So I have been very curious if I can find any data on deer bone/skeleton densities and the correlation to antler growth, relative to the diet they are eating or assumed diet based on the region the study was performed - so far no luck! However, I know there is information about how deer store minerals in their skeletal system, and that aids antler growth in the future. I will continue to search for a more clear study, but the below article is thought-provoking, in my opinion, and made me want to share some of my thoughts.
I have often read that the argument against mineral licks from an antler growth impact percentage is twofold - ps. I use mineral licks, this isn't to create a debate just a thought.
1. Deer stores minerals in their skeletal structure, so giving deer minerals in the Spring, would not be helping them with that current rack development, but could possibly help the following year - endless variables with that thought (survival, winter stress, etc).
2. Deer, more specifically bucks, don't spend enough time-consuming mineral licks to make a positive impact on their racks/skeletal storage capabilities. This is similar to the supplemental feeding constraints on positively impacting a deer herd - the old saying "you can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink" comes to mind.
So I share my ramblings above so I can expound on my theory of how increasing our soil organic matter, and mycorrhizal activity in the soil -will increase the nutrient density of our plants, planted in such an environment by a "no-till" process, furthermore - how that may be impacting our whitetail herd far greater than we have previously thought.
These plants are LOADED with vitamins and micro/macro minerals, that will feed the deer not only when they crave minerals but also the remainder of the year, through the whitetail's natural ruminant demands and cravings. This will inadvertently, positively impact the whitetail's mineral intake (as well as protein and other benefits to the system), without them ever going to a man-made mineral lick. Deer will naturally eat more or less of a food plot depending on the stressors in their environment, and by having the highest nutrient densities available, we continue to take utmost advantage of every bite.
So my hypotheses - by "no-tilling" and increasing the mycorrhizal activity and OM in the soil, are we increasing the whitetails mineral uptake as well and storage abilities in their bones, which positively impact them not only from a weight gain and survivability standpoint but also from an overall uptake of additional trace minerals working from the lowest common denominator and upward - impacting deer eating that diet type today, and epigenetically, in the future.
Food for thought! Thank you all for following along!
Here is a great write up I read on lunch today from the University of Missouri "nutritional requirements of whitetail deer"
White-tailed deer rely on a variety of foods for nutrients. Learn how to enhance habitat on your property to maintain a healthy white-tailed deer population. | White-tailed deer managementThis deer conservation guide is one in a series developed jointly by MU Extension and the Missouri...
extension.missouri.edu
AT
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