# 2021 mast report



## chrislibby88 (Jul 7, 2021)

Figured I would get us a current thread started for hard and soft mass.


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 7, 2021)

Hiked Blood Mnt with the family this past weekend. I didn’t look hard at the acorns, no binos, but huckleberries are loaded at 4000+ ft, they thin out lower down.


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## trad bow (Jul 7, 2021)

@gobbleinwoods and I saw a lot of blackberries on Chattahoochee WMA. No bear sign around them but the berries were starting to turn in most locations.


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 7, 2021)

trad bow said:


> @gobbleinwoods and I saw a lot of blackberries on Chattahoochee WMA. No bear sign around them but the berries were starting to turn in most locations.


There were a bunch going up blood mountain, still red.


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## ddd-shooter (Jul 17, 2021)

Today below 3000 I looked at a few oaks. Lots of aborted whites. Nothing to get me excited on whites or reds. 
Did not have binos, just naked eye looking up. I would not make too much of my early reports, lol


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## Professor (Jul 17, 2021)

ddd-shooter said:


> Today below 3000 I looked at a few oaks. Lots of aborted whites. Nothing to get me excited on whites or reds.
> Did not have binos, just naked eye looking up. I would not make too much of my early reports, lol


What does an aborted acorn look like?


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 17, 2021)

Professor said:


> What does an aborted acorn look like?


Tiny, all cup, no meat. Basically an immature/undeveloped acorn. Like last year. If the tree is too stressed it will divert nutrients from the acorn and they stop growing and usually drop early.


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## jbogg (Jul 17, 2021)

ddd-shooter said:


> Today below 3000 I looked at a few oaks. Lots of aborted whites. Nothing to get me excited on whites or reds.
> Did not have binos, just naked eye looking up. I would not make too much of my early reports, lol


 
Yep.  Lots of whites aborted this week, but the ones remaining seem to be growing.  A month from now should give a more complete picture.   It ain’t over till it’s over.


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## Professor (Jul 17, 2021)

chrislibby88 said:


> Tiny, all cup, no meat. Basically an immature/undeveloped acorn. Like last year. If the tree is too stressed it will divert nutrients from the acorn and they stop growing and usually drop early.


do the aborted acorns drop early or stay on the tree till fall?


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## jbogg (Jul 17, 2021)

Professor said:


> do the aborted acorns drop early or stay on the tree till fall?



I’ve got tiny BB sized aborted whites all over my driveway after the last storm, but the tree is still loaded with plenty of healthy looking acorns in the crown.


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 17, 2021)

I’m still hopeful about a good white crop this year. I’m pretty sure there are always aborted acorns. (I’m pretty sure)They over produce and abort the ones they don’t have the resources to finish developing. I think the bad years are from poor pollination on top of weather stress that causes whatever acorns that were pollinated to terminate early.


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## ddd-shooter (Jul 17, 2021)

Yes, a long way to go still and I didn't cover much ground, maybe a mile or so. 
Anybody seeing any reds?


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 18, 2021)

ddd-shooter said:


> Yes, a long way to go still and I didn't cover much ground, maybe a mile or so.
> Anybody seeing any reds?


There were some half mature ones on the top of blood mountain a few weeks ago. They take two years to mature, and Im guessing there will only be a few trees dropping this year after the heavy red crop last season. Seemed like every red in N GA dropped last season.  Mountain oaks are pretty dependable year to year though.


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## jbogg (Jul 18, 2021)

chrislibby88 said:


> There were some half mature ones on the top of blood mountain a few weeks ago. They take two years to mature, and Im guessing there will only be a few trees dropping this year after the heavy red crop last season. Seemed like every red in N GA dropped last season.  Mountain oaks are pretty dependable year to year though.



There was an interesting Bear Grease Podcast a few weeks ago that touched on acorn production. The professor said that while red oaks do require two years for the acorn to mature before dropping, that in any given summer one tree may have two seasons worth of acorns growing at the same time. I am seeing many more reds than whites this year which is surprising after the bumper crop last year. The photo is of a red oak that had blown over in a storm a few weeks ago, and the crown of the tree was loaded.


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## Raylander (Jul 18, 2021)

It appears that pollination was successful in the areas I frequent. I could see some a little larger up in the crowns. Purdy sure they’re will be whites worth hunting this year. So long as the storms don’t trash the trees..


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## jbogg (Jul 18, 2021)

Raylander said:


> View attachment 1091518
> 
> It appears that pollination was successful in the areas I frequent. I could see some a little larger up in the crowns. Purdy sure they’re will be whites worth hunting this year. So long as the storms don’t trash the trees..



