Nutritional Value of Acorns During Spring
Filed under: Ask Grant, Deer Biology, Habitat Management
My property is located in central Wisconsin. We receive approximately 1 – 2 feet of snow through a typical winter. The snow is typically covering the ground from December through March. Low temps fall below zero occasionally throughout a normal winter. What is the nutritional value of the acorns that I see on the ground in March/April compared to the same acorns that fell off of the oaks in August/September of the previous year? Does the snow and cold protect the nutritional value of the acorns or do the nutrients within the acorns deplete with time? Thanks in advance and keep up the great service that you are providing with GrowingDeer.tv. Craig
Thanks for the great website.
Craig,
I don’t know the answer to your question. I did a quick search and didn’t find any relevant information. White oak acorns often germinate during the fall, unless it gets cold very soon. If the acorns you found were cracked, etc., I doubt they have much nutritional value. Red Oak acorns usually remain whole much longer. It’s possible Red Oak acorns could maintain their nutritional value if they remain whole and dry. If they were positioned in water or the temperatures were warm enough that the moisture wasn’t frozen, it’s likely some mold or fungus would grow on them by spring.
Addressing your question from another point of view, I very rarely notice acorns in the stomach content of deer harvested for research this time of year. It would seem deer are not readily consuming acorns during the early spring.
If you learn differently, please let me know.
Growing Deer together,
Grant
