By Katie Martin/DWR
Acorn production across the state in 2024 can be categorized overall as variable with pockets of excellent white and red oak production, along with contrasting areas of poor production (Figures 1-4). Based on the annual hard mast survey, white oak routes rebounded from an all-time low in 2023 (3.3) to near average at 8.6. While the long-term median production from 2007 to 2024 is 9.7, the 10-year median of 8.9 is more reflective of masting conditions over the past decade. This year’s white oak index of 8.6 approaches this new “normal.” Red oaks surveyed nearly identical to their index of 2023 (19.7) at 19.3, which sits in line with the long-term median of 19.5 and above the 10-year median of 18.2.
White oak production was highly variable this year across all sites with little consistency across geographic regions. The best production was found in the southern Piedmont and southern mountains and the lowest production in the northern mountains and northern Piedmont regions. The poor production in our more northern study areas was not unexpected due to their above-average production in 2023. This coincided with excellent production in states to our north such as Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.
Statewide white oak acorn production (average percent of tree crowns with acorns), presented as long term median (2007-2024) with 95% confidence intervals.
Statewide white oak acorn production (PCA) broken into categorical rankings based on four-group cluster analysis with 95% confidence intervals.
Red oak production was average or above average in all areas except for the northern mountains and Tidewater regions (which both fell well below the long-term average). While red oak acorns are not generally preferred by many wildlife species due to their tannin content (and size), in years of poor white oak production, these acorns will often be readily consumed, especially later in the season.
Statewide red oak acorn production (average percent of tree crowns with acorns), presented as long term median (2007-2024) with 95% confidence intervals.
Statewide red oak acorn production (PCA) broken into categorical rankings based on four-group cluster analysis with 95% confidence intervals.
As with all years, acorn production is highly variable and very site dependent. Many routes had areas of “bumper” mast production even if their overall site average was below average. This variability is due to many reasons (weather, insects, tree species), but for some of our survey sites we are probably approaching the biological end of production due to tree age. Unfortunately, finding “new” stands of mature oak in the 50- to 70-year-old age range is becoming more and more difficult due to aging forests and lack of sufficient regeneration. Replacing aging trees/survey sites could be quite a challenge moving forward. The drought experienced during the summer of 2024 early in the growing season, particularly in the northern mountains and Piedmont areas, could also have impacted production, particularly for white oak. It was noted at several survey sites that small, underdeveloped red oak acorns were found in abundance at the base of trees early in the survey period. This may have been a symptom of drought-stressed trees as well.
The annual hard mast survey has been an ongoing effort between the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and many partner agencies for many years. Many of the mountain survey sites have been in place since the 1950s. In 2024, staff from DWR, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)-Virginia State Parks, Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF), U.S. Department of Defense/Department of Military Affairs (DOD), National Park Service (NPS), and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute surveyed 32 hard mast production sites across Virginia. Sites are located across all regions of the state, although a majority are currently found in the mountains. Continued efforts are being made to add sites to the northern Piedmont and Tidewater areas.
Production by Region: White Oak (Appendix 1)
- Mountains: White oak production across most of the mountain region (18 survey sites) was poor in the northern areas and average to slightly above average in the southern mountains. Several northern routes averaged zero trees with any acorn production across the entire route (40+ trees surveyed per route). Many of the southern mountain routes were above average, with excellent production noted primarily on the lower slopes. Oak regeneration is a serious conservation issue in all of these areas, and ongoing habitat management efforts have been underway by DWR and partner agencies to enhance areas with significant oak decline.
- Piedmont: White oak production across the Piedmont (11 sites) was more variable than the mountain region, with the southern Piedmont recording the highest averages across all sites sampled in 2024. Conversely, the northern Piedmont routes were all below average with very minimal production. Single trees though within these routes did produce excellent crops, though, with several noted at 80 to 100 percent of crown coverage of acorns. If you can find one of those “bumper” trees, you may be in for a treat of wildlife activity.
- Tidewater: The Tidewater area has our lowest sample size with three sites. In 2024, two of the three sites were well below average, while one exceeded the average. This is about on par with past survey lows for this area and follows the boom-and-bust cycle of white oaks. With low sample numbers, it’s hard to make any solid conclusions about acorn production in this area, but reports of excellent soft mast production were noted throughout this area all summer.
Production by Region: Red Oak (Appendix 2)
- Mountains: Red oak production was close to average or above average across many of the mountain sites, although the most northern routes fell well below the long-term average. The southern mountain routes had the best production for the mountain region along with mid-slope routes in the central Mountain region.
- Piedmont: Red oak production was above the long-term median in two out of the three Piedmont zones surveyed, with only the northern Piedmont falling short of the average. Production across all sites trended slightly higher than that found in the Mountain region, with several routes averaging above 30 percent (33, 36, and 70 percent). The central Piedmont recorded some of the highest red oak production in 2024 across the state, likely due to better weather conditions as compared to the mountain areas.
- Tidewater: The Tidewater region averaged below the long-term median across all three sites, but trended slightly higher than reports from 2023. Red oak production in this region has tended to trend below that of the other regions since routes were initiated here. While overall production was poor, there were several above-average trees noted in each route.
What does all of this mean for hunters and wildlife viewers for the fall of 2024? Due to the abundance of acorns across many areas of the state, many wildlife species will likely be less mobile throughout the fall as they target these high-calorie food sources. This can make them less visible to both hunters and other outdoor recreationists, as they may not use open fields, food plots, and other early successional habitats as readily.
Secondary hard mast sources such as hickory, beech, and chestnuts (primarily Chinese chestnut) were in abundance across much of the state, as were soft mast species such as blackberries, blueberries, pokeberry, wild grapes, paw-paws, persimmons, dogwood, and black gum fruits. This means many wildlife species should be in excellent condition as they enter the winter after feasting on many of these food sources all fall.
Katie Martin is DWR’s Deer/Bear/Turkey Biologist.
