This spring and summer, i have been baiting my sight moderately heavy with minerals. I have put out a fair amount of Glory Mix, this is hard to tell if its actually getting any action. Also recently i just put out big and J's true mineral, along with a rack rock. Is there any actual proof of feeding/baiting heavy minerals ( NOT injecting or using steroids, but simply "baiting" and allowing deer to eat at their own will) that this actually improves antler growth, or is it all genetics and general health/condition of the deer? It makes sense that it "wouldn't hurt" a whitetail's chances of getting larger, but does anyone know or have or read any actual measurement or scientific proof that it boosts antler growth? I really wanted to help grow a big whitetail this year, as im sure we all do, but is it actually worth the money spent on minerals ( obviously time will tell)
My personal opinion is anything helps, especially if the soil in your area is poor and not high in nutrients. Minerals themselves are bitter so lots of companies mix salt with their minerals to get deer to hit them. Sometimes they dont even know what the minerals are but the salt helps attract them. Minerals help keep the herd and balance and are very beneficial to does with little ones but alone they won't make big difference in antler growth. A buck still needs high quality forage and mostly age to help him reach his potential. Bottom line is I'll still do it but I will spend more focus and resources on making sure they have quality forage to eat. Hope that helps.
Minerals help with overall deer health, and healthy deer with plenty of protein and other nutrients in front of him can pack on the inches...to his genetic potential. If you had perfect soil, a bunch of spring and summer high protein browes/plots, all the minerals and nutrients a buck would ever need, I don’t believe every one of them with grow up to be a 180” buck. 140’s-160’s, yes. Some would turn in to booners, but some won’t .... I suspect lol. As far as putting out minerals to directly impact a bucks antler size....nah, not if he doesn’t have any decent forage. I think of it like supplements and working out. You won’t get decent results living in little Debbie’s no matter how many supplements your on. This is all just my opinion and I’m wrong sometimes.
Minerals never hurt but when they are really beneficial is the winter months when there is no forage. A deer will find all the minerals they need once things are growing. The biggest impact to antler growth is how much mineral depletion they suffer over the winter and need to recoup from. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
All you have to do is put a picture of a big buck on the package, get a TV hunter for endorsements and it is a license to print $.
