Bield:Hunt
Acorn & mast crop

Kentucky mast crop reports.

2025 overallGood

Kentucky's eastern mountain forests and central rolling hill country produce some of the most consistent oak mast in the country. White oak, red oak, and chestnut oak together set the tempo for fall deer movement across one of the nation's premier trophy whitetail states.

White OakRed OakChestnut OakHickoryBeech

Multi-year trend

Categorical ratings (failure → excellent) per year. Overall is solid; white oak and red oak series are dashed.

YearOverallWhite OakRed Oak
2022goodgoodgood
2023poorpoorpoor
2024fairfairfair
2025goodgoodgood

Yearly reports

Most recent first. Click through to a year-specific page for a permanent reference link.

2025

Annual mast report
OverallGood
White OakGood
Red OakGood
Other MastGood
Regional notes

Preliminary reports indicate strong recovery and bumper white oak in many regions.

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.

2024

Annual mast report
OverallFair
White OakFair
Red OakFair
Other MastFair
Regional notes

Mixed recovery; red oak outperformed white oak.

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.

2023

Annual mast report
OverallPoor
White OakPoor
Red OakPoor
Other MastPoor
Regional notes

Mid-South mast failure; white oak particularly weak in central and eastern Kentucky.

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.

2022

Annual mast report
OverallGood
White OakGood
Red OakGood
Other MastGood
Regional notes

Strong production across the state, particularly in the eastern 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.

How to hunt a good mast year in Kentucky

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

Kentucky Division of Forestry Mast condition survey; August–September annually.

Kentucky Division of Forestry
Additional sources

Always cross-reference with the most current published agency report. Mast surveys update annually in late summer to early fall.

Scout mast locations on your map.

Statewide mast reports tell you what to expect in general. Bield: Hunt logs every productive oak you find on your specific land — and turns multi-season data into stand sites that compound year after year.