Acorn & mast crop
North Carolina's three regions produce dramatically different mast — Mountains rely on chestnut oak and red oak, the Piedmont on white oak and red oak, and the Coastal Plain on water oak and willow oak. Mast quality varies sharply across regions in any given year.
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 | Poor | Failure | Poor |
| 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 indicate strong statewide recovery, particularly in the mountains.
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
Recovery year; red oak strong, white oak 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
Mid-Atlantic and Southeast white oak failure; deer concentrated heavily on remaining food.
Hunter implication
Concentrate on remaining food sources. Food plots, ag fields, persimmons, and isolated mast pockets become high-traffic stand sites. Expect competition from other hunters who notice the same thing.
Annual mast report
2022
White oak
Red oak
Other mast
Regional notes
Strong Piedmont and Coastal Plain production; mountains average.
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.
Primary source
North Carolina Forest Service
Mast condition survey · August–September annually
Open reportAdditional 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.
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