Acorns
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: casekiska
27-Jul-19
This past week I've been out setting up stands and noticed a few white oak acorns on the ground. Couldn't hardly believe it, seems pretty early to see acorns dropping! Anyone else notice this?
From: Ruger1022
27-Jul-19
Interesting . I "m scouting 2 spots Sunday that have an Island of oaks. I'll let yea know .
From: MjF
28-Jul-19
I have noticed the acorns are real small compared to this time last year and yes I have seen them on the ground.
From: Treefarm
28-Jul-19
Premature acorn drop can occur for many reasons but nothing to be alarmed about. Many get larvae, some break off due to wind and over zealous squirrels.
From: MF
28-Jul-19
Treefarm……. What about apples? Last year, I bet 90% of the apples (well over 100 trees, old apple orchard) dropped by the first week in October where in years past they still held good way into December, they were mushy but they held onto the branches and would drop periodically which was nice for hunting purposes.
From: Treefarm
28-Jul-19
MF, I am not a fruit tree expert so I would have to defer that question to somebody who knows.
From: Hoot
29-Jul-19
Few small branches with acorns came down in the storm yesterday.
From: DoorKnob
29-Jul-19
The june drop ( apples) happened in july this year since the blossoms were late. And the drop was small fruit and fewer of them
From: Ruger1022
30-Jul-19
Case , found Acorns laying around at both hunting spots . Can't tell the wind blown from the normal droppage .
1spot has about 10 giant Oaks in the middle of deep dark timber . When there are no Acorns there are no Deer . It's loaded this year .
Lincoln county
From: Treefarm
30-Jul-19
What you will see happen with a lot of aborted acorn is that they are growing larvae in them. Eventually, they emerge leaving a small hole. Try cutting some acorn hulls open and see if the nut is infected (all discolored). May very well be eaten from inside out. Another fact, when gathering acorns to direct seed, place them in water. Throw floaters away and plant acorns that sink. In 15-25 years you may have trees with acorns. I got over the “you’ll never see acorns” long ago. I had acorns in 15 years and the deer love’m. Had I not planted...hummm.
From: casekiska
30-Jul-19
Ruger - glad to see you found some acorns. That spot with the giant oaks in the middle of deep dark timber sounds like a honey hole! ...bowhunter's dream spot! Good luck this fall!
I was up in the woods again today...found more acorns...yep, they do seem small...don't know about the larvae inside them...I'll cut some open next time and we'll see,...hope not, hope they are all good feed for the deer.
Seeing a lot of does & fawns...very few antlered bucks...only one nice one so far and he was a dandy!...maybe we'll meet again in Oct.
From: Hoot
30-Jul-19
Ruger - Looks like oak apple/ gull wasps.
From: Ruger1022
31-Jul-19
When it comes to trees I'm as dumb as a rock. How do you tell the difference between a White Oak & a Red Oak ?
From: casekiska
31-Jul-19
I am certainly no expert on tree species identification but I've been told the following: 1.) Comparing red and white oak, the bark of the white oak is not quite as dark in color as the red and the "texture" of the bark is somewhat smaller or finer, 2.) Check the leaf shape, the red oak has leaves with sharp points on the ends of the sections whereas the white oak has leaves with rounded ends.
From: skookumjt
31-Jul-19
Red oak have points on the lobes of the leaf. White oak have smooth/round edges.
From: Ruger1022
31-Jul-19
Thanks, I,m putting a ground blind up Thursday. I,LL see if I can figure it out .
From: South Farm
31-Jul-19
The difference between Red and White oaks is if you have Reds you have to spend two hours picking sticks out of your yard before you can mow...every time...and Reds more than likely will be the ones dying from oak wilt. Other than firewood and furniture it is one of the shittiest trees ever invented.
From: Live2hunt
31-Jul-19
LOL, I agree with that SF. I clean up sticks from a slight breeze in my yard.
From: Hoot
11-Aug-19
Acorns are falling like crazy here in Southern Washburn County. Not very big but falling everywhere around my place.
