Feeding Deer Year-Round: Benefits
Along with quality food plots, supplemental feeding can really help improve overall herd health and help your deer reach their genetic potential. Most people who assume their deer have “bad genetics” would be surprised with the kind of deer they could grow if they had better year round nutrition. Before beginning any feeding program always check and follow state & local regulations for feeding wildlife.
1. Post-Rut Recovery
Providing supplemental feed in a free choice trough style feeder is a great way to relieve some of the physical stress on a whitetail’s body. Biologic’s new BCP feed (beans, corn, protein) has a great ratio of fats, carbohydrates, and protein to help deer recover from the rut and winter stress to get them headed into the spring in top physical condition.
2. Healthy Fawns
Deer that enter the spring in top physical shape, rather than having to repair and play catch up, have their best chance of reaching their genetic potential. Doe will have healthier fawns and bucks can have a head start on that next set of antlers when they have a steady source of good nutritional feed in the winter and early spring.
3. Herd Inventory
Keeping trail cameras up and going on supplemental feeders can show you what bucks have made it through the hunting season as well as showing you when and where they may be dropping their sheds.
4. Predator Control
Feeders also attract numerous other critters during the winter, many of these are nest predators such as raccoons, opposums, skunks. With these unwanted egg snatchers coming to a steady food source, it makes it a great place to have traps out to knock down their numbers and helping out your turkey population.
5. Filling The Gap Between Growing Seasons
Supplemental feed helps fill the gaps in growing seasons between food plot crops and native browse. Severe droughts can be really tough on deer and other wildlife when typical browse and food plot crops are not there, supplemental feed can really help during these times.
~
For more GameKeeper tips like Feeding Deer Year-Round: Benefits, join our weekly newsletter. Your source for information, equipment, know-how, deals and discounts to help you get the most from every hard-earned moment in the field.
