The Journey…Part 3
In the Spring of 2014, Dave had lime applied to all of his plots and he held back an additional three acres from the farmer who had been renting his cropland. Our strategy was to plant more food for the deer family that would be late Fall and Winter food sources. The Game Changer Clover on logging roads and log landings along with strips of Trophy Clover and Red Zone were providing ample Spring and Summer food but I felt we were short for Winter and early Spring food sources.
The focus would be to plant Honey Hole, Slam Dunk and Lights Out to provide the necessary late-Winter food. I have recently (February) had the “greens” from the Honey Hole, Slam Dunk and Lights Out tested for protein, energy, fiber, sugar content, and several other nutrient profiles. These green tops tested in excess of 25% protein AND had energy levels just short of shelled corn. This was great information as these greens are more digestible than corn and three times higher in protein. There have been countless studies done on the importance of protein and energy for bucks AND all of these studies show that it is very important to get a high protein diet in front of a buck as early as February 1 to facilitate maximum antler growth. The program to provide nutrient-rich food sources 365 days a year was falling into place!
The Fall of 2014 and 2015 came and went with one 2.5-year-old 8-pointer being taken by bow by one of Dave’s kids that had not previously harvested a buck with a bow. During these two years, numerous nice bucks were showing up on game cameras including a 160-inch+ 3-year-old, but the hunters were never in the “right place at the right time.” It was also during this time period that a neighbor killed a non-typical buck that scored close to 200 inches.
2016 rolled around and Dave was extremely optimistic. All of his kids had altered their schedules so that they all would be able to spend more time hunting in the Fall of 2016 than ever before. As the summer progressed he identified 11 different shooter-bucks that all would score over 140 inches. This included three different three-year-old bucks that all scored from 150-160 inches and there were two different two-year-olds that were placed off-limits as both of these bucks would score over 130 inches. The Fall bow season was very eventful with many encounters but no deer on the ground. Next up was the gun season and two of Dave’s kids dropped good bucks; a 15-pointer and an 11-pointer that sported a drop tine. The 11-pointer was a 5-year-old buck and the 15-point brute was a 3-year-old. Overall deer numbers had increased over the last few years and two does were also harvested to keep the population in balance. Dave’s neighbors also had success as five bucks that were on Dave’s hit-list were harvested, including one that scored over 170 inches.
Dave is very excited about “staying the course”, planting year-round food sources and managing the deer numbers on the little slice of Whitetail paradise he has created. He has been amazed as to how well this programmed approach is consistently growing big deer at young ages and keeping them on his property.
In addition to food plots, Dave lives in a state where feeding deer is legal and he is adamant and consistent about creating mineral licks and keeping them full year-round with the Antler King Trophy Deer Mineral and Power Rack. By supplementing his Protein and Energy-rich food plots with the complete mineral program he is offering, the entire deer family on his property is stronger and healthier…and it’s not just the bucks. Healthier does give birth to more developed, healthier fawns, that are drinking more nutrient-rich milk and eventually turning into healthier does and bucks.
Dave told me that he fully expects someone in his hunting group to drop a “booner” in 2017. After looking at pictures of deer that he has grown over the last few years, I expect to get that call from Dave sometime in the Fall of 2017 with the news and pictures to follow!
If you have any questions about how to turn your property into your very own “Whitetail Paradise” please contact us so we can help you put a program in place and see the results for yourself.
Happy Planting!
Todd Stittleburg l Antler King Trophy Products, Inc.