From: Oleduckhunter
11-Aug-19
Falling by me in st Croix County, I have red oaks.
From: xtroutx
11-Aug-19
I had one tree right out my back door that dropped acorns a few weeks ago, and they were very small. All the other trees are holding strong around me in Marinette county.
From: Huntcell
12-Aug-19
Little Jonnies frantically raising his hand !
“I know! I know !”
“Red oaks are red and white oaks are white”
Little Suzy rolls her eyes.
From: Tweed
12-Aug-19
I heard this on bowsite I think and its heloed me remember ever since.
Red oak leaves are pointy like an Indians arrow, white oak leaves have rounded points like a Euro's bullet.
From: Huntcell
12-Aug-19
Red oak leaves are pointy like a 'RED' Indians arrow, white oak leaves have rounded points like a 'WHITE' Euro's bullet.
akerns
From: Reggiezpop
12-Aug-19
From: skookumjt
12-Aug-19
I'm planting along the Chippewa River in Rusk County and the red oaks are loaded and dropping like crazy. Deer and turkey are feeding heavily.
From: RutnStrut
14-Aug-19
I spent the day in the woods in Pierce county yesterday. The red oaks were loaded and raining acorns. The White oaks I checked didn't have many acorns on them.
From: Drop Tine
17-Aug-19
Akerns are a droppen in my woods.
From: Two Feathers
18-Aug-19
The trees I checked last week didn't have any acorns this year.
From: Treefarm
18-Aug-19
Old white oaks seem to be never-bearing in my area. I have never seen the three huge ones ever have acorns and cannot figure why. The reds however, go crazy with mast. Oaks are also very temperamental with late freezes. All flowers can be killed by temp. This year, I have acorns (and walnuts) galore. Lots of happy critters.
I cut an acorn open that had fallen cap attached. Sure enough, the larvae had been feasting.
From: Two Feathers
18-Aug-19
Trees I checked today do have nuts and the deer sign is good and I can walk to them from my house.
From: Treefarm
15-Sep-19
Acorns are paying dividends. The deer are in the oaks like crazy this weekend. Oak trees are my foodplot and they are on fire.
From: Franklin
15-Sep-19
Which one of the two is preferred? Isn`t one of them kind of bitter tasting.
From: Drop Tine
15-Sep-19
White oak is preferred over the red.
From: Treefarm
15-Sep-19
I have very few mature whites. They are hammering the reds here and are stuffing themselves.
From: xtroutx
15-Sep-19
Yes they are. Seen ton of deer in the oaks this weekend. No shooter bucks.
From: wioutdoors74
16-Sep-19
They were dropping like crazy in Washburn County. Sounded like a mild hailstorm at times. Unfortunately, acorns don't know the difference between day and night. Nothing like having a big fat one bang off the cabin's metal roof every 2 minutes when trying to sleep...
From: casekiska
17-Sep-19
Medium - large sized acorns now dropping in southern Sauk County. Not an over abundance of them but enough to satisfy the deer and keep them in the oak groves. Activity seems to be picking up, saw a bachelor group Saturday morning with one very descent ten pointer. First scrapes and rubs appearing,...exciting! Gets the blood pumping!
From: Drop Tine
27-Sep-19
I put a trail camera up under one of the few Oak trees that I have on our property and the activity is crazy under that tree.
From: Live2hunt
27-Sep-19
Yes, not too tough to scout for active sign. I'm hoping it pays off because I need a doe or two for the freezer. I had one of the spots I sit that looked good, but was disappointed when a saw a couple kernels of corn on the ground where I park. This is in Clark county, I thought that was a no bait county unless that changed?
From: Hoot
27-Sep-19
All I know is the bears are into the acorns big time. Heavy acorn drop here in Washburn County and Bayfield County. Baits pretty much shut down after the huge storm went through the first week of bear season. I knocked some acorns down close to one of our baits and I couldn't believe how large they were, reminded me of small plum size.
