Post by Woody Williams on Aug 28, 2008 14:23:00 GMT -5
Thanks to Arrowflinger of GON for the following...
Whitetail’s Preferred Food Sources
It is the time of year when we all get fired up and head to the woods for a little scouting. It is a great time to check the local food sources for availability for the upcoming season. Spend some time in the woods and know what will be available and where it is at well in advance of the season and it will save you tons of scouting later. Knowing what and when it will be available will get you a head start.
Crabapples
Early Bow season usually means hunting soft mast. The first thing I look for is Crabapples. They are candy for deer and deer will come from all over to feed on them when they are ripe. One thing I have noticed when hunting crabapples is that deer seem to come to them earlier in the afternoon than most food sources. I think it is because of the limited supply, they want to get to them before they are cleaned up for the day. I have watched them stand around and wait for the plop of one falling from the tree and then go find it. Crabapples have accounted for several opening day deer for me and unless there are early acorns, that is where I will be this opening day. Even if there are acorns, I will spend some times on the apples. The crabapples are producing good this year. Every tree I checked had fruit on it.
Persimmons
The next soft mass that I will keep an eye on is Persimmons. I have yet to figure out why but some of our persimmon trees will drop very early with some even dropping out before the season opens and on some trees, the fruit will hang all season and fall late in the winter. If you can find a tree with ripe fruit, look for deer sign around it. You will be lucky to find any fruit. Deer will eat it as fast as it falls. If you find feeding sign, hunt it now. Deer will check it at all times of the day so hang in there late. There was fruit on approx. half of the trees I checked this year.
Red Oak
One thing you really need to check is for some early acorns falling. I have seen it when a few Red Oaks were starting to fall on opening day. If you have one falling, you should be in a hot spot. Red Oaks take 2 years for their acorns to mature so more than likely, the trees you hunted last year may not have acorns this year. Red Oaks can have acorns on those years when none of the other types produce because of the 2 year delay in production. Acorns trees are not all created equal. As good as that big ole wide open hardwood ridge might look, sometimes there are so many acorns on the ridge that pin pointing the tree to hunt is hard. Also, if it is a ways from good bedding cover, the deer might be very late getting there. I prefer to find a lone tree or two that is very close to a big bedding area such as a clear cut and the farther away from other hard mast trees the better. .
Don’t over look smaller trees when you are searching for them. I have seen trees as small as 6” produce acorns. The deer seem to get there early and may drop by at any time of the day for a snack. I expect them to start falling in earnest around the 2nd of 3rd week of bow season. Notice the pointed leaves to help identify them. Take a good pair of binoculars and check the trees. They are visable now with some searching but they are easier to see around the middle of August. Check the trees in August and you will know which areas to keep an eye on as the season comes around.
White Oak
This acorn by far is the most preferred food source in the areas I hunt. If they are falling, the deer will leave everything else to find them. Again, look for secluded trees close to bedding cover but if none is available, hunt where ever you find the most feeding sign. I don’t have a clue why but deer will sometimes key in on a particular tree or area and feed hard there so find the sign and hunt there. I usually expect white oaks to be falling good by the first week in October.
Pin Oaks
Pin oaks will sometimes fall in mid fall and if there are not red or white oaks falling, the deer will pour to them. They have been my saving grace on several years when the reds and whites failed.
TREE IDENTIFICATION
A good website for tree identification…
www.thejump.net/hunting/plant-id/trees.htm
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is a stable in the Whitetail’s diet year round and is a preferred browse. It becomes especially important late in the season after the freeze and frost has killed back other food sources. It will stay green year round. A little 10-10-10 put out in the spring and again mid summer will really put the growth on it and the deer will know the difference. Keep a check on good patches and if you see browsing sign, you might be on a late season hot spot.
SOYBEAN FIELDS
Don’t over look agricultural fields as food sources. Early on the soybean fields will bring in a lot of deer. When the beans dry the deer seem to move on to other foods. After combining they will sometimes come back and pick the missed beans and beans that sprout up.
CORNFIELDS
Cornfields will draw deer quite frequently. When the corn I standing the deer will use it as a food source and a bedding area. After picking a cornfield can become a deer magnet.
WATER
Deer needs water also. They get most of it through plants but will still water daily. Waterholes close to bedding areas are good places to set up on.
These food sources are by no means all of them but they are a good starting point for your scouting.
But please keep in mind that food sources change rapidly so scout as often as possible to stay on top of things. Now is a good time to start spotting oaks with acorns. Get a pair of binoculars and spend some time scouring the tree tops for tiny acorns. I spent yesterday doing just that and my areas to keep an eye on are already narrowed down. There is going to be a good acorn crop but I checked a few area that are bare so I already have narrowed my search. Also, do not pick your stand site too soon. I usually never pick my starting point until one week or a few days ahead of opening day. Thing change fast at this time of year and you don't want to be hunting an area that was hot last week and is dead now. Stay on top of the hot food source and you will be successful.
In conclusion - The key to hunting any food source is staying on top of what is ready and being used by deer at the time. Food sources change all the time and sometimes real often. Scouting is the key to finding what the deer are feeding on and look for very fresh sign. When you find it, hunt there right now. It might not be good next week. Stay in touch with what the deer are feeding on and you will have successful hunts.
