Acorns are an important food for squirrels, white-tailed deer, turkeys, ruffed grouse, and other wildlife. Normal timber management practices aimed at maintaining well-stocked stands that are thinned at regular intervals will produce oaks with moderately large, healthy crowns needed for acorn production. Oaks start to bear acorns at about age 25 and become good producers at age To provide food for wildlife, maintain 40 to 60 percent of the woodland in stands of acorn-bearing age.