From what I’ve seen through tracking across multiple counties and seeing a few noticeable difference across properties…….1) The soil type makes a big difference….the areas with black belt soil just grow bigger deer on average……..2) Age makes a big difference……Most deer being killed are 2-4 year olds and letting a deer reach 6-7 opens a whole new can of worms……..3) Only a fraction of the bucks actually have the potential to grow trophy racks and they’re the most targeted 3-4 year olds therefore few make it to an old age……4) Genetics in Alabama probably don’t vary a whole lot and play very little role except in a few select areas like Bankhead or maybe along the state line where other genetic sources overlap

I think the above factors are at the top of the pyramid when talking about growing quality deer…..age and passing the young bucks with the most potential being what really matters most. I do think minerals probably play some role though that we don’t fully understand. I actually think it may be the health of the does that matters just as much from this standpoint as “feeding” minerals to the bucks on your place. I think the maternal health of the doe herd is likely an overlooked factor in raising quality bucks that doesn’t get much attention. Just think about when your wife was pregnant with your kids and the importance placed on her maternal health and the long term effects it has on the off spring. The problem with this from a deer management perspective though is that the bucks born from your healthy does will likely not be the future bucks that call your property home unless you manage a really large property.

Also, from studies I’ve read in the past about supplemental feeding your deer…….the full impacts of feeding them is not actually seen until the second and really the third generations are born from does that are getting the additional supplements. I think the same the is probably true with minerals as well. Meaning that your not gonna start feeding or supplementing minerals this year and see much change in the deer that already exist. It will be after your existing does become a little more healthy while pregnant and have doe fawns born from mothers with excellent maternal health….and then those does have bucks fawns that the real benefits will be seen. It will be the bucks born in that third generation after feeding and mineral supplements have been supplied to the herd that will be the ones with a significantly increased potential to grow a trophy racks. The impacts of introducing feed to bucks that did not have quality maternal health while in the womb was pretty insignificant and I think the same would hold true with supplying minerals.