Noticed changes in food sources?

[NCdeerguy]

I hunt in Wilkes, Forsyth and Halifax counties; this year was a big acorn year across the state apparently, and its been a double-bladed ax for me personally; noticed it has limited deer movement in search of food. Have any of you noticed a decline in the attention to acorns yet in your areas? If so, what are they feeding on now in your area and have you noticed any movement changes. With a frost the other morning and subsequent frosts killing off and rotting the rest of the acorns I hope they get moving more and covering further distances.

[w4sar]

I hunt in Orange County, my stands are in mature woods between farm fields. There is an abundance of white and red oak acorns this year. The deer in my area browse the fields at night, but still move through the woods at daytime eating acorns. Indeed, the doe I took on opening day for regular firearms in the Central Zone was feeding on white oak acorns at the time.

[NC Deer Hunter]

Whats up guys,
We had far more Red & White Acorns fall last year. We still have quite a few that fell this year but nothing like last year. We hunt mostly all fairly open oak ridges and I've witnessed the deer sightings & killings go down hill this year. I hunt in Hertford Co on the Meherin River.
 
Good luck the rest of the year.

[Cut N Run]

I hunt Granville, Durham, & Orange Counties and have seen heavy localized acorn production in places. Some areas are loaded, some not so much. Most of the acorn crop is gone where I hunt and the deer are using the thicker green places (cutovers with honeysuckle, pastures, thickets, etc.). Deer usually leave the red oak acorns if there are still white oak acorns to be had. It seems like someone said that there was a natural chemical change that took time to happen before the deer liked to eat them. I'm not sure about that, just what I'd heard.

Jim

[w4sar]

Most of the acorns around my stand in Orange County have been eaten up, have had a lot less sightings since the end of November. Regarding the red oak acorns, I think they have more tannin than the white oak acorns, making them more bitter. The deer prefer to eat up the white oak acorns first. Once they get hungry enough, they'll eat up the red oak acorns if there's nothing else.

I'll keep working it to the end of the year though, good hunting all!