My afternoon snack in junior high school included three bologna sandwiches, a big bag of chips and two — sometimes three — Mountain Dews.
That cornucopia of goodness didn’t replace supper but was merely a between-meal survival snack. Amazingly, I didn’t weigh 300 pounds but was rather sturdy at 5 feet, 10 inches and 150 pounds. Age contributed to that metabolism phenomenon, but it’s important to note that I typically snacked after sports practice. Further, after the last chip and gulp of soda went down my gullet, I tackled whatever Dad wanted me to do on the farm, which typically involved manual labor he didn’t want to do. Fast forward 34 years. If I even smell a pizza, I gain at least 2 pounds. Even salads aren’t a safe bet, at least if they contain anything good, such as meat, eggs, cheese or dressing. Food and nutrient intake are also top concerns for whitetail deer, but not necessarily for the reasons that apply to humans. Deer have a constant intake-versus-activity balance that plays out daily. They must consume enough nutrients to maintain their physical ability to reproduce, avoid predation and withstand adverse environmental conditions. Further, deer need varying levels of nutrients depending on their stage in the growth cycle and the time of year that coincides with a specific biological or physiological function. For example, the nutrient needs of a fawn differ from those of a yearling, and the yearling’s needs differ from those of an adult deer. But nutritional needs are also influenced by breeding, gestation, lactation and antler growth. To maximize a deer’s nutritional management, you should consider it from a 365-day perspective and match supplementation to the phase within the annual cycle of the deer herd.
Growth Before delving into how nutritional
requirements change based on yearly cycles, it’s important to understand the
role nutrition plays in the growth stages of deer. Fawns are the most rapidly
growing age class based on skeletal gain versus body weight. A young fawn needs
to grow and gain strength quickly to avoid predation. Fawns require extremely
nutrient-dense milk to support that rapid growth. Doe milk is substantially higher in fat and
protein than cow milk, and it’s also higher in minerals such as calcium and
magnesium. Although we can’t directly manage a fawn, we can manage the machine
that produces that nutrient-rich diet. Making sure a doe has adequate nutrients
in her diet, such as protein, minerals and vitamins, ensures she can produce
maximum quantities of milk for her fawn(s). In fact, nutrient management for
the doe herd is extremely important in lactation and during gestation. Proper
nutrition for a pregnant doe typically results in a higher birth weight, and a
stronger and, ultimately, a healthier fawn. Fawns born at lighter body weights
have a far greater mortality rate during the first few days of life. Fawns
begin eating foods other than milk at a relatively young age. In just a few
weeks, you might see them standing next to their mother, picking at a clover
leaf or visiting a supplemental mineral site. My trail camera photos in spring
and summer often show fawns with their noses buried deep in a mineral site.
That additional mineral supplementation can help boost their growth and will
likely result in a higher weaning weight. Yearling deer are akin to me during my teenage
years. They don’t eat bologna and potato chips, but they put away groceries and
seem to remain gangly and thin. Their nutrient demand for body growth exceeds
what they can consume, so there’s little left for condition or fat stores.
Similarly, antler growth is secondary to body growth, health and conditioning,
which, combined with the fact that those deer are young, results in many
unimpressive racks. But although a yearling buck might not make you shake in
your stand, things occurring in its young body are laying the foundation for a
future wall-hanger. From the time of
birth to about 3-1/2 years old, bucks grow their skeletal system. Because a
genetically maximized skeleton is critical for optimal antler growth at
maturity, the nutritional plane of a buck during its first three years can
affect its antler growing potential. Bucks will reach full muscle growth
maturity at 4-1/2, so until that point, protein, minerals, vitamins and energy
are used first to produce muscle. That’s why we see dramatic increases in antler
growth at 3-1/2 and 4-1/2, when a buck’s body can direct more nutrients toward
antler growth, with the maturation of the skeletal system and then muscle
development, respectively. A buck cannot realize its full antler growth
potential until 5-1/2, when body growth has essentially stopped and, aside from
maintenance, nutrients can be fully used for antler growth. Similarly, young does also develop muscle and
skeletal systems, although they will reach maturity up to a year earlier than
bucks. The result of a doe reaching maturity is not as obvious because they produce
no antlers as evidence. The nutritional plane of does from birth to maturity
also affects their productivity as adults, but again, that’s more difficult to
ascertain. Rather than antlers, successful fawn rearing is the marker which
measures nutritional health during a doe’s developmental years. Lactation
requires high levels of protein, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. A
well-developed skeletal system is one key to maximum milk production. Also, the
muscle development of a young doe will lead to a stronger body at maturity,
which improves the doe’s ability to better withstand fawn rearing. A doe that
receives good nutrition during its developmental years will be more likely to
produce and raise healthy, productive fawns. In either case, nutritional demands change as
deer grow, with the highest nutritional requirements starting as a fawn and
slowing decreasing until maturity, when they level out in terms of growth.
