Identify these oaks?

[Liquid Amber]

Not a lot of choices and photos can distort features.

Those photos bring back memories.  I spent 13 years on and off working the woods in that part of the country beginning in 1973.  I'm going to email these photos some friends still managing timber in that area.  Might be they can provide their thoughts.  I still have a pretty good network in that part of Georgia.

[Ray Hammond]

Trust LA- if he says it's this or that, my money is on him. The man knows his trees!  

[Richie Nell]

I live in Mobile...right in the middle of Live, sand live, laurel, bluejack, turkey, blackjack, post, sand post, running, water, red, some white, etc. Chapman and Myrtle is on the beach a few miles away in the maritime habitats.  Willow is not. It is in rich bottomland soils along with Diamond Leaf oak (a bottomland laurel oak). Laurel oak is a definite upland oak found nowhere near moist soils.  I currently have the state champion Sand Live Oak. It is Mobile.  It is only a few inches in circumference from being national champion.  Also have the Mississippi state champion turkey oak.  
That Chapman, Myrtle, Running oak community is some of the coolest oak habitat around, IMO....aside from the swamp chestnut, white oak transition areas. That gets reeaalll deery.

[Liquid Amber]

For sure, some cool places.

[alligatordond]

It's called " lowbush " here.Found near chapman oaks and live oak scrub. Hunt it early as they will draw deer. Good luck

[Liquid Amber]

Identifying trees by their leaves can be interesting when one just plucks a stem or branch and asks, "What is it?"

For example, this branch is one I picked today while visiting a harvesting job.  It's from a common oak that most would recognize if they were standing next to it.  I wonder how many of us might encounter some problem getting it right from this photo?  Then again, it might only look difficult to me.    

 

[Richie Nell]

LA..you are exactly right about that.  It is difficult without seeing all characteristics of the tree.
I guess water oak.

[Ray Hammond]

Richie,
I have swamp chestnut (we call em turkey-chokers) and white oak transition on the pig/deer/turkey land I hunt on the Savannah River in SC.

Awesome for whitetails and hogs.

[Richie Nell]

Ray...that turkey choker transition area next to a 5 year old cutover or pine plantation is MONEY for big and small wildlife.

[Liquid Amber]

It's a southern red oak from the understory along a road edge.  Normal leaves are on the upper half of the tree, which is only 6 foot or so.  I just used it as an example, not to trick anyone.  One can get into some heated debates "picken'" leaves.  

Ray, I'll be upriver from you the second week of November.

My son-in-law in one of my favorite stands guarding a group of "cow" oaks.  He's in a lock-on in the triple trunks on the right.  When they are dropping, its a parade of deer and hogs.

 

This is the first deer in the first evening I put him in this stand last fall.

 

In Maurice's old stompin' grounds in north Georgia you find these four species all in the same area; swamp chestnut oak, chestnut oak, white oak, swamp white oak.  Talk about confusing.  

[Richie Nell]

Swamp chestnut and chestnut oak in the same spot is very odd.  Chestnut is usually in the rocks on tops of mountains.  I don't know if I have ever seen a real swamp white oak.  
I used to work in Tensas Parish.  Are you close to that area?

[Liquid Amber]

North Georgia is an area where the ranges of these four species meet and mingle.  Unusual.  

I live in Ruston, 30 miles west of Monroe...hour and half from the Refuge.

[Richie Nell]

North Georgia is in the top three places I love to be.  Just last night I was looking on the net at a house in Sautee close to Helen.  Man that is nice.

[Liquid Amber]

If you are looking to rent a secluded, really nice cabin with a private section of trout water 30 yards from the front porch, just contact me and I'll provide the address.  Flies only, barbless, catch and release.  

It is stocked annually but has carry over fish.  My wife and I have it for three days the third week in October.  This is our third trip and shortest stay but I have to give her two days in Tennessee this trip....compromise.     I likely will have a day trip planned out of Pigeon Forge while she does here thing.  

It is near Ellijay on Mountaintown Creek which empties into the Coosawattee, the same river Maurice and Will Thompson lived on near Calhoun.

[Richie Nell]

That sounds real nice.  I love those North GA mtns and the Pigeon Forge area as well.  We stayed in Seviervills last spring.  I am still tasting pancakes.  Holy smokes we ate alot of those dudes.  When the economy turns maybe I can go back.

[randy grider]

Whatevevr they are, i'm thinking "Deer Magnet !"