varieties. This bottomland oak tree, found across the southeast and along the Mississippi river valley, reportedly produces the most attractive acorn to white-tailed deer. I checked with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Joe Lacefield and USFW Wildlife Biologist Brad Pendley to get their top picks for wildlife-friendly trees. (Above) The leaves of swamp chestnut oak are very broad with very small lobes on the perimeter. Short-term plantings consist of small trees and large shrubs that begin to provide fruit or forage in the years immediately after planting. It takes a while for a tree’s root system to grow adequately to keep it nourished during dry periods. How long? For More Acorns, Don’t Fertilize Oak Trees. Hickories do better in northern climates while pecans thrive in the lower Midwest and South. Before hitting the woods to scout, I like to identify areas on maps where I expect white oaks to be found. ©2020 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. While the other trees in this article are valued mostly for their food value, the Eastern Red Cedar shines as a cover plant. This is the popular guy on the block, as every white-tailed deer hunter has heard that white oaks are the holy grail of early-season hunting. Sawtooth oaks drop first beginning as early as September in most areas, and can continue into early or mid-October.… Deer prefer white oak acorns over red due to their less acidic nature and sweeter flavor. They take a long time, up to 30 years, to start producing heavy mast. The bark is light colored and flaky. And that food comes on during the peak of hunting season. Squirrels are perhaps the most helpful animals in spreading its seed because they hoard far more than they can actually eat. (Above) The acorns of southern red oaks are small and very round. Acquire and plant seedlings in winter when the seedlings are dormant. because they are generally very abundant in upland hardwood stands. Due to their desirability, most acorns are consumed before germination even takes place; when it does, germination happens immediately after seedfall with literally no period of dormancy. Swamp white oak acorns are 3/4 to 1 1/2 inch long and grow alone or in clusters of two to four on a stalk that’s 1 to 4 inches long. (Above) Scarlet oaks have very deep pointed lobes with bristles on their tips and medium sized acorns. Return annually to remove competing trees and shrubs. When the first Europeans set foot on this continent, the American Chestnut reigned supreme as a mast production tree. Now, get out there and find some oak trees! All red oak acorns spend the winter lying on the ground and germinate in spring, making them a dynamite winter food source that is available long after white oaks have germinated. He and his wife Sadie have two daughters, Josephine and Sabrina. He is a published author in Quality Whitetails, Purdue University Extension, and is currently a graduate student at the Mississippi State University Deer Lab where he studies interactions between deer, oaks, and other hardwood trees. Named the Dunstan Chestnut after one of the team that brought it back, this new chestnut has proven resistant to blight. Like the red oaks discussed earlier, these acorns are high in tannin levels and are available all winter long. Savvy hunters know deer may key on acorns from one white oak tree over others nearby. Nutritionally speaking, swamp chestnut oak acorns are low in crude protein (4.1 percent) but relatively high in fats (3.3 percent) and carbohydrates (56.1 percent). The American Beech once covered most of the Eastern U.S. He received his bachelor's in wildlife conservation from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and his master's in wildlife management from the University of New Hampshire.

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