That doesn’t mean they remain static. Although good nutrition is vital all year,
requirements change depending on the time of year.
Spring and Summer God’s creation is a marvel. Why do you think
most animals that rely on vegetation have their young in spring? That’s when
nutrition is most abundant. Young vegetative plants are at their highest levels
of nutrient content and are also far more digestible, especially for small
ruminants such as deer. With some geographical variation, a November breeding
season results in fawns being born about the middle of May to early June. As
mentioned, maximum milk production is critical to fawn survival. A doe’s
nutrient-dense milk must be supported by a nutrient-rich diet. Protein and
energy are vital for optimal lactation, which is why having a high-quality
perennial food plot, such as Imperial Whitetail Clover or Fusion, is important.
Imperial Whitetail Clover and Fusion are
high in digestible protein and are also one of the first food sources to green
up in early spring, providing critical nutrients for does before fawns are
born. The protein needs of lactating does are about 18 percent, and because
natural food sources are often lower in protein, the extremely high protein
levels in Imperial Whitetail Clover and Fusion will supplement protein to help
meet those requirements. But minerals and vitamins are also critical for peak
milk production. Doe milk is high in minerals, which is sourced by pulling
minerals from the skeletal system. Minerals from the diet replenish these
supplies, but if dietary mineral levels are low, the doe’s health and milk
production suffer. Minerals occur
naturally in soil and are used by plants for growth and, in turn, used by deer
when they consume the plants. However, almost all soils are deficient in one or
more minerals, and some are extremely deficient. Even when minerals are present
in forages, digestibility can vary dramatically. Without proper calcium,
phosphorus, magnesium and trace mineral levels in a doe’s diet, the amount of
milk produced by a doe will decrease. Studies have shown that with a
nutritive-deficient diet, the nutrient concentration in milk stays the same,
but less total volume of milk is produced. In other words, the protein and
mineral levels might be the same regardless of diet, but the fawn will receive
less milk. With less milk, fawns become
weak and are far more susceptible to predation, disease and mortality.
Supplementing with free-choice minerals such as 30-06 and 30-06 Plus Protein
is extremely important in spring and summer. These products provide macro and
trace minerals, and vitamins A, D and E, which help support milk production.
Mineral supplementation has been proven to increase milk production for most
herbivores, including deer. Increased milk production means faster-growing
fawns with heavier wean weights, which promotes higher mature weights and more
productive mature deer. The effects of
supplementation on the buck herd is more phenotypical, as outward results are
easier to recognize. Improved nutrition results in higher body weights, better
conditioning and increased antler growth. Mature bucks use nutrients first for
body maintenance and then for antler growth. Basically, when more nutrients are
available, bucks can use more of them for secondary characteristics, such as
antler growth. Spring and summer encompass most of the antler-growing process.
Like a lactating doe, a buck requires the highest levels of protein and
minerals during that time. For protein, that equates to a 16 to 18 percent
average of the total diet. The
velvet-growing antler is comprised of a protein matrix that essentially is
like the framework of a house. Minerals are deposited on the protein framework,
providing hardness and density. This process happens throughout the
antler-growing cycle but intensifies in late summer. The minerals used for
antler growth are pulled from the skeletal system and transported via the blood
stream to the growing antler, much like mineral transport for milk production.
