Coralberry or “buck brush” is a great source of food for deer. The name should give it away but the thicket it creates along with the nutrition it provides makes it a favorite among deer hunters in the region. I’m not sure if buckbrush is more important as a food or cover during certain times of year, but in the areas around the reservoirs in Texas it is thick and is one of the places that some of the biggest bucks come from.
Last but definitely not least are the mast crops, particularly acorns. They are a rich source of protein and carbohydrates for deer and when they begin falling, deer will flock to these spots and ignore other food sources. I have personally experienced having corn piling up under my feeder while deer were feeding less than 50 yards away under a big red oak. Deer know that the corn is going to be there because hunters always feed it, but acorn sources are fleeting and they must get it while they can.
In terms of which kinds of mast crops are best to hunt over, that is going to depend on your location. Red oaks are the hot tickets in some areas while white oaks are like drugs for deer in others. Still others prefer pecans and various kinds of other nuts. This will take some scouting to determine.
Deer may get the urge to procreate this month and have hundreds of pounds of corn at their disposal but if they can get their mouths on a nice white oak acorn, they usually cannot resist.
Wise bowhunters will be ready.
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