White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting

Outdoors Allie • October 30, 2023
Hunting

I'm in the Pennsylvania hardwoods right now. One of the biggest food sources for deer here are acorns, and the acorns from white oaks and red oaks are not the same. There are a few different ways that you can tell red oaks from white oaks; their leaves, the acorns they produce, and their bark.

Leaves

Let's start by identifying the leaves because that is the easiest of the three. White oak leaves have rounded lobes while red oak leaves have pointed lobes with a needle or bristle at the end.

Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
White Oak Leaf is Rounded
Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
Red Oak Leaf is Pointy

Acorns

Acorns from white oaks are longer in length, but smaller in diameter, whereas red oak acorns are the exact opposite. They're shorter in length, but larger in diameter.

Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
Red Oak is Wider, White Oak Acorn is Longer

Bark

Identifying white oaks and red oaks by bark is a little more complicated. It varies based on a lot of things like soil types, the maturity of the tree and so on. Generally speaking, red oaks have smoother and darker colored bark while white oaks have deeper grooved bark with a lighter gray color.

Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
Red Oak Bark is Smoother and Darker
Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
White Oak Bark is Lighter and Groovier

Taste

White oak acorns have lower tannic acid levels, which provide them with a sweeter flavor over red oak acorns. Red oak acorns, on the other hand, have higher tannic acid levels, which make them a little more bitter. Deer prefer the acorns from a white oak tree over a red oak tree.

Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
White Oak Acorns Taste Better
Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
Red Oak Acorns Last Longer

Timing

The white oaks will begin dropping their acorns in mid to late August through September, depending on where you are regionally. By mid-winter, all of the acorns are either rotten or have started germinating. Red oak acorns start falling a little bit after white oaks, and they last a lot longer than the white oaks. So, the red oak acorns are a better food source for deer late in the season.

Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
Hunt White Oaks Early Season
Hunt Red Oaks in Winter
Hunt Red Oaks Late Season

Understanding the differences between white oaks and red oaks can help you strategize your hunts based on the time of year. If you're hunting the late season, for example, it's a good idea to focus on finding red oak trees because you'll know that there's a late season food source for the deer. And early on in the season, you want to focus on those white oak trees because we know that the deer love the sweet taste of those white oak acorns.

Image relating to White Oak vs Red Oak Trees for Deer Hunting
White Oak in Fall

--Outdoors Allie

Latest Stories

  1. Mushroom Foraging for Beginners

  2. Grit Workhorse Hunting Saddle Review

  3. Saltwater Fishing for Beginners

Outdoors Allie

Allie was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was drawn to the outdoors as a young girl. She grew up horseback riding, camping and fishing with her family, and playing sports. During her college years at the University of Pittsburgh, she discovered hunting through her then boyfriend, now husband, Nick. She started documenting and sharing her outdoor adventures on social media in 2015 through “Outdoors Allie” as a way to connect with like-minded folks; those who hunt for their food, care deeply for wildlife, public land conservation, and enjoy sharing a cold one around a campfire. Her go-to cocktail is a spicy margarita from scratch and her guilty pleasure is eating raw cookie dough. As a kid she swore she'd have a dog of her own, and now she can proudly say she does.

Read More