How to Hunt Feed Trees

The term “feed tree” gets thrown around a lot. Loosely, it refers to a specific mast-producing tree (typically acorns) that seems to attract the local deer herd like a magnet. While targeting feed trees can be a dynamite strategy for hunting deer, it’s not as simple as finding just any acorn-producing tree. Here are a few things to consider before striking out into the woods this October.

Depending on where you live, you’ll have to figure out which acorn trees drop first in your area. Where I live in South Mississippi, water oaks start dropping the first two weeks of September. Depending on that summer’s weather, white oaks typically follow suit by the time October rolls around, and you can find plenty of red oaks well into December.

In a perfect season, you can find a steady acorn crop through the first three months of the season. But that’s because different trees drop at different times. Think of it as a staggered dropping as opposed to all the trees dropping at exactly the same time. For this reason, you need to find the fresh feed sign if you’re trying to target deer under a specific feed tree, which isn’t that different from hunting other deer sign.

Don’t just find a tree that’s dropping acorns (though it should be). Even if you find one that’s raining, look for fresh tracks or where the leaves have recently been mashed or cut into the ground. Heavier deer can even poke holes in the leaves with the front of their hooves. You should probably see tiny bits of dirt scattered in the leaves, too. Look for acorn caps, munched-up acorns, and most importantly, fresh droppings. If you find a place that looks like the deer have hammered it, but the droppings are dry, move on. The deer have already ransacked that tree and moved to another one. If you do spot fresh feed sign from the past 24 hours, pick out a tree and hang a set.

Mobile hunting often gets overstated. However, it’s perfect for targeting feed trees. Trees don’t drop all season long. Some are only “hot” for a week or two. Because these windows are so short, you have to constantly scout your way into fresh sign. A feed tree might be hot one weekend and dry by the next. This is especially noteworthy for weekend warriors. You might find the jackpot one weekend, only to find it’s a ghost town the next. Don’t just plan on going back to that tree, get there early to see if it’s still in play. If not, you’ll still have plenty of time to scout another place.

For hunters who can hit the woods during the week or slip off after work, I’d hunt that tree until the sign and deer sightings said otherwise.

If you’re still trying to find a hot tree, plan to go in early and scout your way around until you find one. This is where tree saddles, climbing sticks, and ultralight hang-on stands earn their keep. Even if you find a hot tree several hours before dark, don’t hesitate to set up right away. I’ve seen deer traveling and feeding at all times of the day, especially hunting acorns near edges or bedding areas.

Other than finding one during that small window, there are a few other challenges to hunting feed trees. Anytime I specifically hunt a feed tree, I typically see multiple deer. This is great, until it comes time to draw your bow and you have six pairs of eyes to avoid. As long as you don’t sit in the wide open, you can remedy this conundrum with a good setup. For saddle hunting, you can hide behind the tree. Just make sure you have plenty of cover or height so you don’t get busted when you draw.

I’m all for hunting mornings (or whenever you can) in the early season. Though, I will admit that it gets tricky if you’re targeting a specific feed tree. You might not think of it as a destination food source, but that’s kind of how it operates. As such, you might want to consider hunting them in the evening if you’re worried about bumping deer off a feed tree as you walk in for a morning hunt. Of course, I’ve done this only to have deer come feed at that same tree just a few hours later.

Hunting feed trees requires constant scouting and familiarity with the landscape. It forces you to adapt almost every time you go to the woods, and that’s a valuable skill you’ll need all season long.