That’s about what I have been seeing when it comes to whites. Can’t help but wonder if they should be a little further along. I have not seen any with the acorn growing out from underneath the Cap yet.  There’s still at least eight weeks of growing season left for those whites so time will tell.


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## Raylander (Jul 18, 2021)

jbogg said:


> That’s about what I have been seeing when it comes to whites. Can’t help but wonder if they should be a little further along. I have not seen any with the acorn growing out from underneath the Cap yet.  There’s still at least eight weeks of growing season left for those whites so time will tell.



I wondered the same thing. I feel like they should be a lil bigger by now. But it was a cool spring.. Maybe pollination was just a tad behind a ‘normal’ year… At any rate, the bear will tell on themselves here in about a month


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## Professor (Jul 18, 2021)

Raylander said:


> I wondered the same thing. I feel like they should be a lil bigger by now. But it was a cool spring.. Maybe pollination was just a tad behind a ‘normal’ year… At any rate, the bear will tell on themselves here in about a month





jbogg said:


> That’s about what I have been seeing when it comes to whites. Can’t help but wonder if they should be a little further along. I have not seen any with the acorn growing out from underneath the Cap yet.  There’s still at least eight weeks of growing season left for those whites so time will tell.


What elevation are you finding the good whites?


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 18, 2021)

jbogg said:


> There was an interesting Bear Grease Podcast a few weeks ago that touched on acorn production. The professor said that while red oaks do require two years for the acorn to mature before dropping, that in any given summer one tree may have two seasons worth of acorns growing at the same time. I am seeing many more reds than whites this year which is surprising after the bumper crop last year. The photo is of a red oak that had blown over in a storm a few weeks ago, and the crown of the tree was loaded.
> View attachment 1091592


Those don’t look like they will be ready this season, but who knows? They may hit a point where they put on a ton of grown over the next  month and a half.  
The sawtooths in the corner of the yard are at about this stage, all cap, no meat, but they will be the size of my my first thumb digit by late Sept.


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 18, 2021)

@jbogg heres some immature reds from 4000ft on blood mountain. They look a bit further along than the ones you found.


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## jbogg (Jul 18, 2021)

Professor said:


> What elevation are you finding the good whites?



I’m not finding a ton of them, but I have seen decent looking whites from below 2000’ up to 4000’.  They are still difficult to see even with binos.  Another month and it should be easier to tell.


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## CroMagnum (Jul 19, 2021)

chrislibby88 said:


> Hiked Blood Mnt with the family this past weekend. I didn’t look hard at the acorns, no binos, but huckleberries are loaded at 4000+ ft, they thin out lower down.


Just wanted to say, Chris, that you add alot of value to this forum and I, for one, appreciate it


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 19, 2021)

CroMagnum said:


> Just wanted to say, Chris, that you add alot of value to this forum and I, for one, appreciate it


Thanks man! Man I’m just here to learn and share what little bit I have learned and try to figure this whole thing out and hopefully leave some bread crumbs for others to follow.


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## Raylander (Jul 19, 2021)

Professor said:


> What elevation are you finding the good whites?



It spotty all over. I don’t know if they’re just so small I can’t see em or if they aren’t there.. Only time will tell


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 21, 2021)

Anyone looked at muscadines? They should be loaded with all this moisture this summer.


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## ddd-shooter (Jul 25, 2021)

Hit coopers this evening. Saw a nice bear-200+ 
Looked in a few strong white oaks with binos, didn't see any acorns to speak of. 
Idk.


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## CroMagnum (Jul 25, 2021)

ddd-shooter said:


> Hit coopers this evening. Saw a nice bear-200+
> Looked in a few strong white oaks with binos, didn't see any acorns to speak of.
> Idk.


I was out on ONF this afternoon and saw quite a few immature acorns on the ground, likely from the thunder storms. Things are looking promising


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## Buckman18 (Jul 25, 2021)

I was speck fishing on Lake Russell WMA this morning and slipped up the ridge and found a ton of bear sign. Most ive seen in a long time. I think I know where ill be hunting opening weekend with @Sautee Ridgerunner.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Jul 25, 2021)

Buckman18 said:


> I was speck fishing on Lake Russell WMA this morning and slipped up the ridge and found a ton of bear sign. Most ive seen in a long time. I think I know where ill be hunting opening weekend with @Sautee Ridgerunner.



Burning my quail spot too?


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## Buckman18 (Jul 25, 2021)

Sautee Ridgerunner said:


> Burning my quail spot too?



Lol!! "Quail."


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## Joe Brandon (Jul 31, 2021)

I have aborted acorns in my pool daily, already, a lot. The only other time this happened food was scarce and killing was high. Tons and tons of rain this month.


