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Creating Mother Nature’s Food Plot by Dr. Chris Moorman
Deer Dispersal by Dr. Jonathan Shaw
Food Plot Facts by Kip Adams
Successful Quality Deer Management by Mark Connor
Drought Proof Your Food Plots by Ryan Foster
Antlers From The Ground Up by Gabriel Karns and M. Colter Chitwood
Deer of a Different Color by Christopher S. DePerno, Gabriel Karns and M. Colter Chitwood
All About Antler Development by M. Colter Chitwood, Garbiel Karns, Christopher S. DePerno
Latest Deer Research by Brian Murphy
Crossbows in Suburbia? by Dr. Richard A. Lancia
Buying The Farm by Team Realtree
Single-Best Deer Food? by Team Realtree
Best Food For Antlers? by Team Realtree
Velvet in January? by Team Realtree
Round-Up and Trees by Team Realtree
Special thanks to:
Quality Deer
Management Association
Whitetail Insider
Antlers From The Ground Up
The agricultural community is intensely interested in what goes on underground. Fertile soil with lots of nutrients generally equates to a bountiful yield and a good paycheck. The potential for antler growth is almost as firmly rooted in the dirt as farming. Abundant nutrients and minerals in the soil produce good agricultural crops, which usually results in great habitat and food for white-tailed deer, which generates…well, you get where this is heading.
If you are primarily interested in record book antlers, certain soil types eerily align with the majority of Boone and Crockett all-time record book entries from the Midwest, Upper Midwest, south Texas, Eastern Shore of Maryland, and other isolated pockets in the Northeast and West.
Antler growth is rapid bone growth, and one must realize that the physical demands of annually growing a set of antlers are enormous. In fact, each set of antlers is equivalent to nearly 20% of the buck’s entire skeleton.
To supplement dietary intake of minerals and nutrients, white-tailed deer actually undergo osteoporosis where resources are gleaned from the skeletal structure and transposed into growing antlers.
So what kind of nutrients and minerals are necessary to promote maximum antler growth? About 45% of hardened antlers and nearly 100% of velvet antlers (still growing) is composed of proteins. A healthy diet should contain 16-20% protein and can be provided to your white-tailed deer herd by planting protein-rich plots of clover, soybeans, and other forages.
Calcium and phosphorous are the two most important inorganic components of bone growth. Diets lacking these elements also result in suboptimal antler growth. But how do deer get these substances? This is where the soil comes into play. Most soils are naturally acidic and nutrient-deficient. However, applying lime and fertilizers to your property can increase the amount of phosphorus, calcium, and other minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen in the soil.
To ensure deer are realizing their full antler potential, there must be a year-round supply of adequate deer forage. Thinning and burning woodlots is a great way to ensure that nutrients are available 365 days a year. If a deer’s body is still stressed from the rigors of the breeding season when antler growing season arrives, the rebuilding of his body will take precedence and antler growth will suffer.
Soil tests are a great place to start addressing the health of your white-tailed deer herd, and soil tests are generally free if you consult with your county extension office. Once you get the ground right, you can provide an optimum environment for maximum antler growth.
About the Authors: Gabriel Karns M. S. is with the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University and M. Colter Chitwood is an M. S. candidate in the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, at North Carolina State University.