Mast and whitetails

[Vesty]

Where do hickory and beech nuts fall in food preference of deer? My acorns are thin this year but these other are heavy.

[Tony Z]

I've only seen deer eat them when there are no acorns in my neck of the woods. Two years ago I shot a buck the arrow clipped his paunch on the way through. When I dressed him he was loaded with beech nuts. There were very few acorns that year. I did hunt in Maryland about 10 years ago and saw deer munching beech and hickory nuts and there were plenty of acorns on the ground. TonyZ.

[vermonster13]

I took a doe in a beech grove last week.

[VictoryHunter]

If there are acorns they will eat them first.

[Roger Norris]

I believe acorns have a higher fat content, deer eat them first.