It’s common knowledge that feeding deer helps them grow, but the nutrition shouldn’t stop once hunting season’s over. Proper nutrition is even more vital during the summer months when deer are still developing. The big deer you find in the fall are grown in the summer, so keeping deer fed during the off-season is important to overall herd growth. There are countless benefits to keeping up your food supply year-round, so we’ll list the most important.

Fawn Development

Summer is an important season for feeding deer because it’s when the bucks are growing their antlers at top speed and does are in the aftermath of giving birth. Our Wild Water Mineral Supplement is a great way for the deer to get this nutrition. The minerals provided in the mixture give the fawns the necessary nutrients to mature and gives bucks the calcium and phosphorus they need to bulk up their antlers. The does’ primary focus is providing nutrition for their developing fawns so they will be sure to frequent a food plot that helps achieve that goal. The fawns will need protein-rich feed to grow. Make sure your food plots are accessible to the fawns. Consider lowering the feeder a bit to make it easier for the smaller deer to reach. Our Feedbank Gravity Feeders are portable and easy to move, perfect for adapting to changing herd needs. If you set your feeders low enough for fawn this summer, you can easily raise them in the fall.

Antler Growth

Adequate nutrition is also crucial for antler growth beginning in the spring and summer. The healthier the deer, the bigger and stronger the antlers. The calcium and phosphorus in our supplement helps them to develop into prize bucks worth talking about. The single post design of our feeders allow for the bucks’ antlers to continue growing without affecting their ability to get food. They won’t get caught on the legs or stands when they go to feed. This means that your feeder can serve the deer just as effectively in the summer as in the fall. If you’re looking to bag that big point buck this fall, making sure they’re being fed properly this summer is the place to start.

Building Dependence

By feeding the deer throughout the summer you will gain trust and dependence, ensuring that they continue to come back in the fall. Feeding year-round trains the herd to associate your property with food. When the cold starts to set in and their natural food supply starts to dwindle, your property will be the first one they go to because they know the food will be there. This makes your property prime hunting land come fall. The addictive element of our mineral supplement helps to aid in this dependence.

Feeding deer in the fall keeps them coming back to your land during hunting season, but this is only the finished product of a year long operation. You can’t have the dependence in the fall without starting it in the summer. You can’t have big deer in the fall if you don’t feed them when they’re developing. Promoting herd growth and dependence starts now, so check out or feeders and get your deer ready for the fall. Do you feed your herd all year? What kind of results do you notice? Let us know in the comments below.

2 Comments

  1. William Posuk on November 23, 2018 at 11:08 am

    I hunt in the west Texas canyons. Not much rainfall but we do have low worn spots in the rocks that hold water most of the year. Would it be ok to use the water supplement there?

    • Team Banks on November 30, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      William,

      Thank you for your comment! Our Wild Water® Water Supplement works in any water source. If there is enough water for the deer to drink, there’s enough water to use our supplement.

      We appreciate your interest in our product! If you have any further questions, we are happy to discuss them! You can contact us at info@banksoutdoors.com.

      Thank you!

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