My neighbor's oak trees have dropped bushels of acorns on my side of the fence. Maybe in late October to mid-November, I'll gather them, prior to the trip to OK, to supplement the corn and protein offerings I have for the McIntosh County deer.
That actually works. My buddy's daughter went to OU a couple years ago. When I got volunteered to help her move, the front of the sorority was covered in white oak acorns. We gathered up all we could and put them out. The deer loved them. One of their primary foods in woods where they grow.
What kind of oaks in your area? We have burr oaks at the home. The deer will eat them after a car drives over them and smashes them. Otherwise they are left uneaten in the yard. Kind of bitter. I've tried them.
White Oak, sawtooth, post oak, blackjack they gobble them up.
I gather up apples, pears peaches. The big bucks go nuts for fruit, ^^^ acorns , pecans , are also good. There is a seasonal flow of food deer are used to. I know plenty of reasons why water at a stand is a good idea. Why do you think restaurants like McDonald's have self service drinks. Deer like them sometimes but may not always use them. Our pond may not show many tracks but I have seen deer in the pond before just like cattle.
I"ve done that too. Gathered up apples, and peaches from our trees before they died.
Spread them out in Grant county where none of that grows, and the deer ignored them for the most part. They didn't know what they were. After weeks of spreading out buckets of apples they would kind of take to them, but most would rot without being eaten.
We have seen deer like cattle standing in the pond mid summer to cool off, but the absence of a major trail of tracks leads me to believe they are just cooling off.
50' away from the pond there is a trail beaten into the ground to the feeder that is visited by a dozen or so deer. There is no beaten side track to the pond, just random tracks.
This is in NW Oklahoma where it's very dry. Perhaps your experience is different than mine?
Own and been hunting this property for close to 50 years now so, pretty sure my observations are pretty consistent especially when I have cameras everywhere.
I'm not doubting your experience for the record. They are wild animals and have to survive on what they are offered.
I have noticed just by observing and I call it a hunch. Deer in different parts of the state have different tastes, maybe requirements. I'm guessing the soil is partially to blame. Maybe different amounts of trace minerals in soil or water provide different nutritional needs. The meat of animals say killed out west to me will have a different taste, smell or color than say a deer killed in South East oklahoma. The same thing you use in Woodward let's say may not work as good or be as attractive in the eastern half of the state. I don't discount your 50 years of what works best for you. I bet if you filled a water tank on of the 275 gallon plastic totes, buried a water tank nearby a food source/feeder. You might find keeping it full of water would increase deer at a particular place than one without water. It may not but we have seen good results with water. I know some guys swear by bran. It's never worked for me. I tried molasses. Nada. Mixed them together and still nothing. I try some stuff that works most is all about getting your hard earned $$$$.
I'm not sure about species of native oaks in the AZ woods. Based on pictures provided by a large landscaping nursery, I'm betting the oaks showering me with acorns are Monterrey Oak AKA Mexican White Oak, which are native to south Texas.
$10/50 lbs at local feedstore. 13% all stock will work in spinner feeders. $10.50/50 lbs. Bulk I can get 350 lbs for $60 and deer eat it.
I’ve never tried sweet feed, but more than likely it’s going to harden up/clump up in your feeder.
The all stock has a tendency to cake up too if ANY moisture gets in the feeder. It's double the protein of corn but definitely has some drawbacks.
