Do Minerals Really Grow Bigger Bucks?

Don Higgins discusses his thoughts on supplemental feeding #whitetaildeer with mineral.
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[@scribbledown8529]

6yrs of Mineral and not shooting small bucks! It's help tremendously

[@mickeywelch4880]

Don Higgins has a wealth of information. I wish I had started years ago.

[@davidtpierce]

Don, another one of your straight forward, fact filled, research backed informative videos.!! I heard this from you at a seminar a while ago and started using mineral almost year round....more for the does actually to help with fetus formation. Which you're EXACTLY right.....EVERY cattle person knows that concept. Thanks again for the great video. Always look forward to the next one. P.S. -the Miscanthus I got from you and planted in mid May, as per the instructions in your literature , is doing Amazing !! Already 2'- 2 1/2' ft tall with multiple stalks. FAR better than other miscanthus I've planted before.!!!! Thanks

[@rx1hunter896]

The best video to depict what minerals actually do for deer. 👍🙏🦌

[@estelltabor4183]

I use Maximizer during spring and summer, it has a higher salt content than the ADM rack plus I use the rest of the year. I put ADM on a stump 2 years ago in February. It was actually during a ice storm in Kentucky, and they ate it up. So they just don’t eat it for salt because their diet changes during spring green up. Been feeding mineral for 40 years and I’ve never had them eat it during February or winter time.

[@ronmacdougall9612]

Yes,good video,a veterinarian in Canada wrote a good book on minerals,a lot of good info and like you said it’s more then a one year project.

[@TheRaghorn]

Wow! I am amazed how we are sorta on the same page on many things you speak about. Every year I start putting down a mineral first of June, which I won't name here, because I do not advertise for anyone, and I continue all the way through December. The does here look fat as cattle and I have seen new fawn born and by November, they have small forks about 3 inches high. And of course the 3 places for licks have been in the same places for 6 years.

[@WhitetailVigilantes]

Excellent video, as usual. That being said, I'm actually going to go out on a limb and say that it's more than a 5 year process. And here's why: you talked about fetal programming. And yes, it definitely helps buck fawns. But you didn't mention doe fawns. If I had to propose a hypothesis, I would say that bucks born to does who had access to minerals and whose mother's had access to minerals would fare even better than the first generation of bucks born to mothers with access to minerals. The idea is that the benefit of minerals grows over time as the benefit to previous generations increases with each passing year. Healthier mothers lead to healthier offspring.

[@richardheacock7422]

I know that it works here in minnesota.six years ago I bought 40 ackers and deer were full of ticks and looked in bad shape.I start to feed minneral and make food plot and know my deer look like they should be and got my first deer last year that was over 10 points

[@lukem674]

Great video.

[@briangriffin5563]

Good stuff!

[@gogitr8904]

Very informative sir👌🏽

[@nateclark3169]

Well said!

[@DavidGonzalez-ek3zh]

Great info

[@tonyviers-de9qi]

I’ve been putting mineral out for 10 years. Definitely noticed a difference in herd. I always believed what you are saying about fetuses getting mineral. Ive killed 3 deer over 170” on a farm where noone had before. I think it has changed the herd genetically. I could be wrong but there is something to be said here

[@robertmorris8861]

I have to totally agree with the mineral being put out grows bigger rack whitetail bucks. I started 2 years ago just putting out a common green cattle trace mineral blocks. The deer ate the dirt from around.the blocks as well as licking and biting the blocks. I have trail camera pictures of the 9 point buck the 1st year I put out the blocks, after 2 years I was given.the chance to bow hunt and shoot the buck here in central N.C. he grew into the biggest antlered buck I have ever shot or harvested. Just a simple trace mineral cattle block, no buck deer pictures on plastic camo wrap. That simple Minerals Work. Thanks

[@davidtisch5237]

Totally makes sense feed the does to grow bigger bucks it’s a marathon not a race

[@Brandon-uo1rv]

Why I appreciate the research study information and having done mineral supplementation for 15 plus years on different properties I have come to the conclusion that the biggest difference is trying to manage feeding on a free ranging animal is almost impossible. Obviously pen deer can grow enormous racks and potential body weight, but a relatively stress free environment and selective food source feeding and tracking makes it almost pointless to think it can make a reasonable difference in a free ranging deer herd. No question that the deer crave the Na with all the new plant growth K they are getting and a great way to get some summer pics.