Whitetail’s Preferred Food Sources
It is the time of year when we all get fired up and head to the woods for a little scouting. It is a great time to check the local food sources for availability for the upcoming season. Spend some time in the woods and know what will be available and where it is at well in advance of the season and it will save you tons of scouting later. Knowing what and when it will be available will get you a head start.
Crabapples
Early Bow season usually means hunting soft mast. The first thing I look for is Crabapples. They are candy for deer and deer will come from all over to feed on them when they are ripe. One thing I have noticed when hunting crabapples is that deer seem to come to them earlier in the afternoon than most food sources. I think it is because of the limited supply, they want to get to them before they are cleaned up for the day. I have watched them stand around and wait for the plop of one falling from the tree and then go find it. Crabapples have accounted for several opening day deer for me and unless there are early acorns, that is where I will be this opening day. Even if there are acorns, I will spend some times on the apples. The crabapples are producing good this year. Every tree I checked had fruit on it.
Persimmons
The next soft mass that I will keep an eye on is Persimmons. I have yet to figure out why but some of our persimmon trees will drop very early with some even dropping out before the season opens and on some trees, the fruit will hang all season and fall late in the winter. If you can find a tree with ripe fruit, look for deer sign around it. You will be lucky to find any fruit. Deer will eat it as fast as it falls. If you find feeding sign, hunt it now. Deer will check it at all times of the day so hang in there late. There was fruit on approx. half of the trees I checked this year.
Red Oak
One thing you really need to check is for some early acorns falling. I have seen it when a few Red Oaks were starting to fall on opening day. If you have one falling, you should be in a hot spot. Red Oaks take 2 years for their acorns to mature so more than likely, the trees you hunted last year may not have acorns this year. Red Oaks can have acorns on those years when none of the other types produce because of the 2 year delay in production. Acorns trees are not all created equal. As good as that big ole wide open hardwood ridge might look, sometimes there are so many acorns on the ridge that pin pointing the tree to hunt is hard. Also, if it is a ways from good bedding cover, the deer might be very late getting there. I prefer to find a lone tree or two that is very close to a big bedding area such as a clear cut and the farther away from other hard mast trees the better. .
Don’t over look smaller trees when you are searching for them. I have seen trees as small as 6” produce acorns. The deer seem to get there early and may drop by at any time of the day for a snack. I expect them to start falling in earnest around the 2nd of 3rd week of bow season. Notice the pointed leaves to help identify them. Take a good pair of binoculars and check the trees. They are visable now with some searching but they are easier to see around the middle of August. Check the trees in August and you will know which areas to keep an eye on as the season comes around.
White Oak
This acorn by far is the most preferred food source in the areas I hunt. If they are falling, the deer will leave everything else to find them. Again, look for secluded trees close to bedding cover but if none is available, hunt where ever you find the most feeding sign. I don’t have a clue why but deer will sometimes key in on a particular tree or area and feed hard there so find the sign and hunt there. I usually expect white oaks to be falling good by the first week in October.
Pin Oaks
Pin oaks will sometimes fall in mid fall and if there are not red or white oaks falling, the deer will pour to them. They have been my saving grace on several years when the reds and whites failed.
TREE IDENTIFICATION
A good website for tree identification…
www.thejump.net/hunting/plant-id/trees.htm
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is a stable in the Whitetail’s diet year round and is a preferred browse. It becomes especially important late in the season after the freeze and frost has killed back other food sources. It will stay green year round. A little 10-10-10 put out in the spring and again mid summer will really put the growth on it and the deer will know the difference. Keep a check on good patches and if you see browsing sign, you might be on a late season hot spot.
SOYBEAN FIELDS
Don’t over look agricultural fields as food sources. Early on the soybean fields will bring in a lot of deer. When the beans dry the deer seem to move on to other foods. After combining they will sometimes come back and pick the missed beans and beans that sprout up.
CORNFIELDS
Cornfields will draw deer quite frequently. When the corn I standing the deer will use it as a food source and a bedding area. After picking a cornfield can become a deer magnet.
WATER
Deer needs water also. They get most of it through plants but will still water daily. Waterholes close to bedding areas are good places to set up on.
These food sources are by no means all of them but they are a good starting point for your scouting.
But please keep in mind that food sources change rapidly so scout as often as possible to stay on top of things. Now is a good time to start spotting oaks with acorns. Get a pair of binoculars and spend some time scouring the tree tops for tiny acorns. I spent yesterday doing just that and my areas to keep an eye on are already narrowed down. There is going to be a good acorn crop but I checked a few area that are bare so I already have narrowed my search. Also, do not pick your stand site too soon. I usually never pick my starting point until one week or a few days ahead of opening day. Thing change fast at this time of year and you don't want to be hunting an area that was hot last week and is dead now. Stay on top of the hot food source and you will be successful.
In conclusion - The key to hunting any food source is staying on top of what is ready and being used by deer at the time. Food sources change all the time and sometimes real often. Scouting is the key to finding what the deer are feeding on and look for very fresh sign. When you find it, hunt there right now. It might not be good next week. Stay in touch with what the deer are feeding on and you will have successful hunts.
