Soil is the basis of deer nutrition and whitetail managers must keep this natural source of minerals in mind as they plant food plots, fertilize mast trees, and otherwise attempt to boost the nutrition of deer intake. Dr. Craig Dougherty posted this piece on the Outdoor Life website and it’s bound to make you think about food plots and measures you can take to boost herd health and antler growth. When planting food plots, whitetail managers can improve deer nutrition intake by enriching the soil for optimum plant growth and nutrition transfer. Planting forage in spring and summer will have a greater influence on the entire herd than “hunting plots” designed to mature during the prime hunting months. Also, supplemental nutrition can be incorporated at mineral sites and at feeding stations where legal. This thoughtful post will “get you thinking” about deer management from the bottom up. It all begins with the dirt:
It’s been said that antlers are made of soil. While that may not be literally true in the technical sense of the word, it makes a point and the point is best taken to heart. Soil is the key to growing good deer. Ever wonder why so many record book bucks come from the Midwest? It’s not the corn, or the soybeans, or other high-quality food stuffs. It’s soils that support these plants. Soil is the reason a Pennsylvania 3-year-old buck will score 115 inches and weigh 150 pounds while a 3-year-old buck from Illinois will score 150 and tip the scales at 250 pounds.
