I’m not sure either. There are still plenty on the ground. My two target bucks started coming back around in the 14th and have been there every since. One was at 7:30 on the 14th and the other at 8 on the 15th. They are getting closer to shooting light. ML might be a good one this year.I can’t say why they would’ve left the acorns, but I’m fairly confident that the new moon has them moving during shooting light.
I’ve got a buck here beside my house in TX that I’ve been watching for a couple years, and he’s been almost exclusively nocturnal. He was at my feeder during shooting light Friday evening, Saturday evening, and again this morning.