Acorn failure?! WMU 62

What are you all seeing for acorns this year? 62 like many other regions got hammered by spongy moth last year, wondering if that is a factor in poor acorn production this year. In a section of woods with maybe 50 mature red and white oaks not a single one has any acorns! Haven�t seen any acorns on any trees round here.

Same in 53. So what you're saying is that it's a great year to bait.

The oaks run on a 3 to 4 year cycle for seed production. You then get synchronous production by all the trees at the same time. The evolutionary angle is that a bumper crop will ensure that not all seeds will be consumed and some will survive to produce future trees. The last good crop of acorns at my place was two years ago for red and bur oak and three years ago for white oak. I expect to see a good white oak crop next year.

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Originally Posted by Pioneerfreq

Same in 53. So what you're saying is that it's a great year to bait.

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I believe that is why my bear baits were crazy active this year. Bait i hunted on, i saw 11 different bears during 2 afternoon sits before i filled my tag.

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

The oaks run on a 3 to 4 year cycle for seed production. You then get synchronous production by all the trees at the same time. The evolutionary angle is that a bumper crop will ensure that not all seeds will be consumed and some will survive to produce future trees. The last good crop of acorns at my place was two years ago for red and bur oak and three years ago for white oak. I expect to see a good white oak crop next year.

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I have a street beside me that has about 10 Oak tree's planted by the City, last year most all produced pretty good. This year about 3 have produced very good and nothing on the rest. I have already collected several 5 gallon buckets to put out up north. On my property there were no Oak trees left after the logging, I have noted that since I have put down acorns from the City I have numerous new Oak tree's springing up
which I assume have been planted by the squirrels. I am sure the dry weather this year has been hard on most tree's.

My Walnut trees are bare this year down here in 90B and my Apple and Pear trees didn't do well either. Will have to go into the woods and check my Oak, Hickory and Beech trees to see if they produced anything.

Big nut crop here squirrels chipmunks have been stashing like crazy. Lift hood of my truck nuts all over even filled up reforceing webs under hood air box full of nuts.

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

The oaks run on a 3 to 4 year cycle for seed production. You then get synchronous production by all the trees at the same time. The evolutionary angle is that a bumper crop will ensure that not all seeds will be consumed and some will survive to produce future trees. The last good crop of acorns at my place was two years ago for red and bur oak and three years ago for white oak. I expect to see a good white oak crop next year.

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Exactly. We have a many hundreds of years old white oak in our back yard (touches over 6 properties. ). Hardly any acorns this year - sorry squirrels- but next year(4th year) should be a booming year.(Event is called "masting." )

In WMU53a the oaks are bare this year, last year was a crazy amount. Anyone want to guess how this will affect deer hunting this year?

HI Hound, won't affect hunting this as last year was a bumper crop in 53 which should result in a bumper crop of deer this year but next year will be a different story as the deer and bears will not be as fat thru this years winter to carry them over