Plan for Year-Round Success
Minerals, nutritional supplements (attractants), and food plots play important roles in nearly every deer management program. This is true throughout the year, not just during hunting season. Therefore, a year-round nutritional supplementation program is the only way to ensure your herd reaches its full potential. While individual circumstances vary, the following guide provides a basic strategy to achieve this goal.
Spring
Minerals: Mineral consumption is high as does carry and nurse fawns. Bucks also actively seek minerals during this time as they begin new antler growth.
Nutritional Supplements: Nutritional supplements help meet nutritional demands and aid in recovery from winter stress.
Food Plots: Spring planting begins for various warm season forages. Existing cool-season food plots will begin active growth during this time.
Summer
Minerals: Deer consumption of minerals increases during this time as demands for antler growth in bucks and lactation in does increase.
Nutritional Supplements: This is when supplements can provide the last push of nutrition before the rut. It’s also the time to begin patterning and attracting deer to trail camera and stand locations.
Food Plots: Warm season forages reach optimal growth, allowing bucks to pack on the weight before the rut and does to meet energy demands for raising hungry fawns.
Fall
Minerals: Does continue to seek out minerals to replenish body supplies depleted by raising fawns and to prepare for the upcoming breeding season. While bucks will consume fewer minerals at this time, they will regularly visit mineral sites in search of does.
Feeds: This is when supplements can help attract and pattern deer to trail camera and stand locations. This helps hunters monitor and target specific deer.
Food Plots: Fall planting begins for various cool season forages. This is key to attracting, holding, and harvesting deer — as well as ensuring adequate nutrition throughout the critical fall and winter months when natural forages are in short supply.
Winter
Minerals: Despite reductions in consumption, mineral availability is important for winter survival and getting a good “jump start” the following spring.
Feeds: Supplements containing high levels of carbohydrates and fats can be essential sources of digestible energy during winter months when natural forages are scarce.
Food Plots: While many food plots are dormant, depleted, or buried under snow, strategic plantings of forages with underground bulbs such as radishes, turnips, and sugar beets can provide essential late-season nutrition and increase winter survival in northern climates.