I would say pick one and keep that one. Keep the others cut to the ground so they run out of energy and die. Hopefully if a disease killed the Mama tree it doesn't affect the baby. Mama could have got hit by lightening, been cut for use of the wood etc. I just read on one thread that someone thought their massive Scarlet oak may have come from a stump sprout from the 1930's, so you should pick one and see what happens, my opinion anyway.

Sorry, that was only about the suckers. The seedlings, some is the same info in a way. Pick the strongest and those you don't like, stop from growing. If you sow acorns where you want a tree, they will likely grow faster than transplanting. No root loss/ transplant shock etc.

I should clarify - there are a lot of sprouts, I don't know if they are suckers or seedlings. Is there a way to tell?

Is there a way to tell?

==>>> try to dig one up.. and find out if its attached to an acorn... or free standing ...

or whether it is attached to some ginormous root ...

then report back ... it surely doesnt sound.. like you cant sacrifice a few for knowledge sake ...

i dont really think of oaks as suckering.. but who know..

in my experience ... you will be decades ahead.. if you were to buy a 4 to 6 footer.. for planting in the proper planting season ... as compared to waiting many..many years... for a one footer to get to 4 to 6 feet ...

one thing for sure.. no where ... is summer.. the time to dig up and move any deciduous plant ... but again... you have vast multitudes.. so why not give it a try ...

ken