The ground around here looks like this when you venture beneath the drip ring of our oaks. These are laurel oak acorns, but the others are spewing forth progeny also. They make walking barefoot a challenge and I have been beaned by one or two from above.
Last year's mastfall was light, so I was expecting a good one this season. Oaks seem to alternate their nut production, like pecans do ... but that could just be my perception.
The squirrels and deer are pretty happy about it.
My hunter pals are not, as the deer and feral hogs are avoiding their feeders and feed plots in favor of a forest full of acorns.
16 comments:
Horses love them too. My vet says she is seeing an increase in colic and founder (lameness)because they are so plentiful. They are very rich and an abundance is not good for the horses. Wish I had some deer to eat all mine up. Instead, I am spreading manure around the drip lines and under the trees to make them less appetizing.
Yeah, I am finding it hard to walk barefoot beneath the oaks now, too...And they keep dropping those durned things in my glass of tea as I sit underneath them.
Wow, I'd better bring a hard hat this weekend then!
Oh and in answer to your question yesterday: Yep, that SNL, and Living Color (Fire Marshal Bill).
Of course I'm reformed now though. It's pretty much Disc, Hist, Scifi, and an occasional Animal Planet!
I remember running out to get the paper in the morning and stepping on them. ouch!
By the way, you've been tagged, but only if you want to be! I know the meme is huge and our time is short! So, no hard feelings if you choose not to do it!
that's a lot of acorns!
my husband started his latest tree farm in the kitchen. a couple of laurels have sprouted. he's waiting on several acorns.
So do you think that you'll have a heavy tick season in two years?
Studies up North have shown high correlation between mast production, small mammal populations and the tick populations. High mast leads to high mammal litters the next year, with lots of yummy critters for the ticks to feed on the following year.
I'm cheering for the Antler Army and the Bush Squad!LOL
Not much in the way of acorns around my house so far this year. But the deer have found some tasty rose bushes and some other nice ornamentals to munch on.
I know what it feels like to walk barefoot on those! Youch.
Cathy S,
I never considered that horses might eat them. Manure would keep me away.
HT,
They make a lot of noise when they hit the roof too!
Dave,
Cold this weekend, be ready.
But it's a "dry" cold.
Laura,
Uh oh ... not easy to decline a meme from the queen of the Vitaminsea.
Hmmmm ...
Kathy A,
Johnny Oakseed!
Good for him ... I actually planted 6 hickory nuts yesterday.
David,
Well, that makes good sense to me. I had not considered that connection.
Mockinbird,
If they stay around here, they'll be fine.
Mark,
Here too, they ate my heirloom cosmos down over and over again.
Sharon,
Kind of hard to avoid them these days. I guess I'll have to give in and wear shoes :)
drip lines? mast fall? Did I miss something in high school? Can I get the salad dressing recipe sometime? That was good stuff!
Mel,
Search this blog for Selmo's Salad dressing, I posted it a while ago.
That was some good chow.
Good campfire tale too.
:)
They look a lot like Water Oak acorns... are they about the same size? Are they orange inside? Have you tried eating them???
I have boiled and eaten Red and White Oak acorns but to tell you the truth they were not that tasty. Never could get all the tannins out of the Red Oak ones either!
Rurality,
They do look similar, but these are under a laurel oak and the nearest water oak is 50 feet away.
I have not tried to eat acorns since biting into one as a kid ... fresh, not leached of tannin.
blechchhhh!
I need to break open a laurel oak acorn for a color check.
Ours may be orange and blue inside.
;)
I've never seen so many acorns in our yard in 33 years (we are in north Fla) Me thinks a cold winter is coming! Or is that what they say?
Stacey,
I hope so, I love the winter!
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