Provding your deer herd the proper vitamins, minerals and nutrients on a year-round basis can not only produce larger antlers but it can have a positive impact on your whole deer family. The right minerals in the right proportion are important for increasing body weight, antler size, milk production, immune system health and disease prevention. While Mother Nature provides minerals in the soil and through plants that deer will consume, many positive results can be obtained by providing additional mineral supplements to your deer herd. Providing supplemental mineral sources like Antler King® Trophy Deer Mineral is important for the whole deer family, especially younger deer that have not reached full maturity. As a young deer consumes minerals, they are stored within the skeletal system, allowing it to continue to grow. It is only when there is a surplus of minerals that they will be “transferred” from the skeletal system, into antler growth. A mature buck, with a completely developed skeletal system doesn’t need to much of a mineral surplus to maximize their antler growth as a young immature buck does as much of their mineral intake is still being used to support it’s skeletal growth. When choosing a mineral supplement, make sure it contains highly-digestable chelated minerals, like Antler King® Trophy Deer Mineral, so deer can easily digest and store these important minerals in their skeletal system and antlers.
Although deer will consume minerals on a year-round basis, the largest consumption will occur from March through September as antlers are growing, fawns are nursing and does are producing milk. It is during this time that it is extremely important to offer mineral supplements on your property. To provide enough minerals for your whole deer family, we recommend at least one mineral site per 40 acres of property. Mineral sites are best established near watering holes, food sources or frequently traveled deer trails, allowing deer safe and easy access to these valuable minerals. Consumption of minerals is different than consumption of grain or corn. One deer will consume anywhere from 1-5 oz. per day, so if you pour out a bag of Trophy Deer Mineral and a bag of Apple Burst Deer Mineral per site you will want to replenish it every 3-4 weeks.
As we mentioned, deer will consume minerals that Mother Nature provides through plants, water and soil and these minerals are digested and then stored on the deer’s skeletal system. It is only when a deer is able to consume a surplus of minerals that they are allocated towards antler growth. There are two types of minerals that deer need to consume to maximize body and antler growth and sustain optimum health; Macro Minerals (Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium etc.) and Micro or Trace Minerals (Copper, Iron, Selenium, Manganese, etc.) Deer will consume and require more Macro minerals and far less Micro minerals to achieve maximum growth and optimum health.