Do Antler Supplements Produce Bigger Deer?

As avid hunters, we live and die by the dream of bagging the biggest bucks possible. We all have a bare spot on our walls that we hope to fill with a trophy deer. There are endless supplements on the internet that claim to produce bigger bucks with bigger racks, but do antler supplements produce bigger deer?

It is possible to use supplements to produce bigger deer with larger racks, but it will take more than just an internet-bought supplement during hunting season to do so. Deer and their antlers take time to grow, so the right nutrients need to be present during the right time of the year.

Be Wary Of Internet Supplements

A quick search on the internet will provide you with an endless amount of tablets, sprays, and extracts that claim to produce bigger bucks with bigger antlers. Some of these are undoubtedly effective but there are a few inherent problems with buying products this way:

• Many don’t list actual ingredients, they use proprietary blends so you have no idea what is actually in them
• They can be very expensive
• They make it seem like you can use them whenever in order to produce instant results
• They are largely salt-based, meaning deer will love to consume them, but the supplements are actually lacking in the nutrients that promote antler growth

Just like everything else in nature, antlers take time to grow, there is no instant fix for big bucks. Waiting until hunting season to attempt to boost deer and antler size is going to be in vain, deer need to be consuming a specific blend of minerals and supplements long before hunting season in order to produce results in their size by the time opening day rolls around.

Which Nutrients Help Deer Grow The Most?

Just like humans or any other animal, there isn’t just one mineral, supplement, or vitamin that will promote growth, it's all about a healthy balance of different nutrients. Some of the most important macronutrients, minerals, and trace minerals for deer and antler growth include:

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Cobalt
• Manganese
• Copper
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Selenium
• Sodium

How To Maximize Deer And Antler Growth Through The Year

In order to ensure you are producing the biggest deer possible, you will need to be providing them with the correct supplements year round. The biggest deer are going to be the ones that have had their nutritional needs met from birth to maturity.

Spring

Generally speaking, does will be birthing in April or May, and this is the time to capitalize on ensuring that fawns have the nutrients they need to grow big and strong. Starting this early will ensure that these deer won’t become nutrient deficient, leading to a smaller overall size.

Calcium and phosphorus are two minerals that are known to maximize antler growth, they are considered the two most important macronutrients for body and antler growth.

Summer

Late summer, just before deer season kicks off, is when most hunters purchase their supplements online in hopes of boosting antler size before bagging the big one to show their friends and mount on the wall. Unfortunately, this isn’t the most effective time to add any supplements to deer feed because, for the most part, they are fully grown. 

The best thing you can do as a hunter is provide a food source that is high in protein and salt. These won’t produce any instant results as far as bigger deer, but it will keep them coming back for more, increasing your chance of getting a clean shot of the big one. You may notice some growth by the time hunting season comes in, but don’t hold your breath.

Fall

Fall, autumn, hunting season, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The season we have all been waiting for, it's time to bag the big one. Keep in mind that this is when the rut starts so bucks are not very interested in eating, so this is the absolute least effective time to attempt to boost deer and antler size.

Bucks will eat when they get the chance but they aren’t necessarily going to be attracted to your mineral supplements and attractants. They are more likely to just munch some forage that is in the general area in between chasing does.

Winter

Now, this may seem counterintuitive, but the most important time of year to help boost deer and antler size is during the winter. Think about it, bucks have been in the rut for months, with one thing on their mind…and eating healthily is not that thing. They are severely depleted of the nutrients that they need to function and grow.

This is the prime time to hit them with everything under the sun. You need to provide a food source high in protein, carbohydrates, and all of those macro and micronutrients we talked about. If a buck was lucky enough to miss your crosshairs this season, then why not beef him up for another year when you have a chance to take another shot at him?

Final Thoughts

Antler supplements absolutely do work to boost the rack and overall size of deer, that being said supplements that you are going to find through an internet search are going to be hit or miss. The best way to promote deer and antler size is to provide the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients that they need from birth until maturity. 

Every other living organism takes time to grow, and deer are not outside of this rule. If you can provide a steady supply of body and antler-boosting nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, cobalt, manganese, copper, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and sodium you can be sure that you will have that trophy deer in your sights before you know it.

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