How to Supplement Antler Growth with Food Plots
- Planting. Planting anything is expensive and time-consuming. ...
- Supplementing Protein. For those who don’t have the time, means, or wherewithal to farm, consider distributing protein pellets.
- Minerals. ...
- Fertilizing. ...
What do deer need to grow good antlers?
Will Great Nutrition Guarantee Trophy Bucks?
- Factors in deer antler growth. General health greatly influences a variety of factors that affect deer antler growth, such as feed intake and hormone production.
- Deer habitat and antler growth. Environmental conditions are also a factor. ...
- Hydration maximizes feed intake in deer. ...
- The genetic footprint. ...
- Population density relative to antler growth. ...
What is the best thing to feed deer?
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Top 7 Best Deer Feeders of 2021 – [Reviews & Buyer Guide]
- Locating The Overall Best Deer Feeder For The Money. How would you like to be able to ensure you’re always able to find deer when you go out hunting? ...
- American Hunter Sun Slinger Kit Feeder Kit with Solar Charger. ...
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- Moultrie 30 Gallon Easy-Lock Tripod Deer Feeder. ...
- Rednek Redneck Outdoors T-Post Gravity Feeder. ...
What is the best food for deer?
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What can I feed my deer to help antlers grow?
First thing in the spring have high protein, high energy and highly digestible perennial clovers. Sure a deer could eat winter rye, winter wheat or other browse but the protein levels are 10% higher on perennial clover, alfalfa, chicory and plantain.
How do you maximize antler growth?
0:071:20How To Maximize Whitetail Antler Growth - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clip45 protein as you can see protein is extremely vital to antler. Development a hard antler is alsoMore45 protein as you can see protein is extremely vital to antler. Development a hard antler is also made up of approximately 55 percent minerals these minerals are taken from the skeletal.
What foods grow big antlers Whitetails?
By planting any of the three mentioned – clover, alfalfa, chicory – deer on your hunting property will have another food source option in addition to native sources. Spring food plots are a good way to get bucks on the pathway to growing bigger antlers for fall.
What is the best food plot for antler growth?
Clovers and beans are easily the top two food plots that are going to promote healthy antler growth, but brassicas are another great option that can essentially be planted year round.
What is the best mineral for antler growth?
Calcium and phosphorous are the two most common minerals found in hardened antlers, and so it makes sense that they are the best deer minerals for antler growth.
What is the best protein for deer?
The Top 5 Proteins Proven To Grow Big Bucks In The Off SeasonTecomate. ... Double Down Deer Feed. ... Lyssy & Eckel Feeds. ... Sportsman's Choice and Record Rack. ... Purina AntlerMax Deer 20.
Can food plots improve antlers?
If a deer can consume a diet of at least 16% protein they can maximize their health, body, bone and antler development. Studies have shown that A 4.5-year-old buck fed a 16% protein diet can grow antlers 15-25 inches larger (Boone and Crockett Score) than a 4.5-year-old buck fed only a 6% protein diet.
Do soybeans help antler growth?
Bucks bank nutrients and pull them out in summer to develop antlers up until mid to late September. Even in a top soybean state, you can't depend on grain soybeans," Doyle says. "They're cut in September or October, and once harvested, the premium protein source for antler growth is gone."
Does corn help antler growth?
With only six- to eight- percent protein (the “building block” of antlers), corn can barely support daily bodily activities for an adult deer, which does not provide antler growth. So corn does play a factor, but not much.
Does protein help antler growth?
The growing antler is 80% protein (dry matter basis). Fawns require up to 20% protein to support growth and antler pedicle development. After weaning through the next year, buck fawns fed a 16% protein diet had larger antlers than those fed 4.5% and 9.5% protein diets. This is true for two-year old bucks as well.
What is a whitetail deer's favorite food?
They love pecans, hickory nuts and beechnuts acorns in addition to acorns. A couple of favorite fruits are apples, blueberries, blackberries and persimmons. Deer occasionally enter yards to get their mouths on flowers, vegetables and ornamental trees -- quite often to the surprise of the homeowners.
How do deer get enough calcium to grow antlers?
Deer antlers take a lot of energy to grow. The antlers are bony, and like bones are made mostly out of calcium. Deer do not consume much calcium with their vegetarian diet, and the calcium in the antlers is grown just like the calcium in the bones, produced by chemical reactions in their bodies.
What are the factors that affect deer antler growth?
General health greatly influences a variety of factors that affect deer antler growth, such as feed intake and hormone production.
How does crowding affect deer antlers?
Even mild crowding is a stressor that affects hormone levels, impacts feeding behavior, and leads to increased energy expenditure and even injuries due to increased movement and numbers of altercations. Bucks must be managed with their social hierarchy in mind if injuries are to be minimized and desired breeding strategies achieved.
How does climate affect deer?
Climate can affect how much time a deer spends eating, moving around, resting, etc., and how much energy it expends just staying warm or cooling down. Stressors such as traffic or roaming dogs can upset deer, raising blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol and negatively impacting feeding behavior and nutrient usage.
Why is water important for ruminants?
