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 and 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, opossums, and 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.
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For more on supplemental feeding, read “Proper Steps For Supplemental Winter Feeding.” Start your feeding program early in the winter, even better yet, during the fall, when deer are still healthy. Waiting until they are starving before providing supplemental feed can hasten starvation through stress and sudden diet change.
