Another bow season has begun and archery hunters will have 3 months to chase whitetails around the West Virginia hills and hollows. Things will be different this year versus last deer season as there are a lot of acorns on the ground right now. Last year an acorn could hardly be found and all of the deer were concentrated in the fields and field edges.
According to the WVDNR 2014 Mast Survey and comparing it with the 2013 mast survey, “the mast index for all species combined was up 4 percent. Last year beech, hickory and walnut were abundant while oaks were scarce. This year, indices for oaks are up and indices for beech, walnut and hickories are down. Compared to last year, indices for all oak species increased over 100 percent indicating a substantial increase in oak production. Scarlet oak increased 262 percent compared to 2013. White, chestnut, black, red and scarlet oaks should be commonly found across the landscape.”
Soft masts like black cherry as well as blackberry were abundant this year along with dogwood. This year’s survey also found that “when comparing all species, the 2014 index almost mirrors the indices for 2012.” I remember the 2012 deer season and I spent most of my time in the woods watching the oak ridges and flats.
That’s going to be my plan for this year as well from all of the acorns I’m seeing and hearing drop. It’s like walking on marbles under some of the oaks right now. I’ve been noticing less deer in the fields which adds to my suspicion that they are spending most of their time in the woods.
It has been a slow start for me so far with a few does and small bucks spotted. I took some time to take down and move a couple of ladder stands to concentrate on hunting the oaks this year. I suggest doing the same if you want to see deer. If you’re hunting a stand overlooking a field expect to see way less deer than last year. I figure things will stay on the slow side for another week or two as the acorns are so plentiful the deer and other wildlife don’t have to travel very far to find food. Whitetails rely heavily on acorns to pack on fat reserves for the upcoming rut and winter months. You can bet the deer are engorging on as many acorns as they can especially since it’s been a couple of years since they’ve tasted them last.
The cold snap last weekend had the deer moving and I saw a nice high racked 8 point before dark on Saturday. There were several smaller bucks with him that were sparring and pushing each other around trying to size one another up but there weren’t any serious battles yet. I sat in my blind on Sunday evening which was really nice as this is the first year Nicholas County is open to Sunday hunting on private property. I saw a couple of the smaller bucks and a doe that almost stuck her nose in my blind, but no sign of the high racked 8 point.
Once Halloween nears the action should really pick up. When the rut kicks in the bucks will have one thing on their minds and that’s finding a hot doe. From Halloween to Veteran’s Day is always an exciting time to be in the woods as the bucks are roaming around checking the does.
Make sure to take a little time and scout for the producing oaks in your area. The temperatures are cooling down and the leaves are showing their true colors. It’s a great time to be alive and living in the hills of West Virginia!
