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October 18, 2005
GOOD NEWS FOR OHIO WILDLIFE! ACORN PRODUCTION IS HIGH THIS YEAR
Ohio involved in multi-state study of acorns’ relationship to wildlife reproduction, harvest rates
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| Wildlife prefer white oak acorns (pictured above). |
COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio’s bumper crop of acorns this fall will provide a vital food source for more than 150 forest wildlife species, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
“Acorns and other types of nuts are more abundant this year than anytime in recent memory. People are telling us that this is the best acorn crop they’ve seen in years,” said Mike Reynolds, forest wildlife biologist with the Division of Wildlife.
A significant acorn crop leads to healthy wildlife populations as acorns are high in energy and fat and are critical food resources for many animals during the winter.
The Division of Wildlife is currently participating in a multi-state, on-going research project to estimate regional acorn production throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic states. Wildlife biologists hope to use the acorn production information gathered in the study to forecast wildlife harvest and reproductive success rates on both a local and regional basis.
Acorn production is cyclical, with some trees producing acorns nearly every year, while others rarely ever produce. This year, Division of Wildlife employees scanned the canopies of selected oak trees on 38 wildlife areas in the state to determine the percentage of trees that produced acorns and the relative size of the acorn crop. Results varied regionally, but both white oak and red oak trees produced acorns throughout Ohio this year. The highest production was found in the southern half of the state.
“Wildlife prefer white oak acorns, because red oak acorns are bitter in taste due to their high amount of tannin,” said Reynolds.
An abundance of this mast crop, the term used for such wildlife food, can affect hunting and hunter’s plans as well. Hunters can expect to find deer, wild turkeys and squirrels feeding on the abundant and large acorns of chestnut oaks this fall. Chestnut oaks are common on ridge tops, as well as south and west-facing slopes. However, an abundant food source can also make hunting more difficult because deer and turkeys will be spread out and less concentrated around farm fields as a result.
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