Growing deer tv put up this video in regards to soil quality and antler growth. With all the talk of minerals and supplemental feeding on here lately, something else to think about. I still think age is #1. If you don't let them survive, they will never get bigger. Genetics definitely helps as with nutrition 2&3. Im quoting a member on another forum who says it perfectly " If you talk about growing big bucks, the three requirements are so intertwined I don't believe you can put one factor much higher than the others. You need age, genetics and nutrition, in no particular order. You can have one of the three and still get a decent buck, two of the three and get a good one, but it takes all three to get a great one. The thing about amending soil to affect the nutritional opportunities for the deer is that it's more difficult to do with a large portion of their diets: browse. " Watch Deer Hunting Videos. Free. GrowingDeer.tv
Soil quality and antler growth
tcook8296
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Growing deer tv put up this video in regards to soil quality and antler growth. With all the talk of minerals and supplemental feeding on here lately, something else to think about. I still think age is #1. If you don't let them survive, they will never get bigger. Genetics definitely helps as with nutrition 2&3. Im quoting a member on another forum who says it perfectly " If you talk about growing big bucks, the three requirements are so intertwined I don't believe you can put one factor much higher than the others. You need age, genetics and nutrition, in no particular order. You can have one of the three and still get a decent buck, two of the three and get a good one, but it takes all three to get a great one. The thing about amending soil to affect the nutritional opportunities for the deer is that it's more difficult to do with a large portion of their diets: browse. " Watch Deer Hunting Videos. Free. GrowingDeer.tv
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I fimly believe i takes all three components to grow a great deer myself. Truer words have neer been spoken. That is the perfect way to break it down as said in the qoute.
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Unfortunately two out of the three requirements are usually missing in NJ. :sad::sad:
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Its great to see the recent interest in minerals, food plots and habitat management. Once you can convince a guy to pass on those immature bucks and see that same deer next year put on a few more inches, usually is a game changer for that individual. Ignore the saying "If I don't shoot him some one else will" because they definitely stop growing the second they hit the ground. A few guys are getting selective with their harvest and don't feel the need to shoot every deer that walks by just because the state says its ok. We have the ag areas of the state, we have the genetics, we really lack the age here in NJ. As more people get educated, at least the ones that want to, the quality can only get better on your property and the surrounding properties too. You will always have the guys that need to kill every deer just because they can and it only takes a few of these guys to effect the entire neighborhood. I constantly refer people to the QDMA website. There are some very knowledgeable individuals over there to learn from
I don't say much on here do read posts. I enjoy reading your posts Tcook. I 100% agree that we need to let deer mature and practice that. It gets tougher every year in NJ because of surrounding properties. We definitely have some good genes and nutrition in the areas I hunt. In the last 4 years I've killed a 5.5, 4.5, and 6.5 year old all in nj. Just takes a lot of patience and discipline. Oh, and luck!!
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Also remember deer in captivity are given de wormer and other meds to keep them healthy. Wild deer ingest a large amount of dirt to help their digestive systems but other than that they host many nutrient robbing parasites. Which hinder antler/bone growth.
https://www.qdma.com/articles/10-weird-parasites-that-live-inside-deer
https://www.qdma.com/articles/10-weird-parasites-that-live-inside-deer
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From what I read it is a fine line with free range deer. It is very difficult to be sure each animal is receiving the correct dose. It's said that if an animal consumes a low dose of dewormer the parasites will only build up resistance to the medication rather than expire from it. I didn't research it entirely but this was what I came to understand.
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On a side note.. don't think that a few guys here in NJ aren't already doing it. They key in a target buck and start the "special blend diet". You have seen pics of these dead deer.
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I guess anything is possible but that would take a real low life to purposely poison a deer.
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Agreed
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