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Very few places in Michigan hold huge bucks. Most hunters have a theory about why many parts of the state don’t hold large bucks. Some believe there is too much hunting pressure. Others think it’s because hunters kill the first deer that walks in front of them, regardless if it is a monster buck or a fork horn. Another piece of the puzzle that causes bucks to have small racks is many of them are lacking the basic minerals in their diet that helps grow large racks. In southern Michigan where large sections of farm country is present, deer have ample food and end up eating more minerals that are found naturally in the soil. They often end up healthier and produce larger racks than deer in the northern part of the state where cold, hard winters and lack of proper nutrition cause bucks to go into survival mode and their rack is low on the priority list. What should hunters do if they want to see larger bucks and healthier deer? One option is providing deer with the minerals they need through a mineral supplementation or providing a food plot that provides deer with a wide variety of protein naturally.
The Big Game Specialist for the Michigan DNR, Rod Clute, says deer have a knack for finding the minerals they are lacking. “Providing deer with a mineral supplement in the southern part of the state might not have the same effect on the health of deer as it would on deer in the north because deer in the southern part of the state get everything they need in their diet. Up north, it is a different story. The only way to find out is to put out a mineral. If the deer devour it, chances are they are lacking it in their diet,” said Clute. One person who has witnessed this first hand is well-known deer expert, Charlie Alsheimer. Alsheimer has deer in a high fence. The fenced deer pay no attention to any mineral given to them. A few hundred yards away on the outside of the fence, wild deer eat all the minerals Alsheimer puts out. If a deer needs more minerals in his diet, he will eat a mineral supplement if it is provided. If he doesn’t need it, chances are it will sit there and slowly disappear into the soil.
One guy who knows about mineral supplementation is Dave Wheeler from the Lucky Buck Mineral Company. According to Wheeler, the best time to provide deer with minerals is during early spring through the end of summer. “Antlers are an unnecessary accessory that bucks don’t need. By providing them with a mineral during the antler growing season, you increase the chances of a buck having a larger rack. The biggest difference we’ve seen is the amount of mass is often increased when a mineral is provided during the antler growing season,” Wheeler said.
Providing a mineral supplement doesn’t mean an eight point will turn into a ten point. However, according to Wheeler, minerals can have a lasting impact on bucks and does. “We have seen the best results when hunters put out minerals all year around. A number of people told me that after a few years of providing a mineral, they really begin to see a difference in the racks of the bucks in their area. Providing minerals helps does. In the spring and summer, they need all the nutrition they can get because they are having fawns and lactating,” Wheeler explained
There is much controversy about the effectiveness of mineral supplementation. Some swear by it. Others say it is all “smoke and mirrors.” Clute says there is no question. Deer need minerals in their diet. Mineral supplementation is one way for them to get it. “When a deer is healthy, it is possible that he will have a larger rack than a similar deer that isn’t getting everything he needs in his diet. However, proving that a bucks’ large rack is the result of a mineral supplement is going to be difficult, but mineral supplementation definitely can’t hurt,” Clute added.
For many hunters, seeing is believing. Many hunters notice that after they feed deer minerals for a couple years, they see larger-racked deer. Len Kriger, a Michigan resident, believes it works because he sees evidence of it. “When I spread a mineral out on the ground, within a few weeks it looks like the deer are digging a hole to China. I guess that means they need it in their diet, otherwise they wouldn’t touch it. I’ve seen a few nice bucks,” Kriger said.
If you don’t like the idea of putting a mineral on the ground, consider providing a food plot. According to Clute, winter is hard on deer. Providing a plot that can be eaten during the winter is a great way to keep deer healthy. “Food plots are a great way to help deer out. Some plots contain sugar beets and are a great winter plot because the sugar content in sugar beets increases when the temps dip below freezing and the deer are naturally attracted to the beets. However, some plots are foreign to our area and it can take awhile for deer to warm up to them,” said Clute.
It all boils down to one thing. If a deer is healthy, he stands a better chance of growing a large rack. Some swear by mineral supplementation. If you are on the fence, try it yourself. Minerals don’t rot and one mineral block or bucket of mineral lasts a few months and can be a better option than any other type of feed. Keep in mind - if you hunt over a mineral in Michigan, you can only have 2 gallons out at a time and it must be spread out over a 10x10 area. When hunting season is closed, the only way you can feed deer legally is if the feed is within 100 yards of your residence. The feed must be scattered or dispersed at least 100 yards from any area accessible to cattle, goats, sheep, new world camelids. Feeding deer is prohibited in some counties within the state of Michigan.
| The editor of God’s Great Outdoors’ Internet Outdoor Magazine, Tracy Breen, has lived his entire life in Muskegon, Michigan. He was brought up in a family full of hunters and trappers and he grew to love outdoor adventures at an early age. Tracy’s father trapped for a living during the late 70's until the fur market fell apart in the early 80's. At that point, he took up taxidermy which he still does for a living today. Due to that influence growing up, Tracy decided early on that one way or another he would make a living in the outdoors. Also, being brought up in a home with a Christian foundation, Tracy wanted to somehow tie the two together, but was unsure how this could happen. It was by God’s grace and in His perfect timing that Tracy contacted Gerry Caillouet about a magazine idea. Tracy’s project was to be in print, while Gerry had been praying for someone who could help God’s Great Outdoors by editing and running the Internet Outdoor Magazine idea he had in the back of his mind for several years. After many weeks of prayer with his pastor and others, Tracy Breen accepted the offer to become a part of God’s Great Outdoors as the new Internet Outdoor Magazine editor. Besides the time outdoors, God has used another aspect of Tracy’s life to prepare him to serve in this position with God’s Great Outdoors. Tracy states, “Something else that has made me the way I am is the fact that I have a mild case of cerebral palsy. This has always affected the way I walk and I have had to learn to hunt and trap somewhat differently at times because of my disability. Although it can get me down because I can't walk through the marsh the way I would like to or be as quiet as I would like in the woods, I get by and realize that many have it a lot worse. I am extremely excited about the opportunity God has given me to serve in this way by putting this magazine together. Hopefully I will also be able to use my disability to help others with similar problems; proving that a disability can't stop you from enjoying the outdoors if you put your mind to it!” Tracy and his wife Angie have been married since August of 1999 |
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