BlackJack Oak has about the same bark. Saw one today and was gonna' snap a picture. Probably should have.
looks like a Southern Red Oak (Spanish Oak) or a Post Oak.?ÿ
I know this is at best secondary (or maybe tertiary) evidence but are there any whole dead leaves on the ground? Still stuck to a branch?
Great point. We can see some on the ground, in the background. And they seem to exclude Black Walnut, Sassafras, and Locust, etc. They appear consistent with Black Oak.?ÿ
Definitely oak leaves on the ground in the first picture. Are there any other oaks you can identify in the vicinity? If not, that's what I'm going with.
Looks like Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) but I believe you are at the very southern edge of its range.
Post a picture of the buds and twigs, easier to key it out that way.
Also looks like a mountain oak.?ÿ
I will be back there tomorrow and will get more pictures.
The suspense is killing me!
?ÿ
I had forgotten about the followup. The inner layer as you can tell is a very pale yellow. There were still no leaves but I am fairly confident it is a persimmon.
This is a Blackgum Tree.?ÿ Nyssa sylvatica.