Need advice on small White Oak trees I planted last year

[pharmvet]

I planted about 50 white oak trees last spring.  I planted the trees along both sides of the driveway that will eventually lead to a new home.  I planted them 60 feet apart (both directions).  I spent countless hours last summer hauling water to them.  I mulched them.  About a month ago, I pruned them.  I have been planning to build net wire cylinders to put around them for protection but have been dragging my feet.  I drove down to check on them today and confirmed my fear.  Deer have eaten lots of the terminal buds.  Here is a picture that it typical of what I found.  [img width=550 --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/albums/r38/pharmvet/IMG_20130218_180742.jpg[/img]

I have some questions:  Looking at this particular tree, it is evident that the upper rt. branch became dominant last summer.  Now that the terminal bud has been chewed off, I suspect that one of the lower buds will eventually sprout the dominant branch.  With this happening, can I expect that this tree will ever be straight and tall, or is it destined to have major branches low to the ground and no real dominant trunk?  Any and all information, suggestions, advice welcomed here.  thanks
For my own education, Can this particular tree end up with a straight trunk, even though its dominant branch takes off at about a 45 degree angle and will have to branch again because of the loss of the terminal bud?  In other words, as this tree increases in diameter will it incorporate these upward angles into a straight trunk?

[thecfarm]

The deer will keep coming and keep chewing.  :(  Build a fence around each one. That will look real pretty in years to come.

[beenthere]

I capped the terminal buds on my red oak trees I planted, using paper popcorn bags I found at Sam's Club. I couldn't afford all the fencing with 1200 trees.

I put a bag over each terminal bud and just used a paper stapler to fasten them.
I really didn't think they would hold up to rain, wind, ice, and snow. But they did and worked very well.

I wouldn't have pruned them the first year, but that is done now.

Another pruning next Spring will let you pick the new terminal. It may work, and it may not.

Be very careful with mulching the white oak. Don't get it up around the stem, as white oak doesn't like that. At least any backfilling with dirt will cause some quick die-off. Mulch may not do that.

[chain]

I don't see WO seedling or sapling stands anymore, mostly pole timber to larger saw-timber WO trees now. I'm thinking the deer have caused the gap, white-tailed deer population in our area very thin 60yrs. ago.