I can't speak for everywhere, but in this region deer will never favor a red over a white. If there are whites dropping that's what they are eating. I can't imagine it would be different anywhere else. Sometimes the reds drop longer/later into the season and become a serious player once they have mopped up the whites, so keep that in mind, and don't leave out the beechnuts if you have them in your area. As far as locations just keep putting in the foot work. While its good to be on a ridge full of whites, give me a few whites that are isolated (and dropping) and that's a sure bet.

 

I read the the red oaks have more tannins. Think of dry red wine. That makes them more bitter and dry tasting than the white oaks in the early fall. At some point in November or December the reds start getting more palatable.

 

Get the binoculars out and start looking for acorns in white oaks. White oaks don't produce every year so you have to see the acorns to know if it is worth noting a specific white oak. It also appears that deer like some white oak trees better than others. So find a tree with deer dropping under it and you are golden while the tree is dropping. If you have good hearing you can listen for a dropping white oak and save a little walking.

Once you find good trees mark them with a gps so you can do a quick check in coming years.

 

walk during the season scout the white acorns find lots of deer droppings hang stand

 

The properties I hunt have tons of oak trees (both red and white) and acorns are everywhere! There's no way in heck I can narrow down a good acorn spot. LOL!

 

Yes there is. Follow the sign back towards possible bedding area and hunt just outside the bed.

 

Nothing beats observation

 

This is just from my experience in a place I hunt. A stand of oaks are on the north side of the hill, and the terrain is steep like yours. Buck rubs are all over in the oaks, but I only see doe and small bucks there once the bucks go nocturnal. The bucks weren't making a rub line along the ridge, although that's how it looked. The bigger bucks were coming over the hill from the south side right at dark, too dark by the time they were descending down the north side, and they were rubbing on the same ledge/trail as they crossed it in different places.
I would look on the top of the hill, and in the cedars on the south side for scrapes and bedding areas. They like to bed in cedar and will travel through the steepest/rockiest terrain imaginable. They also prefer bedding in the sun on the south side when it gets colder. You want to get as close to the bedding area as possible, along a route to the oaks.

 

25ft-up, I think you are right on. On the South side it is all cedars. Most of the deer I have seen are coming from or going to the South side and not paralleling the ridge. Below me on the North side is ~5 acres of small oaks and cedars too thick to walk through. I figured the thicket below(North) was the bedding area. Two of the rubs were on 1" oak saplings facing as if he was going uphill toward the South side, The other rub was on a 1" cedar sideways to the ridge. It is all white oaks in this spot and I thought that was the reason I saw so many deer but I'm starting to think they use that spot like a saddle though the ridge line is flat and not a saddle.

 

I have or use to have, a hot spot on a north facing hillside full of white oaks. Once to rut started bucks would come from miles to the area looking for a hot doe. It was right above some homes, didnt bother the bucks at all. Im gonna miss that spot this year. I found another spot on the same side about a mile up the road that is full of sign, its tough to get to, straight up but Im gonna give it a go this year. I have a good feeling about the area. Its thick and full of white oaks, I just dread that hike. Its not the climb that bothers me. No matter what I do, I sweat like crazy. So I guess Ill be hiking up that mountain in my underwear and dress when I get there. That should help a little...

 

The only thing I have found with Google for high acorn output related to growing conditions is that oaks need maximum light. You know, TSI and letting the crown get maximum light. So that somewhat confirms that the South side and ridge tops have the most potential. Now I need to think about where I have seen big white oaks in isolated areas. So far I can think of only one place and it is West facing. Need to check that out.

 

I think scouting in spring is best choice(learn to recognize oaks by their bark), scouting earlier in September will be 2nd choice, or scout now but risk altering their pattern, if you get a topo map and circle the ridge tops south facing it might narrow your search some. Here white oaks are lower and were usually planted on fence rows dividing properties. Swamp white grow real low near wet. Red oaks grow higher on the ridge up to the top. Our white oaks dropped heavy in September here not coinciding with our season, but the deer are already on red oak acorns. If you got a rub line with scrapes now on your oak ridge just hunt that on the right day right wind coming up here late October/early November and that big buck will likely show himself in daylight...it might even be at noon. You could also try rattling if you feel like you have a good buck to doe ratio. Good luck

 

All good advise but if it were me I would walk the acreage with a map during the spring and just look for oaks. Very easy to tell what kind they are by looking at the leaves, Also like a someone else said beech trees are a good bet also. The bonus to doing it this way is you can get a good feel for anything else in the area that might help out in the fall. Mark up that map. Not a bad idea to get out there after the season when no foliage is present to get a feel for the land.

 

Good info, I've got the same problem you have but the woods on my lease are loaded with acorns this year. Heck you can't hardly walk for the acorns on the ground. I will be hunting the first 2 weeks of November, going to hunt the same saddles that I normally hunt and hope to catch a nice buck traveling through. GL

 

walk in off season