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## chrislibby88 (Jul 31, 2021)

There’s a handful of small acorns on the white behind the camper in Blairsville at 1800ft. The red and mountain out back are vacant though.


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## chrislibby88 (Aug 1, 2021)

Looked at a few more whites around the camper in Blairsville at 1800ish ft. I’m seeing only a handful of decent sized ones, like every couple of limb tips there will be a small cluster of 2-3. Looking a lot like last year from the few trees I have glasses into.


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## jbogg (Aug 6, 2021)

This is mainly what I am seeing in the way of white oak acorns. Some of the caps are about the circumference of a dime, but the meat of the acorn should be much further along and protruding from the cap by this point. I don’t believe these will be viable.


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## 35 Whelen (Aug 6, 2021)

A lot of acorns and hickory nuts are being aborted up here.  (Just under 3200 ft. elevation. )


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## chrislibby88 (Aug 7, 2021)

jbogg said:


> This is mainly what I am seeing in the way of white oak acorns. Some of the caps are about the circumference of a dime, but the meat of the acorn should be much further along and protruding from the cap by this point. I don’t believe these will be viable.
> View attachment 1096247


5 weeks out from bow opener, and another week until I’m up there. I don’t see these particular acorns doing anything in 5-6 weeks. It’s really starting to look like last year, where they hit some whites, climb them once, eat what they can find, and move on. The most sign I found last year was on small zones with multiple foods, reds, mountains, huckleberries, and rotten logs. Still seemed like they didn’t hang around long.


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## jbogg (Aug 7, 2021)

chrislibby88 said:


> 5 weeks out from bow opener, and another week until I’m up there. I don’t see these particular acorns doing anything in 5-6 weeks. It’s really starting to look like last year, where they hit some whites, climb them once, eat what they can find, and move on. The most sign I found last year was on small zones with multiple foods, reds, mountains, huckleberries, and rotten logs. Still seemed like they didn’t hang around long.


Last  year over this way there were just so many acorns the bear could literally feed anywhere. This year I am seeing far fewer acorns, especially Chestnut Oaks so I am hoping The more limited acorns  will help concentrate The Bears. I am still seeing quite a few white oak acorns, but nothing that I am confident in yet. Hopefully that will change


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## 35 Whelen (Aug 9, 2021)

35 Whelen said:


> A lot of acorns and hickory nuts are being aborted up here.  (Just under 3200 ft. elevation. )



This is what I am seeing up here at just under 3200 ft. elevation.


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## splatek (Aug 9, 2021)

35 Whelen said:


> This is what I am seeing up here at just under 3200 ft. elevation. View attachment 1096756



It's hard for me to see, my computer screen is acting up, but are those red oak acorns?


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## Thunder Head (Aug 9, 2021)

I cant really say about in the mountains proper.
 In the foothills ive hunted reds that drop every year.

 I haven't been out yet. My water oaks are aborting a few here and there. My neighbors saw tooth oak is aborting a lot. My drive way is like little marbles.


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## 35 Whelen (Aug 9, 2021)

splatek said:


> It's hard for me to see, my computer screen is acting up, but are those red oak acorns?



Red oak


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Aug 9, 2021)

Where you at in PA 35?


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## chrislibby88 (Aug 9, 2021)

35 Whelen said:


> Red oak


Those tiny reds look like next years crop. They are fertilized and start slowly devoting on year one, then finish out year two and drop.


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## 35 Whelen (Aug 9, 2021)

Sautee Ridgerunner said:


> Where you at in PA 35?



Jasper, GA


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Aug 9, 2021)

35 Whelen said:


> Jasper, GA



Ah. For some reason I thought you lived up there.


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## 35 Whelen (Aug 9, 2021)

Sautee Ridgerunner said:


> Ah. For some reason I thought you lived up there.



Did until moving to Georgia in 1974.  Lived in Meadville, and grandparents had a farm in Potter County, near Galeton.


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## Professor (Aug 9, 2021)

My son and I went fishing at Chestatee yesterday. no fish, but I did see some white oak acorns. Unfortunately, they were all on the ground.


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## chrislibby88 (Aug 10, 2021)

Professor said:


> My son and I went fishing at Chestatee yesterday. no fish, but I did see some white oak acorns. Unfortunately, they were all on the ground.


They came from a tree though!


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## Rabun (Aug 15, 2021)

Recon they’ll get blown outa the trees again like last year?  Storms are a coming


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## ddd-shooter (Aug 15, 2021)

Rabun said:


> Recon they’ll get blown outa the trees again like last year?  Storms are a coming


Yes, but right now they're not even close to ripe. Green as can be.
Maybe if Grace hits


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