According to Katie Martin DWR Biologist, over 200,000 hunters will take to the woods this fall and most with deer on their minds. That said, the availability of mast – acorns mainly – will have a lot to do with hunter success. Lots of nuts mean the deer won’t have to travel far for their meals and will expose themselves less to a 30:06 cartridge. When mast is poor, it’s a different story. Deer move, hunters see them, and more venison is harvested.
The DWR folks annually monitor acorn crops across the state and the results are in. Acorn production across the state in 2021 can be categorized overall as poor for both white and red oak species. Both white and red oaks fell well below the long-term median over the 29 sites surveyed. On a positive note, most survey routes did have pockets of fair production and anecdotally reports of “bumper” mast crops have been reported across the state, thus emphasizing the variability of quality and production even within a single survey route.
My observations are that in some places, there are plenty of acorns. Do a little scouting and find those special places and your odds improve greatly from everything to bears and squirrels, turkeys, and deer.
It’s all about the nuts.
Anna Stripers
It’s striper time at Lake Anna. The silversides are most active early and late, taking baits on the surface. During the day, jigging spoons and trolled, deep-diving crankbaits are good choices. Productive areas have been at the mouth of Contrary Creek, Rose Valley, and the area around Jetts Island at the Splits. Largemouth bass are hanging on steep banks and points, but early and late they will move into the shallows to feed, then back down to the deeper water. Large plastic grubs and jig’n pig baits are the best lures, but jumbo minnows also work well. Boat docks in deep water are also holding bass that will readily take Shakey Head baits. Crappie are schooled tight, with the larger fish suspending over creek channels in the backs of the creeks. Beaver lodges are also holding lots of crappie.