How I Do It

The “Big Six” in Developing Monster Bucks

By Mark Mears

Every whitetail hunter dreams of shooting “the big one.” The biggest problem the hunter faces is finding that prized deer. In Pennsylvania that was almost impossible to do until the last two years. Two seasons ago the state placed antler restrictions on hunting deer to allow the bucks to reach more maturity. In Pennsylvania we had historically killed off 90 percent of our antlered deer each season. Hunters had the mindset that getting a buck was what it was all about. Convincing hunters to let deer reach their prime was not easy. The Game Commission, led by Gary Alt, finally did it and hunters are already seeing bigger bucks. That is natural when you simply let a buck age a year. Deer that get to live an extra year will, as common sense suggests, produce larger racks. With more than one million hunters though, you must do more to produce trophy deer since many of those will still be shot.

I own 90 acres of prime whitetail land and with my brother-in-law’s adjoining land we have roughly 130 acres of ideal habitat. We have always had antler restrictions of six points or more long before the Game Commission implemented the statewide plan. Even with this we were still only seeing “nicer” eight points and some small ten points. This is when I contacted the Whitetail Institute for some assistance. Something had to be missing. After two or three conversations we realized I had the cover, water and traditional food sources such as corn, apples, and alfalfa, but I needed more protein in the deer’s’ diet. They needed some supplemental help. The Institute stepped in as my counselor and I listened as the student. Now my property is home to many deer, and more importantly, many “wall-hangers”. How was this accomplished? It took hard work, commitment, and patience.

I first had my property timbered with select cutting. This was not only necessary for the property, but it was vital for the deer herd. The brushy tops and thick undercover provided great food sources and protective cover for fawns. Once this was done, I began to erect stands for hunting as well as observation points. I instantly saw an increase in deer numbers simply because does had prime habitat for raising fawns. The downside was it put our buck-to-doe ratio at about a 1:5 ratio. This was nowhere near where it needed to be. After some research and conferring with the Institute again, I realized I had to put doe hunting high on the priority list. We spent two seasons with the attitude of “shoot the does.” This began to pull our numbers to a 1:3 ratio, which was better, but not yet where we wanted it. We still weren’t seeing mountable bucks.

I contacted the Whitetail Institute once again. I decided to put three acres of Imperial Whitetail Clover in to complement the cornfields and thick cover. This was a start in upping the protein levels of the deer. It began to supply the protein to balance the carbohydrates from corn, grains, and apples from our orchards. The herd’s diet was becoming more balanced. Pat Heide, (my assistant project manager), and I noticed for the first time some sizable antler growth. I harvested a nice 10-point buck that year but we wanted more mass on the antlers. Dan and Bill Grobe, both close friends of mine, shot nice eight-and nine-points respectively the following year. The story was the same. Nice racks, decent spreads, but not enough mass.

One more time I contacted the Whitetail Institute. They advised me to implement a year-round mineral supplement practice. I set up two mineral stations and supplied deer with supplements all through the year. I rotate from Initiate, to Optimize, to Sustain. I use Sustain from November through February. This allows bucks to regain their lost weight from the rut rapidly. A deer will only put all its energy into antlers after their bodies are sufficiently replenished. Sustain helps accomplish this. In March I begin to use Initiate so the bucks have the boost they need to pump up their racks to their potential. This finally has added mass to the antlers of my herds. In the summer I switch to Optimize. This helps the bucks polish off their racks so they can reach full potential. After only one year of this, the results were evident; after two years it was astounding. My brother Paul shot a 140-class eight-point two years ago, and last season Pat shot a 152-class 15-point two-and-a-half year old. Rich Firmstone, a family friend, also harvested a large 9-point -- all mountable deer. This does not include many other bucks that were shot but weren’t quite this nice. (See photo of Paul’s 130 and Pat Heide’s 152)

Our buck to doe ratio is now 1:5:1 which our trail cameras show us. Of the last 14 deer photographed, 10 were bucks and all were “shooters”. That is amazing in just a three-year span. Shooting does and providing enough food and nutrition for the bucks to stay on the property has made all the difference.

The final thing I did, on the advice of the Whitetail Institute, was create two sanctuaries. These are areas we never venture into. I have a 10-acre area and a seven-acre area. I have provided my deer herd with what I consider to be the “big six” in developing monster bucks. #1. I have created excellent cover, #2. I have planted awesome food sources, #3. I supply year-round supplements, #4. The deer have two streams and several springs for water, #5. I have allowed the deer to age properly, and #6. I have provided mature bucks with lots of sanctuary.

Everything I have done and accomplished was with the help of the Whitetail Institute. You can achieve the same things. All you have to do is implement a sound management strategy, apply concrete rules, be patient, and stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish. Sure, some of our deer are shot by neighboring hunters, but common sense says if I have the food, cover, minerals, water and sanctuary, I will have the most big bucks staying on or heading to my property. It is worth giving up one or two to harvest three or four.

In the last five years I have learned how to manage whitetail deer. I not only manage for the bucks, but also the does. It is all thanks to the counseling from the Whitetail Institute. Anytime I have called they have helped, guided, and instructed me in what to do. You can do the same. Give the Whitetail Institute a call.