Acorns...

Got a lot of acorns in the yard in town, but none out where the deer are. If I collect them at home, how can I get the deer interested? Tried a couple of years ago and they turned their noses up. Looking for any reason to get them to come in to the feeder.

I would be interested to see people's responses to this. I had the same experience a few years back. I collected several bags of acorns from home and took them out to our place and the deer never touched them. I was thinking that they would because typically everyone talks about acorns being the reason that deer are not coming to feeders.

Deer like to east what they are used to. if there aren't oaks around, they won't be accustomed to eating acorns and probably don't know what they are, so they will turn their nose at the foreign objects laying around.

Find out what deer eat in your area and feed that.

I was told that it's even specific to the species of oak, so you won't be successful throwing white oak acorns out where you naturally have pin oaks, or what have you.

Had the same experience, threw out two grocery sacks and even the pigs didn't touch them.

I disagree. I take pecans to far west texas and use them for mule deer attractant. There isn't a pecan tree for miles, however, the mule deer love them. They eat them up before they touch the corn. Deer will eat what they have never seen before if they like it

fwiw, Red oak acorns are HIGH in tannins and un-palatable when fresh (especially if deer have other options): after several rainstorms reduce the tannins (and other browse options are depleted) they'll hit them. Other oak types are lower (white/live) but also still have tannins when fresh . . .

Decades ago, paw-paw planted and nurtured several LIVE OAKS around the feeder at the family ranch; best natural feeder ever; deer gobble them up first, THEN have some feeder corn for 'dessert' . . . .

Pecans are probably the 'tastiest'

So, what TYPE are you guys throwing out there . . . ??

Without a doubt. Used to take last years pecans and dump them by the feeder, the next day only the hulls remained.

I'm throwing out the small native pecans. Obviously, I'm not wasting the big awesome ones!!!

I threw out a bucket of live oak and burr oak acorns....we shall see.
I bet the hogs will eat them for sure.

I threw down some Acorn Rage this year and the deer seem to love the stuff.

My neighbor gave me a corn bag full of acorns from his live oaks a few years back. I do not know how he gathered them up, but the deer finished them in a day.

I do it every year. Our land in San Saba county is loaded with post oak. But I ather acorns in bags from several species and dump them at the feeder and they hammer them all. Whether the mast crop is good or not. I actually like to take the big hard acorns because it takes them longer to chew them up and I have more time to check them out. Now my brother has started doing the same thing.

The hogs will love the Burr Oaks. I gather them by the bucket full and throw them out around the feeder. Been doing it for 3 years and I have only seen 1 deer pick up a Burr Oak.

No water sprinklers in the woods. Plant some sawtooth acorn trees. They do good in dry weather and produce after only 5 years versus up to 15 years for alot of other oaks. Water!! Is key in the summer and now for a great acorn crop. Baby your providers and you wont have to cary your acorns in a bucket or sack to feed the deer.

How to tell if the deer and hogs are feeding on acorns:

Feeder over the food plot. Nice strategy.

This.

Watermelons..

We were at my mom's house a few years ago outside of New Braunfels and pitched some watermelon rinds in the back of the yard..
Deer damned near came running in and devoured them..

No watermelons in the area..

My brother and I were talking about this the other day and plan to try it soon