Water availability is critical. Research has shown that in many species of ruminants, if water intake is reduced even minimally, food intake drops also . Water must be fresh, clean, available, and away from stressors that might inhibit a deer's water intake. Maximizing water intake will help maximize feed intake.
Is it good to feed buck genetically?
Genetics, of course, are very important. If a buck is genetically programmed to be average, then the best feed in the world will make him only average. Keep in mind, however, that a lesser feed will allow him to be only less than average. However, a buck genetically programmed to have a superior rack will not achieve that growth without optimal nutritional support. If you want your bucks to achieve their genetic potential, then you must feed them accordingly.
Do deer have antlers?
Great nutrition will give your deer the opportunity to maximize their genetic potential for antler growth, but it is just one (albeit an important one) of many factors that affect deer antler growth. Even assuming that you are providing the best nutrition possible, other things, some within your control and some not, ...
From fascination to education
Fast forwarding 30 years, that pursuit of knowledge has le me down many different paths, one being the Wildlife Biology program at Texas Tech University.
Minerals 101
Minerals, in a deer’s diet, are extremely important to overall health and productivity. First, you should understand there are multiple mineral requirements, some more imperative than others, depending on the situation.
Which Deer Minerals To Buy
It’s overwhelming how many mineral mixes are available these days, all claiming astonishing success or promising massive jumps in antler growth. So, how is someone supposed to decide on the right mineral and know they aren’t wasting their money?
Getting Your Mineral Sites Started
Where: Normally, having a site every 25-75 acres is key. But, you need to consider your property and the density of your deer herd, first. So, to start out, make it simple, start your sites close to where you know the deer are.
In Conclusion
Before concluding, I want to get you thinking about something I’ll talk more about in upcoming blogs. For starters, shifting your attention more toward your does and fawns.
Brandon Houston
Brandon Houston is President of H3 Whitetail Solutions. He is a graduate of the Texas Tech University Wildlife Biology program. Brandon has immersed himself in wildlife programs, organization, studies and research. Brandon loves to study and chase big, mature bucks in the Fall.
How much protein is in antlers?
And what many people do not realize is that, even after they harden, antlers are still over 35% protein. Because antler growth is low on the priority list of functions required to sustain life, antlers only receive “what’s left” of nutrients after life-sustaining needs have been met.
How much does an antler grow in a year?
There’s only a small window of opportunity for antler growth (about 120 days a year), and an antler growing at the rate of 15 grams per day is obviously going to be smaller than one growing by 25 grams per day. Less dense antlers are more subject to breakage in rut fights.
What are hardened antlers?
Hardened antlers are high in minerals, mostly calcium (about 20 percent) and phosphorus (about 10 percent), in addition to a lot of trace minerals such as zinc, copper and manganese. Phosphorus, which is commonly deficient in many soils and plants throughout the US, is particularly critical.
What is antler growth season?
But antler growth season is when “instant gratification” seekers can practically see results occur right before their eyes. Growing at a rate of half an inch per day, antlers are some of the fastest growing tissues in the animal kingdom. That’s why it’s essential that deer consume the most nutritious diet of the year during antler growth season.
Do deer eat antlers?
That’s why it’s essential that deer consume the most nutritious diet of the year during antler growth season. Unfortunately, this is also the time when forage quality is typically low. However, there are things you can do to compensate.
How to increase antler size on buck?
Antler size can be improved on bucks through adding points, increasing the lengths of points or by increasing the circumference of existing antler material, thus increasing mass. A lot of hunters look for a buck with a wide-spreading rack, but I’ll take the heavy-horned freak nasty every time.
What are the objectives of a deer diet?
The objectives should be to provide more protein, minerals (phosphorus and calcium) and trace minerals for all deer . Here are few ways to get the job done: Food plots – Get a soil test for your plot area and fertilize and lime as necessary. Leached soils are low on minerals and other nutrients.
What is the most heritable trait of a deer?
Antler mass, as it turns out, is one of the most heritable traits in deer antlers. Of all the traits that a buck may get from his father for antler growth, mass is most likely to stick. So, the WYSIWYG principle applies here. Thin-horned bucks sire more thin-horned bucks.
Why is it important to manage whitetail deer?
There are numerous other positives that result from managed whitetail populations, the most important of which are healthier, more diverse plant communities for all wildlife species.
When should I shoot bigger bucks?
Ideally, hunters will shoot bigger bucks if they simply provide the genetically-best bucks on their property with optimal nutrition until they reach 5-8 years of age. As I mentioned, this would be ideal. The reality in this case is a 90 acre property that currently has bucks that are lacking antler mass.
Do buck antlers get bigger?
Antlers get larger as a buck gets older up to a certain point, then they start declining in size. There is some debate on when exactly that occurs, but I don’t think there is a single right answer here. Just as individual bucks vary in antler quality, I think different bucks peak at different years.
Do deer have antlers?
Research in livestock have found that minerals improve digestion, increase weight gains. Heavier deer tend to have heavier antlers. Fertilize – This practice is not limited to just food plots. Native browse species also benefit from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
