Aw, nuts! Food is scanty

LITTLE ROCK — Because of the late freeze last spring, there could be a shortage of food for wildlife this fall in the northern half of the state.

In a swath stretching roughly from Camden to Mississippi and north to the Missouri line, the late freeze eliminated this year's white oak acorn crop. It also froze most of the year's soft mast, such as persimmons, muscadines and wild plums.

Red oaks, which produce acorns every other year, seem to have a lot of acorns, but the lack of white oak acorns, hickory nuts and soft mast could affect the health and survival of deer, turkeys and squirrels this winter. Wildlife might concentrate near the few white oaks that did make a crop, however, and hunters who find such trees probably will find game.

For prospects around the state, here's a regional acorn summary:

OZARKS

White oak acorns and soft mast are virtually nonexistent in the mountains of northern and northwest Arkansas.

Benny Bowers, a wildlife technician for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, is based in the U.S. Forest Service Magazine Ranger District office. He said some white oaks in the highest elevations produced acorns, but they are scattered and isolated.

Northern red oaks produced few acorns, he added, but southern red oaks did well.

Post oak acorns and hickory nuts are also very scarce.

"Squirrels are eating black oaks [acorns] and pine cones right now," Bowers said. "I killed a limit of squirrels this morning, and that's what they were eating. I haven't found a shagbark hickory with anything on it, but maybe you can find some black hickories. We're hoping we don't get another late frost next year. It doesn't really hurt the red oaks, but ifit hits the white oaks again, it's going to hurt us."

Kirby Carlton, USFS timber sale administrator for the Piney Creeks Ranger District, described the acorn crop in his area as "pretty thin."

"We have a good red oak crop, but no white oaks and no post oaks," Carlton said.

"We have a few hickories, but they're pretty thin, too. If you hunt in the Big Piney District, go to the red oak trees. They're pretty much all we have."

Acorns are more plentiful on the ridgetops, he added.

NORTHEAST

The late freeze obliterated the white oak acorn crop on Crowley's Ridge, said Robert Zachary, northeast region wildlife supervisor for the AGFC. However, red oak acorns are plentiful.

"As you go north from Jonesboro, it depends on what hillside you're on," Zachary said. "Some exposures took a beating. We have a lot of red oak, but white oaks are scarce to nonexistent."

The heaviest concentrations of red oak nuts are in the creek bottoms, Zachary said. Nuttall oaks seem to have fared well, also, but the muscadine crop is thin.

"Dogwood mast seems to be OK most everywhere I've been," Zachary said. "I haven't seen a lot of persimmons in our area. They seem to have been hit pretty hard. There is some hickory, so the squirrels are working on that right now.

Where there's pines available, they're eating that, too."

Zachary described the flavor of a pine-fed squirrel as similar to turpentine.

"Sweet gum and bald cypress will give them that taste, too," he said.

OUACHITA MOUNTAINS

The story in the southern mountains is the same as in the Ozarks.

Donnie Harris, regional wildlife supervisor for the AGFC in Hot Springs, said there are places where whiteoaks produced acorns, but not many. The red oaks fared somewhat better.

"Generally speaking, white oak is going to be poor in the Ouachitas, and red oak is going to be fair," Harris said. "I went out and made a big round with my binoculars, several sites and elevations, and I didn't see a white oak acorn. I saw a few red oaks. Northern red oaks will have a fair mast crop, and hickory looks fair to me.

Muscadines are fair, at best, not nearly what we've seen the past few years."

SOUTHWEST

Mast is plentiful in the Hope area, said Brad Townsend, AGFC wildlife technician. This part of the state didn't get very cold, so the nut-bearing trees came through spring in fine shape.

"Acorns are good," Townsend said. "Most hickories and pecans are loaded up pretty good, from what I've seen. Persimmon trees are loaded up, and their branches are sagging way down. Muscadines are doing real good this year."

Because food is so plentiful, Townsend said squirrel hunting is good right now at Hope Upland and Lester Sitzes/Bois d'Arc WMAs. Sulphur River WMA isn't known for squirrel hunting, but Townsend said it's good right now. Fouke Monster hunting is about the same as always, he added.

SOUTHEAST

None of the oaks made a good crop near Monticello, but the hickories and pecans made an excellent crop, said Roger Milligan, Region III wildlife supervisor for the AGFC.

"Red oaks are only fair, at best, and white oaks are almost nonexistent," Milligan said.

"Hickory and pecan have done better than anything, but that's going to be limited primarily to the Arkansas River. If you can find pecan or hickory over there, you can do fairly well [hunting squirrels]."

Milligan said he's heard ofplaces where post oaks did well, too, and that deer hunters can improve their chances of success by targeting productive trees.

"A short acorn crop means deer have to move more, which means more will be seen and killed," Milligan said.

SOUTH-CENTRAL

Susan Gregory, private lands biologist in the AGFC's Camden office, said she expects a good mast crop in her region.

"We had quite a bit of damage, but I think it's all going to bounce back," Gregory said.

"It's looking good right now.

The frost hit us hard, but it's not going to damage the acorn crop as bad as we thought.

White oaks are looking good, and I think the deer are going to be real happy."

As a bonus, hickories and pecans are thriving, and the muscadine and persimmon crops are excellent. Gregory said squirrel hunters have reported good hunting at Poison Springs, Beryl Anthony/ Lower Ouachita and Big Timber WMAs.

EAST-CENTRAL

Mike Coker, regional wildlife supervisor at the AGFC's Brinkley office, said the acorn crop is bare in his part of the state.

"There seems to be a decent crop of overcup [acorns] on Dagmar WMA, and white oak seems to be fair," Coker said. "Nuttall is probably fair to good in places. It's scattered. Hickory made good in places, and some squirrel hunters have been having pretty good luck hunting hickories."

Coker said he's also noticed ample supplies of muscadines and persimmons. For squirrel hunting, try Dagmar and Wattensaw WMAs.

"I'm kind of surprised by our squirrel situation," he added. "I didn't get into many, but I killed a limit pretty quick. I found them cutting bitter pecans."