Cow oak also commonly called Swamp Chestnut oak is an oak tree with alternate, simple, leaves with a margin large teeth, 4 to 8 inches long, 3 to 5 inches wide, dark green and shiny above, pale and downy below.
Cow oaks produce a very large acorn that is 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, yellow to chestnut brown, bowl-shaped cup covers about 1/3 of nut, cap is rough scaly, stalk is short.
The bark is similiar to white oak or post oak. The bark is ash gray, scaly, with age developing irregular furrows and becoming darker.
Cow oaks get to be fairly large (80 feet) with a narrow crown.
The acorns of the cow oak are a favorite of deer. Finding a good producing tree during deer season can be a big plus for hunters. But the acorns don’t last long and might be long gone when rifle season opens.