[@fattroutlounge]

Liked the video. I've used mineral for years. Not sure the impact that the mineral really has b/c the amount of habitat improvements combined with the mineral have really changed my property. I will say that the 7 buck fawn twin study is flawed UNLESS the same buck sired both buck fawn. It's super common for doe to have multiple sires in the same season.

[@calvinhoward2407]

I feed minerals to wild deer been doing it for 40 yrs. 2 different places that 3rd and 4th yr you start to notice a difference

[@chelseazarate189]

Deficient does produce deficient fawns. You can correct a deficiency through Rx mineral injections. Not handy for free ranging deer but I use it in my dairy goat program

[@richbelmonte2911]

Maybe it works on wild deer maybe not. I am not poor so I will keep doing it. I have spent money on worst. It makes me happy !

[@markpayne5710]

Age is the biggest influence to bigger racks I have never seen but mybe you have a 2 1/2 year old buck with a 180" rack

[@Clancy2105]

Yup just like a pregnant woman taking prenatal. Why would the doctor tell them to if it’s not good for the baby and the mother. Great info thanks from northwest Montana

[@nyleslehnen4751]

I agree 110%

[@blazeice111]

Hey Don, do you have any recommendations on getting them to ingest it? We have tried minerals in the past, but they'll only lick salt rocks.

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

pour some salt over it

[@rickhaberland9183]

I agree and would love to start this on my 80 acres but I don't believe its allowed in IL by DNR? If I'm wrong please drop me a reply and I'll buy some bags today. Thx

[@gramps5157]

I saw a guy who had a deer farm and he was feeding the deer either high carbs or high minerals and the deer had hoofs that looked like elf's feet. The hooves grew out super long.

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

that is from a poor diet and is a condition known as "founder"

[@Hammerback972]

He foundered them. Let them eat as much as they could gorge into their bodies. Horses, mules will do the same. Hooves become overgrown and eventually crippling and have to be trimmed.

[@radamrussell]

What's your opinion on using covered see-through, troughs rather than the ground due to internal parasites, which might just be in more southern areas like here in Texas, and the potential for disease spread - like CWD?

[@jonjones2013]

Wouldn't internal parasites be anywhere the deer are consuming mineral- ground or trough???

[@sticks7971]

I think it makes a difference but cant say 100%. I started hunting this property 15 years ago and seeing a 3 year old was a big deal. Not many big deer taken . I started making mineral sights and within 5 years i was seeing big deer. Went from lucky to see something with 120” to consistently seeing 140+. It still not great as far as age structure ( only on 200acres) however, i have been able to harvest a 187 then 172, then….. 221 . I think it matters.

[@markpiersall9815]

Providing minerals can increase twinning.

[@davidshay4773]

Where can I get the real world maximized deer minerals, I looked on Amazon and didn’t find it .

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

www.realworldwildlifeproducts.com

[@JoeMilesMWT]

Great info Don.....thanks for sharing this video.....just so I am clear...in your heard that you fed the mineral to, they averaged 10% larger racks than the ones that did not get mineral (was this after three years or after the first year?).....thanks!

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

Actually it was a little better than 10%, closer to 15% but to be conservative and due to the fact we are talking about wild free-range deer, I backed my estimate off a bit to the 10% figure

[@gramps5157]

He did mention it would take 5 years.

[@jerimahjohnson8698]

We had a deer here in ohio this year that put on 80 inches in one year.

[@jonjones2013]

Ok

[@chuckparson6712]

Exactly why cattle ranchers keep the heifers from the good cows and cull the bad. I've never thought about it for deer. Makes all the sense in the world to me. 👍👍

[@carsonschulz6498]

But don’t the majority of your bucks (via buck fawns) come from off your property as fawn/yearling dispersal? So minerals would only help your doe herd be bigger?

