Oak Tree ID Help...

[Fish Finder]

So the are endless types of oak trees. Here on the east coast we have so many but so many look the same!

When scouting pre season (summer) what should you look for in tree looks, leaf looks, size/shape/look of acorns even though they aren't on the ground?

One spot I hunt is loaded with LARGE yellowish acorns. I think they are beech nuts? The deer could care less about them.

During the season I see medium (red?) nuts and small (white) nuts...but never know what trees they come from bc the all look the same lol.

So legend old woodsmen help me out. What am I looking for when searching for these food sources?

[don s]

beech nuts don't look like acorns. they are encased in a spiney triangular shaped burr. i would get myself a copy of "national audubon society field guide to trees eastern region" its an invaluable book. then you will know what trees you are looking for/at. i believe deer prefer white oak acorns over red oak acorns and they also eat beech nuts. turkeys also eat beech nuts. don

[ronp]

A quick way to tell red oak from white oak:
Leaves from white oaks have rounded lobes.  Leaves from red oaks have pointed lobes.

[Fish Finder]

OK than these are not beech nuts...they are an acorn of some sort but not red or white.  They are massive things because i got a welt last year on my head from them falling on me.

Edit:  Someone also told me they may be chestnut oaks

[LEWIS VADEN]

If it is the same as we have in Texas it is a burr oak.

[Bow man]

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-701-s&va=white+oak+tree

Here are some pictures of White oak leaves and Bark

[LimBender]

It is pretty easy to tell red and white oak apart, but distinguishing red oaks is sometimes hard, and they can hybradize (willow, pin, blackjack, water).  Don't know if you have cherrybark or nuthall oaks there, but those can be late season producers and make big acorns (like white oaks).  Look at the ends of tree branches with binoculars for acorns - some years have a pretty poor acorn harvest.

[bolong]

May be what we call cow oak here. Usally found in bottomland. They are bigger than a white oak with a big fuzzy cap.

[NoCams]

dons and ronp have given you some great advice on the book and round versus pointy lobes. Any rounded lobe leave acorn is the white oak family and can produce acorns EVERY year. Red oaks flower one year and have acorns the next so if you are wearing deer out under some red oaks don't count on those acorns next season, gotta wait another year. Deer normally prefer white oaks over reds.

[moose eye levi]

White man used bullets bullets are round as are white oaks, Red man used arrows arrows are pointy as are red oaks.This is reffering to the leaves. Simple and very general way of identifying oaks, 9 different types here in ohio.
White oaks also produce twice as many acorns as red oaks.

[Fish Finder]

Wow guys thanks for the info! Ill be hitting the woods sunday from sun up to un down covering a lot of miles! Ill try to get some pictures hah.

[Gatekeeper]

Use your computer to lookup the images of the trees you're interested in. You can see the tree's shape their leaves, their bark and the nut or fruit that they produce right now. You have a whole library at your fingertips.

[Pat B]

The large acorns are probably from chesnut oaks, one of the white oaks.  Deer generally don't like chesnut oaks in my experience. I've seen thousands of them on the ground untouched by anything but worms.
 There are 2 main varieties of oaks, red and white(red oaks have pointed lobes and white oaks have rounded lobes) and many sub-varieties in each.
 Where I hunt in GA we have lots of different oaks. The deer prefer the white oaks most of all but they usually drop later than the water oaks and red oaks so we hunt the water oaks first, then the reds, then the whites.
 The Audubon Field Guide to Eastern Trees is an excellent reference and is made to carry in the field. It will give you pics of bark, leaves(in different seasons), flowers and fruit(nuts included) and very good identification text.

[Fish Finder]

Pat B thats my same experience.  I started researching some online manuals and ID'ed them as Chestnut Oaks because tghey love ridges and it described my hunting area to the T.

And yes the deer and bear do not care about them which stinks because their are so many!  Next time I place an online order I will order that book thanks for ther input from everyone.  

Many have said to find the "hot" tree and I never understood that until the last few years and have really started to put it together.

[Cherokee Scout]

I can not think of the name of the yellow acorn oaks. But I do know that the deer here in Alabama will not eat them.

[Killdeer]

Chestnut oak acorns are bright and yellowish when they fall from the tree. They turn darker with age.

Killdeer

[Trad-Man]

it is sometimes easier to watch what oaks the squirrels are interested in...you can bet every other critter that will eat an acorn will be interested in them as well.

[beetlebailey1977]

Chestnut oaks are not preferred but Swamp chestnut oaks are very preferred.  One big problem is oaks hibridize a lot.

[Gen273]

It sounds like a Chesnut Oak to me.

[Fish Finder]

Thanks for all the input guys and gals.  Ill do some scouting and see what I can find.  I have noticed squirrels and other critters congregate under one tree over another so that would make alot of sense.