Mineral/Vitamin Supplementation

A Common Sense Approach, Part III

By WHITETAIL INSTITUTE STAFF

We have come to the final segment of our three-part series discussing the common sense attributes of the use of mineral and vitamin supplementation in a deer management program. If you did not catch the first two segments, we are diving into this topic to analyze the argument between those who say mineral/vitamin supplementation is useful –if not crucial – and those who say that conclusive scientific data has not been established on this subject.           

Let me briefly outline the two sides of the argument. First, there is a group of people who say that mineral/vitamin supplementation has not been conclusively proven to be beneficial or needed in a deer management program based on basic scientific parameters. These parameters state that a statistically significant amount of data must be obtained and duplicated in a test scenario in which the methods used take out all variables, which can influence the results.

The other side of the argument is that it is impossible to get true scientific data on wild deer that is not influenced in some way by variables found in wild deer research. There are, however, an overwhelming amount common sense examples, reasoning and even data that show the benefits of mineral/vitamin supplementation in wild deer. 

The causation of the problem is that methodology used in common scientific research must take out all variables that influence the results of the data. We all know that this is very difficult, if not impossible, when conducting wild deer research. Let me give you an example of this in terms of finding mineral requirements for deer.

In order to determine nutrient requirements, you must first have two groups of deer, each eating the exact same diet. Then in one group (test group), the nutrient being tested is altered up or down, while the other group (control group) remains on the same diet. All of the animals are fed these diets for a particular period of time and then tested for differences in characteristics such as antler growth, body weight, etc. This test is done over and over using differing levels of the nutrient until an optimal level is found. As you can probably already see, conducting a test such as this on free-ranging, wild white-tailed deer is very difficult.  The amount of variables, which could influence the results, is endless.

In Part I of this series we took a look at functions of minerals and vitamins in a deer’s body.  For instance, hardened antler is comprised of 55 percent minerals. These minerals come largely from the skeletal structure of the buck in a process similar to osteoporosis, as well as from the diet. Minerals in the diet are needed to replenish skeletal supplies and to be used, in part, directly for antler production. Antler growth is secondary to body health, so it is logical to say that if minerals are in short supply in the buck’s diet, antler size will be affected because the buck will not overexert his skeletal system with the absence of minerals to replenish it.

Antler growth is not the only function of minerals and vitamins, however. Research has shown that does require high amounts of minerals and vitamins for gestation and lactation. Fawns require the highest amount for skeletal growth. This, combined with the fact that many soils have been depleted of minerals from years of farming, make a strong common-sense argument for the benefit of mineral/vitamin supplements to deer.

In Part II of the series we investigated some of the research that has been done on the benefit of minerals and vitamins in deer management. While there are a few research projects that did not show a direct benefit, there are many that do. For instance, a test conducted in Pennsylvania showed a benefit to increased phosphorus in the diet. Another conducted in Mississippi showed a correlation between higher mineral contents in the soil and larger body weights. Furthermore, though there are many differences in the nutrition of cattle and deer, they are both ruminants and use minerals and vitamins in similar ways. Stacks of research have been produced showing the benefits of mineral supplementation in cattle such as increased milk production. Deer milk is richer in nutrients than cow’s milk and cattle don’t produce antlers like deer, so again, one could logically say that deer require more mineral than cattle.

In this third and final segment, we are going to look at the argument that causes the most controversy. This is the “non-scientific” results that are seen by independent people using mineral and vitamin supplements in their wild deer nutritional management programs.

Over the years, the Whitetail Institute of North America has received literally thousands of comments and letters from the users of our mineral/vitamins products stating emphatically the improvements they have seen in their deer when using Whitetail Institute products. These improvements range from increased antler size to heavier body weights. You may call this evidence circumstantial and lacking scientific methods and review. However, circumstantial evidence is vital when it is so overwhelming. Criminals have been sentenced to death with less circumstantial evidence than this. The following are just a small sample of the letters the Whitetail Institute has received.

Doug Young – Missouri

“We own land in Pike County Illinois, which is already a great spot for big deer. But our land and neighbor’s land have shown improvement since using 30-06 Plus Protein. Our deer tend to be a little larger with some racks being really impressive.”

Jeffrey Latshaw – Wisconsin

“I have seen bigger bodied deer and also bigger antlers since using 30-06 Mineral. The neighbors that have hunted the area 25 years have seen bigger bucks in the last three years too.”

John Bender—Pennsylvania

“Both 30-06 and 30-06 Plus Protein have been a big key in our hunting operation. We know both products help us have healthier deer and they are bringing more deer onto our property. I’ve been involved in the outdoors for more than 40 years and I’ve seen some of trends come and go. I think the first thing we started using was salt blocks. Then that changed and everybody started using mineral blocks. The 30-06 Mineral was a whole different ballgame. The deer just devour it.”

