Mast Conditions - Drought?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Franzen
06-Aug-23
In my area the oaks seem to be aborting everything. Pins at the house and whites at the farm are dropping well under-developed 'corns. I'm on the high ground, but a buddy said they are still holding them in the bottoms. What is everyone else seeing?
I don't really specifically hunt over acorns, so it likely won't matter much to my hunting, but it may be a killer for some. I'm in south-central IL.
From: t-roy
06-Aug-23
I’m seeing some aborting of acorns around my house, as well, but the trees seem to have a lot of mast this year. We are very dry as well.
From: WV Mountaineer
06-Aug-23
Drought conditions will most definitely cause this. But, that’s not an issue here. And, hasn’t been for 2 decades.
From: DanaC
07-Aug-23
No drought issue here, been a wet summer, local rivers are still 'up'. Banner year for 'choke cherries', blueberries etc.
From: Will
07-Aug-23
I'm seeing pretty similar early acorn fall to the past few years, this year. The past few, last year in particular, we were in moderate drought basically all summer into the fall. This year we have been drenched since the winter, capped with like 14" of rain from mid June to the end of July - River look like early May or late April, very rare for August. Point being, seems pretty normal acorn status in my neck of the woods.
From: Buffalo1
08-Aug-23
It has been a hot, dry burner in Mississippi this summer. Burn band in effect for entire state. Mast crop and antler growth will be two interesting topics this fall/winter. Have also been wondering about the fawn crop this year.
I think we are forecast to have a wet/cold winter, but that does not aid our current weather situation.
From: Michael
08-Aug-23
In Mn it has been dry ever since June. Haven’t really checked the oaks out though.
Down in Ne where I hunt they have been catching plenty of rain all through July. Crops look really good. The properties I hunt don’t have oaks so not sure how that condition is down there.
From: Franzen
09-Aug-23
Fawn crop here might be considered off the charts from what I've seen. Lack of mast here won't hurt too bad, since there is other food.
From: Franzen
09-Oct-23
Bringing this one back up. Even with the aborted acorns, some trees were carrying an unbelievable amount, and had plenty go to maturity. I have some trees that it looks like an acorn carpet underneath.
From: fuzzy
09-Oct-23
Decent red oak mast in my area this year. Our summer rainfall was very good
From: Jethro
09-Oct-23
Wet summer in NE PA and not much excessive heat. Lots of nuts. Acorns so plentiful its like walking on marbles. Walnuts and Hickory dropping so many it dangerous to be under them. Even our 1 Butternut tree is dropping more than I've ever seen.
From: btnbuck
09-Oct-23
I've seen a lot of white oaks dropping by the house her in northern Ohio.
From: DRR324
09-Oct-23
The reds around my house here in Michigan are loaded and dropping fullly developed acorns. The problem for me is the oak ridge I'm hunting 800 yards away is a few hundred feet higher in elevation than my lake front home, and has zero mast currently....
From: Michael
09-Oct-23
In the areas I hunt in Mn and NE most of the oaks are Burr Oak. Some trees have good acorns and some don’t. But then again Burr Oaks don’t produce every year if I remember right.
Shot a doe Friday night on a small oak ridge chowing on acorns as she came in.
From: nchunter
09-Oct-23
Where I hunt in Virginia the red oaks are dropping pretty good. The white oaks dropped great last year and since it takes 2 years for them to make a acorn it was expected to be lousy this year. I hunted in a 15 mph wind Saturday morning and the reds were raining down where I was.
From: t-roy
09-Oct-23
This is nothing compared to a lot of trees.
This is nothing compared to a lot of trees.
Even several of the chestnuts I planted, had lots of pods
Even several of the chestnuts I planted, had lots of pods
Not sure if I’ve ever seen a heavier mast crop here in my area of Iowa, especially on the white oaks. The reds, hickorys, and walnuts had a lot of nuts as well. It was very dry here, this year.
From: Shuteye
09-Oct-23
Not many acorns or hickory nuts in my woods. We had a very wet summer so the water didn't help.
From: Zbone
09-Oct-23
Not a drought but below average rainfall here in NE Ohio, and we have hickory nuts and acorns everywhere...
From: GFL
09-Oct-23
Deer all day at the Dunston chestnuts. They’ll pass the white oaks here for chestnuts.
From: midwest
10-Oct-23
Same as Troy, we are loaded with acorns everywhere this year and one of the driest summers/early fall I can remember.
From: craigmcalvey
10-Oct-23
Heaviest mast year I can remember here in Michigan. Unreal amount of acorns.
From: Carolina Counsel
10-Oct-23
NChunter- I think you got that backwards. White oaks are annual producers, while red oaks drop every two years.
From: deerhunter72
10-Oct-23
Franzen, just saw this thread. I'm in your area and have to agree about the fawns. Can't remember ever seeing so many twins and triplets as I have this year. I have noticed a ton of hickory nuts and the few pecan trees that I know of are loaded.
From: Ksgobbler
10-Oct-23
We are listed in extreme drought. Havent seen acorns, but my persimmon trees are loaded.
From: Altitude Sickness
10-Oct-23
I have apple trees that had most of their limbs collapse from the weight. Crazy amount of big apples.
From: fuzzy
11-Oct-23
Carolina Council you are right, the red oaks acorns take two years to mature while white oaks mature in one season. What I think nchunter meant is that white oaks in our area at least "take a break" after a heavy year and produce few if any nuts
From: t-roy
11-Oct-23
The deer are hammering my chestnuts.
If anyone is interested in propagating some seeds, I have a few chestnuts I’d be happy to send you some.
From: drycreek
11-Oct-23
Acorn crop pretty poor here in East Texas. I have a water oak in my front yard that usually produces thousands of acorns but this year very few, and I have ran irrigation system all summer.