Mineral in the diet is then used to replenish the skeletal system. Because antlers are a secondary sex
characteristic, bucks will not jeopardize physical health to transport excess
minerals to the antler. If dietary mineral is in short supply, less mineral
will be used for antler growth. As mentioned, almost all soils are deficient in
one or more minerals, which is why mineral supplementation can produce dramatic
results. Providing premium mineral nutrition to bucks can lead to a heavier,
denser antler structure and, ultimately, bigger antlers. Also, proper mineral
nutrition will result in heavier body weights, as minerals are involved in many
parts of metabolism.
Fall and Winter When summer shifts to fall, and fawns are
weaned and bucks shed their velvet, protein and mineral requirements begin to
decrease. However, that doesn’t mean nutritional supplementation doesn’t play a
role in deer herd management. It simply means the supplement needs to change
to meet the nutritional requirements specific to fall and winter. In late autumn, the rut takes center stage.
Bucks are in constant motion, seeking, chasing, fighting and breeding. A buck’s
food intake will decrease during the rut, as he has more pressing matters on
his mind. The result of increased activity combined with lower nutrient intake
results in a massive loss of body weight for most mature breeding bucks. The
doe side of the equation is often not considered, however. Successful breeding
can be affected by the body condition of a doe, meaning a doe in poor condition
is less likely to become pregnant. For bucks and does, minerals, vitamins and
protein remain important in fall and winter, but energy typically becomes the
most limiting portion of their diet. As
the rut fades and fall slides into winter, energy becomes increasingly
important. Bucks must regain lost body weight before the worst of winter hits,
which requires protein, minerals, vitamins and a lot of energy. When winter
takes its full grip on the environment, many natural food sources begin to
disappear, and those that remain are of lower quality. Cold weather, snow and
the need to move to find food require a nutrient-rich diet to maintain body
condition. It’s a simple matter of
calories burned versus calories (energy) and other nutrients gained. Does are
trying to maintain body condition and also need nutrition to support the
growing fawns inside them. If a doe is in poor condition through the first two
trimesters, she will often absorb or abort one or more fawns. During the final
trimester, when most fetal growth occurs, a doe in poor condition might abort
her fawns. But often, fetal demands receive most of the nutrients she consumes,
which leads to an even sharper decrease in her body condition. If she remains
in that state through birth, she will likely lose her fawn or fawns because her
body cannot produce adequate milk, or the fawns will be born at a low birth
weight. The highest winter losses in a
deer herd tend to be fawns and mature bucks. It’s little wonder mature bucks
rank as high as they do in that category. Bucks can lose 25 percent or more of
their weight during the rut. After the rut, their focus is to regain as much
weight as possible. If they do not, they can succumb to the harshness of
winter. If they make it through the toughest part of winter but are in poor
condition, they must first regain body condition when late winter/ early spring
arrive before nutrients can be used for early antler growth. Antler growth
begins in late winter/early spring, and even at that stage requires quality
nutrition for maximum growth. If spring green-up hasn’t occurred during that
period — and it likely hasn’t in many parts of the country — bucks have few, if
any, quality food sources, which results in stunted early antler growth.
Regardless of spring and summer nutritional abundance later on, this early deficiency
will lead to decreased antler size in fall. To account for the nutritional stresses that
occur in fall and winter, it’s a good management practice to use a high-quality
nutritional supplement. However, as mentioned, a fall and winter supplement
should be formulated differently than a spring and summer supplement. 30-06
Thrive is developed specifically for the nutritional demands of fall and
winter. It contains the needed levels of protein, minerals and vitamins but is
also packed with highly digestible energy, making it an ideal supplement for
the colder months. If you have available
acreage, it’s also a great idea to have high-quality late-season food plots
available. Winter-Greens, Tall Tine Tubers, Beets & Greens, Destination and
Ravish are all excellent choices for producing lots of late-season forage.
Conclusion Often, we only think about deer nutrition
during certain periods. We plant plots in spring and maybe before hunting
season, and we might put out some mineral. However, deer require good nutrition
365 days a year. Any gap in the plan can affect success for the year. But what
deer need throughout the year changes, and to maximize your herd’s potential,
you should manage and use products that meet those needs.
