Shortage of Acorns - effects on wildlife

Anonymous-0 · Jan 23, 2009

About a week ago I posted how big the pecan crop was in S. Ind & S. Ill. It seemed this was also true of black walnuts. But strangely it seems there is a very short acorn crop thought many mid-western states. I have personally seen hardly any acorns. Any ideas why this is? And how devastating will this be to wildlife such as squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, etc?

Anonymous-0 · Jan 23, 2009

squirrels here keep well fed hauling my earcorn off and eating it! Must have poor feed efficiency for those tree rats can really eat!

Nancy Howell · Jan 23, 2009

Most nut trees produce a good crop one year and a light or no crop the next. I don"t know if that holds true for oaks and acorns.

I would check with a game biologist with your state"s wildlife service to find out the possible impact on wildlife.

big fred · Jan 23, 2009

Around here there's no acorns at all, never has been, since this isn't oak country. Our squirrels seem to do just fine, as do the deer. We're not wild turkey country either, but recently we've been seeing some around.

paul · Jan 23, 2009

Here in southern MN the question is, how devistating to the grain crops will the deer, turkeys, and squirrels be???? Bunch of freeloaders, eating up the profits. They all get plenty fat off of us farmers.

--->Paul

Earl -IL · Jan 23, 2009

I live in east central Illinois .We had tons of acorns & walnuts. We also had record rainfall.

HENRY E NC · Jan 23, 2009

I also find the acorns are in a two year cycle here in NC(far western, almost Tennessee) The squirrels eat the buds off of my fruit trees when acorns are short. Henry

rustyj14 · Jan 23, 2009

I live on several acres of mostly Oak and wild cherry trees. Have been here since 1950! This is the first year i saw no acorns from my oak trees! I noticed the lack of them last fall, when i heard none of them raining down on the roofs of my buildings, and none in the rain gutters. Other folks in this area stated the same thing--no acorns.
The squirrels have been hitting the bird feeders, though--hard!

hay · Jan 23, 2009

no acorns here in my area of se texas for two years now. also no wild blackberries or wild grapes. drought for the last two years and looks like we are heading for a third straight year of drought. no rain in se texas for all of january so far. way behind on normal rainfall.

RayP(MI) · Jan 23, 2009

My trees didn't produce much this year either, here in central Michigan. I suspect they got caught by a late frost. Suspect that the critters around here find other food, as it is in abundance - corn, soys, etc. Turkeys have been covering the harvested cornfield across the road all winter> bet there"s no loose corn to be found come spring> come to think of it< the black walnuts didn"t produce much this year either!

tg in VA · Jan 23, 2009

We had a bumper crop of acorns in Southside VA this year.

MarkB_MI · Jan 23, 2009

We didn't have many acorns this year, either. Some years walking across our yard is like walking on ball bearings.

I know the deer and squirrels both eat acorns. If the light crop this year causes a few of them to move on down the road, that's fine with me.

Eric SEI · Jan 23, 2009

Our yard is carpeted with hickory nut hulls and nuts. Very few acorns though. The deer are trying for the apples that are still hanging on the Winesap tree.

Shortage of Acorns - effects on wildlife

Anonymous-0

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