Not only is an abundance of phosphorous, calcium, and protein crucial for prominent fawn production, but is absolutely essential for bucks to produce what we all are really concerned with, ridiculously huge racks.  I know, all you really want to do is maintain a healthy deer population.  Yeah right, and I bet you only read Playboy for the articles. It’s hard to explain why, but deer hunters have some sort of primordial fascination with antlers.  Don’t be ashamed.  Don’t try to mask your desire for trophy antlers by claiming all your deer management efforts are in the name of conservation. 

If general wildlife conservation is your primary object then why aren’t you reading an article about Houston toad management or the nutritional needs of the marbled salamander.   Because I have yet to see a 10- point toad, that’s why, and that is perfectly okay. All wildlife management plans have specific objectives determined by the preferences of the land owner. If one of your objectives is to see more racks walking around the woods you must make sure there is an abundance of protein, phosphorous, and calcium available for bucks to consume during the spring and summer when antler development takes place. After the winter, bucks are generally worn down from the stresses of mating competition and food scarcity. The spring offers an opportunity for bucks to rebuild their tattered bodies and increase muscle mass. The nutrients a buck absorbs during this time are primarily used for this purpose. It is the excess, the left over nutrients that are utilized for antler development. This fact not only serves to point out why winter nutrition also is important for antler growth (less winter weight loss equals less spring rebuilding), but also why it is important to provide abundant spring nutrition.

There are three tools commonly used by managers to make abundant spring nutrition available for white-tailed deer consumption: food plots, high protein feed, and mineral supplements. In certain situations one of these tools may be more appropriate than others, but most circumstances call for a combination of two techniques or possibly all three to maximize the nutritional benefits they provide white-tails.

Implementing a quality food plot program is a more cost efficient way to supplement a white-tailed deer population’s diet than providing supplemental feed in the form of rationed pellets or seed. A 1 acre food plot provides as much forage as 50-100 acres of native rangeland and is composed of up to 35% protein compared to the 12% protein composition of native vegetation. For healthy growth and development deer need 18% protein in their diet, but healthy growth and development is not what makes the dreams of deer hunters come true. Our goal is to promote exceptional growth and development making high protein warm season food plots a valuable resource when it comes to producing trophy bucks. Many hunters overlook the spring planting season by only establishing cool season food plots. While this is a valuable practice what many are trying to accomplish with cool season food plots can be achieved more efficiently with spring plantings, especially in the southern states where there often isn’t a frost until mid December. Warm season food plots provide the nutrients needed for exceptional antler growth, and if properly maintained may last throughout most of the hunting season concentrating deer for easy harvest. However food plots are not practical for all regions and are dependant on rainfall particularly in dryer areas. Soil conditions, deer abundance, and rainfall are just some of the conditions that one must consider before making an investment in food plots. Establishing food plots in rocky dry regions such as the Texas hill country, where limited rainfall and shallow soils make crop development a challenge, may not be practical. In the hill country low lying areas do exist that have fairly workable soils. However, deer densities are so high in this region the deer often over graze food plots before they have a chance to establish substantial forage. If you do decide to implement food plots on your property choose a plant variety that is high in protein. Most legumes such as lablab, iron and clay cowpeas, clovers, and soy beans are high in protein content. I recommend planting a variety of crop species that will last from early spring well into the fall or until the first frost. The best way to make sure you will have a successful stand of high protein spring forage is to visit your local County Extension Agent or National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office. Ask them what to plant, how to plant, and when to plant it. These agencies are full of valuable information and exist to assist the public with such endeavors. They can also test the soil of your planting site and make fertilizer and pH recommendations specific to species of forage plant you wish to establish.