We believe in giving our deer the trio approach that Whitetail Institute has to offer. When I say trio approach, we plant Whitetail Institute’s annual and perennial seed mixes along with a healthy dose of their 30-06 Minerals.
Trashy Two was just a clean 10-point-frame buck at 4 but at 5, he really threw off lots of points. The trio approach helped this buck to reach his full potential.We get great results from our Imperial Whitetail Clover with deer utilization about nine to ten months of the year. For fall and winter, I like Pure Attraction and Beets & Greens. The oats in the Pure Attraction seem to get the deer on the plot early, while the Beets & Greens are still putting on forage and bulbs. Once winter arrives, the bulbs in the Beets & Greens seem to be the preference for our deer. We try our best to not run out of food in the late winter as this is critical to the antler size of your herd the next year.
The past three years, we have started feeding Whitetail Institute’s 30-06 Mineral Supplement. Since doing so, we have noticed our bucks throwing off extra kickers, or “trash,” off their antlers. Trashy Two was a buck that loved the 30-06 Mineral Supplement. We usually start putting out the minerals in late February to early March to give our bucks about two months of consumption before they start putting on their antlers. Bucks love hitting those mineral sites through summer, and they make our trail camera runs a lot more fun!
Since utilizing this trio approach, we have noticed bigger antler sizes and bigger bodies. Remember, one key to large antlers the next year is a well-nourished herd in late winter.
