Look for Oak Trees While You're Hunting

Many trees that adorn the landscape provide food for a wide variety of wildlife. Of the many nut producing trees, the oaks are the most important of all. Acorns consist of about a third of the wild turkey diet, and squirrel and deer rely on these acorn producers for food throughout the winter and early spring months.

Knowing what type of nut an oak tree provides can often point you in the direction of your quarry. Many deer prefer the sweet taste of the white oak and bur oak trees to all others and can often be found congregating under them in the colder months of the year. The oaks are classified into two groups with distinct characteristics. Red oaks have sharp, pointed leaves and produce a bitter, high tannin acorn while white oaks have a round lobed leaf and a sweet acorn.

In a hardwood forest, diversity is key to sustaining wildlife. Some trees won't produce enough one year forcing animals to resort to less desirable types of oaks. Scarlet oaks, red oaks, and trees like beeches play an important role in the cycle of woodland nut crops. White oaks produce some of the largest acorns of all the oaks and can sometimes grow to a height of close to a hundred feet.

Of all the white oaks, the bur oak produces the largest acorn of all and can often be found on the edges of clearings where there is sufficient light. This tree can be identified by it's fringed and hairy cup and cork-like ridges found on the stem. The leaves are somewhat glossy with deeply rounded lobes that almost meet the middle of the vain. As with all oaks, the leaves on the lower branches can differ greatly from the higher branches. Keep this in mind when trying to identify the many species of oaks. This white oak can grow from fifty to eighty feet tall and can be distinguished from other white oaks by the "girdled" characteristic of the leaves.

The white oak tree shares it's name with a large classification of oaks. The white oak, or Quercus alba, has been used for centuries for a number of things and is considered an all-purpose wood. This tree can be identified by it's deeply rounded lobes of it's leaves. The acorns are elongated with smooth scales that are raised and "warty" in appearance. The top portions of the tree will often have gray, flaky bark that is brittle and breaks off easily. The white oak is the most important oak of the region and can sometimes grow very tall. A white oak in Maryland grew to 96 feet tall with a spread of 119 feet across.

Another common species of white oak is the chinkapin. This oak can be confused with the chestnut oak for it's similarities in the leaves, but the chestnut oak has hard and furrowed bark while the chinkapin has the characteristic white oaks flaky bark. The leaves are rounded with shallow, rounded lobes. The acorns are long and egg shaped with the cup of the acorn having hairy and pointed grayish-brown scales. The chestnut oak can be identified by their dark, football shaped acorns and gray, furrowed, and hard bark. The acorn cups often resemble a pipe for smoking.

In my opinion, the most majestic white oak of all would be the swamp white oak. Reaching a height of 60-70 feet, this tree has a large, open crown with lower branches that often droop. The leaves are green and smooth on the top and whitish and hairy on the bottom. The shape of the leaves look similar to the chestnut or chinkapin but elongated. Acorns are similar to white oak acorns but are distinguishable from others by the long stem attached to the acorn cup. Swamp whites, as the name implies, grow well along stream banks and rivers, as well as lowland areas.

Another common white oak is a post oak. Sometimes called a turkey oak, this tree would be called an occasional variety. Post oaks grow well in a dry environment such as the top of a ridge. The leaves are deeply lobed and vary greatly. They are usually fatter around the mid-section of the leaf and can appear to be amoeba-like. When identifying this species, take into consideration the trees location.

The non-lobed leaves of the shingle oak can sometimes confuse the beginning identifier. Shingle oaks are common in the north and have rounded leaves with no lobes. They grow on moist slopes and will often have a striped acorn. The bark is similar to the red oak and is hard and dark.

The red oak, or Quercus rubra L. also shares it's name with the group it's classified in. The red oak will often have a striped and fissured bark on mature trees and will often be a very clean tree that is lacking dead branches. Acorns of the red oak are flat and beret shaped with a large portion of the nut being visible. The leaves, as with all red oaks, are pointed and also have the outline of a flame.

The scarlet oak has deeply lobed and sharp leaves. The bark is similar to the red but cankered and swollen in appearance. Acorn caps will cover about half the nut and the acorn will sometimes show concentric rings on the bottom. This tree can grow to 80 feet tall and is often planted as a shade tree.

Another hard to distinguish red oak is the black oak. The leaves of the black oak are similar to the red oak but blockier in the lobes. The acorns have a shingled cup of scales that protrude downward. Black oaks are unmistakable by the yellow-orange inner bark. The bark is dark and has a dirty feel to it.

Similar to the scarlet oak, the pin oak can be distinguished by the sharp, pin like lobes of the leaves, and the sharp, stubby protrusions present along the limbs. Acorns of the pin oak are often if not always striped. This striped feature is present in more of the pin oaks than any other oak. Pin oaks are tolerant of wet conditions and are often planted in the landscape.

According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, "60% of the trees on your property should be mast producing age (50+ years)." This is why it's important to know what species of oaks make up the diversity of the hardwoods you hunt in. Knowing the oaks should help you in decisions concerning management and hunting and hopefully teach you how to attract more wildlife to your hunting grounds.

Citations and Reference

Little, Elbert L. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, Eastern Region. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980.

Perine, William E. and Dennis Profant. Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of Southeastern Ohio. Winds of Time Productions, Athens, OH 1993.

Eastern Wild Turkey Habitat Management.http:www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat/landowners/infosheets/eastern_wild_turkey_habitat_management.html. Dec 5, 2007.