Acorn & mast crop
Florida deer (Osceola in the peninsula, Eastern in the panhandle) rely on live oak, water oak, and laurel oak mast. Live oak production is highly variable year to year and regionally distinct from continental Eastern oak patterns.
Multi-year trend
Categorical ratings per year. Overall is solid; white oak and red oak series are dashed.
| Year | Overall | White oak | Red oak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Good | Good | Good |
| 2023 | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| 2024 | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| 2025 | Good | Good | Good |
Yearly reports
Click through to a year-specific page for a permanent reference link.
Annual mast report
2025
White oak
Red oak
Other mast
Regional notes
Preliminary reports show solid live oak production peninsula-wide.
Hunter implication
Mast is plentiful enough to pull deer off plots and ag fields. Find the productive oaks and set up tight; expect deer to be less predictable on traditional stand sites built for travel routes.
Annual mast report
2024
White oak
Red oak
Other mast
Regional notes
Mixed — peninsular live oak average, panhandle below average.
Hunter implication
Mixed conditions — some areas with productive oaks, others without. Scout for the pockets that produced and hunt the travel routes between bedding and mast. Plots and ag fields still hold deer where mast failed.
Annual mast report
2023
White oak
Red oak
Other mast
Regional notes
Hurricane-influenced variability in panhandle production.
Hunter implication
Mixed conditions — some areas with productive oaks, others without. Scout for the pockets that produced and hunt the travel routes between bedding and mast. Plots and ag fields still hold deer where mast failed.
Annual mast report
2022
White oak
Red oak
Other mast
Regional notes
Live oak strong in central peninsula; panhandle mixed.
Hunter implication
Mast is plentiful enough to pull deer off plots and ag fields. Find the productive oaks and set up tight; expect deer to be less predictable on traditional stand sites built for travel routes.
Hunter strategy
Locate specific white oak flats with active drop, hunt tight to the trees, and expect deer to be less predictable on traditional travel-corridor stand sites. With food everywhere, generic stand placement loses to oak-specific scouting.
Additional sources
Always cross-reference with the most current published agency report before basing planning decisions on this page.
State-wide mast surveys are a starting point. Bield: Hunt lets you pin the specific oaks producing on your property, track drop year over year, and find the stands those trees pull deer to.
Start free trial →