[@stickjr.3715]

How come nobody ever mentions protein in these grown bigger antlers?

[@banksfarm4894]

No debate

[@forrestfisher2582]

Could you mix the mineral in with corn? We’ve been feeding corn in a gravity feeder and I was just curious if that’s a way you could get them to eat it

[@jazzdude904]

I feed out of troughs and mix the corn with the feed. When it’s in a trough, it’s harder for them to just pick out the corn versus a feeder. Just my thoughts.

[@Centraltexasoutdoors]

Why feed corn in a gravity feeder corn has no benefit to deer use a protein pellet or golden nugget something more beneficial I have spin feeders with corn but throws very little corn and I have gravity feeders with protein pellets

[@jonjones2013]

@@Centraltexasoutdoors🤔 well u feed it in a gravity feeder so it's not always laying on the ground for every critter/bird to constantly eat🤷

[@NCsurfer607]

Really like to try the Maximizer deer mineral but they going to add 40 $ for shipping no thank you

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

have you tried a local dealer

[@NCsurfer607]

@@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147 I haven’t I guess you are referring too an feed store? I guess I could ask to see if they could order it

[@whitetaillandmanagement]

No offense, but somebody who sells mineral is going to say it makes a difference and there is no research showing showing that mineral helps FREE RANGING deer. Comparing cattle or deer studies in which animals are in a closed environment to deer which are free ranging is not the same thing. There’s research posted by the QDMA showing that free ranging deer don’t need to depend on mineral because they can browse and get their minerals in hundreds of other places... Unlike cattle or high fence deer which are in a closed environment.

[@chasinggiantswithhigginsou6147]

Totally disagree. Have you ever been out west and seen free-range cattle? Ranchers put out mineral for them. In regards to lack of research, show me research that proves mineral does NOT help grow bigger bucks.

[@whitetaillandmanagement]

Higgins Outdoors Gladly, the other study came out of penn state in the 50’s. “In a similar study conducted at Auburn University, researchers tried to detect differences in body and antler size between an unsupplemented and supplemented group. This study differed from the Penn State study in that both herds were fed a nutritionally complete diet. In addition, one group was provided a commercial mineral supplement. Over a four year period the researchers were unable to detect any differences between the two deer herds.” You can find this article on the qdma website OR listen to Kip Adams (Director of Conservation) himself state these facts in his most recent podcast with Land and Legacy.

[@gramps5157]

@@whitetaillandmanagement Then again as he said, "all mineral supplements are not created equal". Who knows if that had something to do with the outcome.

[@DeerMaster-bj5hr]

@@whitetaillandmanagement All do Respect.... I’ve completely Dedicated My Life to the study an research of Whitetail Deer.... an Trust Me QDMA is definitely not everything it’s cut out to-be For example they believe a 1 1/2 year old spike an a 1 1/2 year old 8pt have the same chance to become a world class Buck an that’s just not true.... 😉💯🌎🧬🦌❤️👨‍🌾🎯

[@whitetaillandmanagement]

@@DeerMaster-bj5hr For the most part that’s all hearsay. Regardless, comparing studies to cattle who graze on predominantly grasses, which are generally much lower in the same trace minerals and nutrients that deer need, to deer who predominantly graze on forbs, are two different things. I see how they seem similar, but they aren’t. And that’s just science, not my opinion or reason to stir the pot.

[@tmo4330]

Add 10% gross antler score to a mature buck? Why not just give the meat yield. Its the only thing that matters. Everything else goes in the compost pile unless someone wants the rack they can have it.

[@jrwstl02]

We hunt bucks for the challenge, we shoot does for our meat. We take 4-6 deer each year, but almost all does, with about 1 buck every other year. We want bucks to be at least 5 years old before we target them. Yes we eat the meat from bucks. Yes our neighbors kill some of our up and coming bucks. Hunt with family and friends, it gets more and more fun every year. Love it.

[@nyleslehnen4751]

I know it does.