Kelly McCulley – Tennessee

“Your 30-06 Mineral products work as promised.  We’ve had outstanding body weights and antler growth in the last three years.  Thanks for Whitetail Products.”

Jeff Giles – Pennsylvania

“No question about it, since I started using 30-06 and 30-06 Plus Protein, the deer I’ve been harvesting are much better quality bucks and does.  Bigger racks, bigger bodies, just all around healthier animals.”

Gary Hardin – Louisiana

“We’re killing deer like we’ve never killed before and I’ve had this place for 14 years.  Since we added 30-06 the quality of deer and number of deer have gone way up.  Using 30-06 Mineral has unquestionably made a difference on our deer’s size.  We killed an 8-pointer that weighed 165 pounds.  For our part of the country, that’s impressive.”

David Kidder – Michigan

“The deer literally destroyed the area to get at the Cutting Edge Optimize. Buck size has grown considerably with many more heavy-racked bucks.”

Robert Lehman – Pennsylvania

“We’ve used the Cutting Edge Initiate and Sustain and the racks clearly are larger and heavier. Even the 1-1/2-year-old deer have heavier racks with more and longer points.”

Jason Jackson-- Oklahoma

“I’ve used more of the Cutting Edge than anything else. We’ve always seen deer and a lot of bucks, but not real big deer. Most of our big deer were in the 130-class, but we wanted more mass on our bucks. The Cutting Edge not only helps the does stay healthy, but it also helps the antler mass on our bucks.”

Wayne Bryant—Texas

“I’ve been hunting in old Mexico since 1980. It was virgin territory when I first hunted it. Then we realized that Mother Nature couldn’t provide what we wanted to see. We’re on our third year using Cutting Edge. I really believe Cutting Edge is a breakthrough for the deer hunters. Some of the deer I’ve field dressed in Mexico are 241 pounds. The deer I field dressed last year was 226 pounds. We’ve also seen an increase in the amount of deer that we’re seeing. There was one buck that was 500 yards north of the Imperial Whitetail Clover food plot that was the largest deer the locals have ever seen in their life. We know the deer are getting bigger or we wouldn’t be spending our money on it. We keep good records and this past season our records have shown more mass over previous years. This year the first measurement on the base averaged five inches as opposed to four inches prior to using the products. We feel we’ve got a better chance for even better deer this coming year. 

Fred Abbas—Michigan

“I started using 30-06 Mineral three years ago before I switched to Cutting Edge. We now use all three Cutting Edge products on our property. We use Sustain out of season to keep the deer healthy. As a matter of fact, one day after we put out Sustain, a 10-pointer came right in within a few minutes and started eating it. Because of the 30-06 Mineral and now the Cutting Edge, we’ve seen our antler growth enhanced greatly.”

Jerry Connelly - Oklahoma

I’ve been using 30-06 on my hunting resort for seven years now. The deer love it. I’ve got holes (lick sites) as big as a couch. They just keep coming back for it. And I’ve definitely seen an increase in our antler size. Our average score is up 12 to 15 percent compared to seven years ago. Four of the top 10 (three out of the top five) mule deer ever killed in Oklahoma have come off my place. One non-typical scored 242 B&C and had a 36-inch inside spread. Another typical mule deer scored in the 180-range. We’ve also taken three whitetails that score over 200 gross (180-190 net). One monster gross scores 225!

I could provide page after page of the very same types of comments but I think you get the picture. The results that the users are having from using Whitetail Institute mineral/vitamin supplements are not limited to geographic location, genetic pool, amount of land or any other factor. The fact is we receive letters with these results from all over the country – from the serious manager to the beginner. 

One of the fundamentals of scientific methodology is having a large amount of data. A large amount of data helps to prevent any one particular variable from influencing the data. In wild deer research, the biggest obstacles are variables and the fact that these variables change from one area to another. For instance variables in weather change from north to south. Variables in the type and quality of food sources and vegetation change.  The genetic makeup of a deer herd may be different from one area to another. The only way to override these variables is to have one constant in all situations. This constant is Whitetail Institute Mineral/Vitamin supplements. The formula for the products does not change no matter where they are used but the results are all the same: bigger antlers, heavier body weights and overall better quality deer herds. 

Of all of the common sense arguments I have used in this series, the real-world results we have seen is the strongest argument. In truth, it is more fact than argument. One may be able to refute a handful of field test results or even a large number of results in the same area. One cannot, however, refute thousands of field observations over 14 years from all over the country. This fact proves the improvement and benefit of using mineral/vitamin supplements in your deer management program. 

In conclusion, I would like to say that I have the utmost respect for deer researchers, and many argue on the opposite side of me. According to scientific methodology, their arguments do indeed have a well-meant point. However, when you take out the variables with overwhelming results (whether by scientists or field testers), the only conclusion you can come to is that there is a definite benefit to supplementing mineral and vitamins to deer. If nothing else, common sense should tell you there is a benefit.  After all, a large part of science is common sense.