spring drought-mast crop expectations?

[wtnhunt]

Over the past few years, the TN wildlife biologists when harvest numbers have been down have claimed it was an overabundant mast crop production that reflected on lower harvest numbers accordingly in those years. No question if the food is available in the woods and the deer do not have to look hard for it, food plot activity will be down and daytime deer travel might also be down. Makes perfect sense.

There has been no shortage of acorns or beech nuts here over the past several years. It is true that with good spring rains we have had good mast crops for the past several years, but this year is quite different for these parts. Here now, it looks more like a late summer drought than it does like spring, and I am left wondering what effect this will have on the mast crops this year. Have not mowed my yard in almost two weeks which is incredibly unusual for this time of the year. The humidity levels are considerably lower than normal, where normally there would be dew on the ground late into the mornings sometime even after noon, now there is very little dew in the mornings. The ground is terribly dry in the hills here and no rain in the forecast now for at least the next week according to what I saw this morning. How much does the lack of moisture in the spring effect the mast crop production for that year? Have read it has a good deal to do with how productive they will be, but honestly never paid that close attention to it in the past, before reading what the states biologists were putting out.

It will be interesting to see if what the biologists claim hold true about mast crops, and the mast crops are down due to the drought, this part of this state should see a big jump in harvest numbers this fall.

Anyone have any thoughts, comments?

[Tominator]

I don't know William. To be honest, I don't pay attention to mast too much because around here there's so much food for the deer they have their pick and choose even after the crops are out. A deer doesn't have to go probably 1/4 mile anywhere in Ohio and not have food, except for maybe the forested section of the southeast part of the state.

We are feeling the effects of the dry weather too. I'm getting a little anxious about my gardens. they're doing fine now, but some rain would help the germination of the beans and last sweetcorn plot I just put in yesterday.

Not cutting the lawn is nice though.

[wtnhunt]

Unfortunately we checked the forecast here Saturday and there was rain chances predicited Tuesday through Saturday. On the prediction for good chances for rain we planted Christinas plot this past Sunday. Now there is a front that is keeping the rain from moving in pretty well along a line near the Mississippi river that the forecasters did not know about . Rode back there yesterday and birds were picking her lightly covered seed from the dusty bone dry ground .

Far as the garden, we have been watering just about every day, if I was not watering, afraid most of the plants would have probably burned up by now.

[dogdoc]

Low acorn production means much more plot usage--at least that has been my experience. When we have a massive acorn production I see much less plot usage---the last two years our acorn production has been very low due to our drought. I have a feeling this year, even though we have been wet, we will also have a low acorn production. We had a late freeze which put some hurt on the oaks. I bet 1/2 the oaks on my property look dead. The green foliage froze and now they still look like they are in winter dormancy.

I hope you get some rain quick!

todd

[Tominator]

If we don't get rain this weekend, i'll be hauling ooot the drip irrigation for my corn.

[wtnhunt]

If we don't get rain this weekend, i'll be hauling ooot the drip irrigation for my corn.

Been watering over the top in the garden here for the past couple weeks Chris, my corn was starting to yellow a bit after side dressing after emergence, decided we had to get some moisture to it. The watering has helped a lot. Everything in our garden looks pretty good for now.

[brad dryden]

I sure hope my soybeans dont feel the hurt to much I wish I could get some rain on them so my yeild isent low.

[Tominator]

Been watering over the top in the garden here for the past couple weeks Chris, my corn was starting to yellow a bit after side dressing after emergence, decided we had to get some moisture to it. The watering has helped a lot. Everything in our garden looks pretty good for now.

Storms have skirted us so far today. Hoping for later tonight, or tomorrow.

[wtnhunt]

Just checked averages on record at the weather channel and looks like the average rainfall for May is about 5.5 inches here, normally the month with the second most rainfall for the year followed by December. We have gotten less than a half an inch so far for May this year.

Really will be curious to see if harvest numbers are down again this year, what they might attribute the reason to being?