Hybrid oaks are a wonderful addition to any hunting property as they often produce acorns in 5-8 years from seedlings rather then 20 years or so for most normal oaks. This means deer and other wildlife have one more reason to stop on your land during their daylight movement giving you a better chance to make a harvest. Additionally, this keeps deer and wildlife on YOUR property so they aren't vulnerable to other hunters.
I am slowly building a nursery from the ground up with thousands of cuttings and seedlings currently growing. I have also been able to partner with a grower or two to get some top notch wildlife trees and shrubs. Currently I am offering 4 types of hybrid oaks. They are between 1-2 feet tall, each grown in an air root pruning medium which means there is little to no transplant shock; you plant the entire plug and the container is 100% biodegradable. The result is a more fibrous root system, a healthy root construction from the very beginning (all of these were grown from acorns) and the foundation to grow fruit (acorns) due to the low nitrogen fertilizer used.
All four current varieties are white oak hybrids. Let me describe each of them briefly:
'Jumpin' Jack Hybrid (Swamp White x White cross)
Swamp white oaks are one of the easiest oaks to grow as they do not mind wet ground and produce perhaps the most preferred acorn of whitetails of any oak. The hybrid vigor in these Jack Hybrids means you could see acorns in just 5 years or so. The acorns are about the size of both parent species and super sweet. The tree grows quickly, from 2-6 feet for the first few years.
'Shooting Star' Schuettes Hybrid (Bur x Swamp White cross)
I have already mentioned the attributes of the Swamp White Oak in the Jack Oak description above. Add to that the bullish nature of the Bur Oak to grow almost anywhere AND outcompete other vegetation and you can begin to understand why we called this gem-of-a-tree, 'Shooting Star.' The acorns are sweet, medium in size and borne prolifically on this hybrid's branches. You'll notice the impact of the Bur Oak in this tree with the hairy acorn caps it produces. The vigor in this tree is hard to surpass.
'Major' Sargent Hybrid (Chestnut Oak x English cross)
Chestnut oaks may be the whitetails' second favorite acorn behind the swamp white oak and deer feast on them like candy. The Sargent Oak also has English Oak parentage which is a very long-lived variety with prolific acorn production. Together these two varieties form one outstanding tree with acorns being dropped for up to two weeks longer than most other white oaks. This also may be the single biggest producer of acorns of any oak I've seen.
'Big Bear' Bebbs Hybrid (White x Bur Cross)
You've got to see this outstanding version of the Bebbs Oak as the acorns are very large and sweet. The hairy acorn caps are fascinating to look at but it's the taste and production of acorns that make this tree a must for your hunting property. Plant this tree in a staging area leading to your food plot and you can up your chances of taking a quality whitetail during archery season. While these acorns are too large for turkeys they just might attract a bear along with deer. Try this one for sure.