Whitetail News Vol 25.3 by Whitetail Institute

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Offers More BeneďŹ ts and is Arrest MAX Approved

NEW PowerPlant

— A L L H A I L T H E FA N AT I C S E R I E S —

ENGINEERED FOR WHEN THE BUCKS ARE JUST AS EXCITED AS THE HUNTERS.

We designed the Fanatic Series for the much-anticipated fall rut. Featuring WINDSTOPPER® fabrics and PRIMALOFT® insulation, this premier jacket and bib system keeps you quiet and comfortable so you stay focused on the hunt.

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In This Issue… Features 6

Superior Sunn Hemp Formula Boosts Beneﬁts of Popular Power Plant By Whitetail Institute Staff Power Plant is already the top performer in annual food plot products designed to produce protein in spring and summer. See why the Whitetail Institute has raised the bar even higher.

Imperial Whitetail Fusion — A Match Made in Heaven By Whitetail Institute Staff This premium food plot mix of the improved Imperial Whitetail Clover has the added benefit of WINA-100 Chicory. A great combination to attract and hold whitetails.

The Immediate and Long-Term Beneﬁts of Food Plots By Mark Kenyon There’s no doubt that food plots offer tremendous long-term benefits to deer and deer hunting properties, but you don’t need to wait years to see positive changes on your property.

Deer Suckers and Antler Builders… A Guide to Product Identiﬁcation

Win the Antler Growth Lottery

By Matt Harper By Jon Cooner

I Know What I Want to be When I Grow Up

The Next Generation of Whitetail Hunters

By Charles J. Alsheimer

By R.G. Bernier

Building Bone: A Look at the Yearly Antler Growth Cycle By Matt Harper There’s simply something about antlers that captures us. It’s just bone, but when it comes in the form of an antler, it takes on new meaning.

Lime: Facts and Fallacies By Jon Cooner

Chainsaw Therapy — Make Wooded Habitat Work for You By Scott Bestul

Spring Weed and Grass Control By Jon Cooner Vital to Perennial Forage Maintenance and Fall Success

Departments 4 24

A Girl and Her Gobbler By Kris Klemick

By Jordan Howell

Spring Plantings Offer Powerful Beneﬁts By Jon Cooner Planting spring food plots offers many benefits. Planting in spring can offer maximum tonnage when fall arrives to help you attract more deer to your property and hold them there.

Small Property Success – Whitetail Ghost Town to Island Oasis for Deer

A Message from Ray Scott Record Book Bucks Stories and Photos

The Weed Doctor

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Food Plot Planting Dates Field Testers Report

By Dr. Carroll Johnson, III, Ph.D.

Stories and Photos

First Deer — The Future of our Sport

Whitetail Institute OFFICERS AND STAFF

Ray Scott Founder and President Wilson Scott Vice President of Operations Steve Scott Vice President, Executive Editor William Cousins Operations Manager Wayne Hanna, Ph.D. Agronomist & Director of Forage Research Mark Trudeau Director of Certified Research Frank Deese Wildlife Biologist Jon Cooner Director of Special Projects Brandon Self, Tyler Holley, John White Product Consultants Daryl Cherry Director of Sales Scott Thompson Upper Midwest Sales Manager Clare Hudson Northeast Sales Manager Dawn McGough Office Manager Mary Jones EDI & Inventory Specialist Teri Hudson Office Administrator Accounts Receivable Kim Collins Customer Service Marlin Swain Shipping Manager Bart Landsverk Whitetail News Senior Editor Kris Klemick Whitetail News Editor Charles Alsheimer, Tracy Breen, Matt Harper, Mark Kenyon, R.G. Bernier, Bill Marchel, Michael Veine, Dr. Carroll Johnson, III, Dean Weimer, David Hart Contributing Writers Susan Scott Copy Editor George Pudzis Art Director Wade Atchley, Atchley Media Advertising Director

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WHITETAIL NEWS 3

A Message from RAY SCOTT Founder and President of the Whitetail Institute of North America

Taxes You Can Love All the research, habitat enhancement, land acquisition and education programs paid for by hunters, help countless nonhunted species… for non-hunters to enjoy. So if you’re a birdwatcher, wildlife lover, or hiker you benefit from hunting dollars.

11%

tax (depending on the equipment) on guns, ammo, bows and arrows to help fund conservation. The measure was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Sept. 2, 1937. It was a tax burden fore-sighted sportsmen were glad to bear. In 1900 some 500,000 whitetails remained in North America. Today there are more than 32 million thanks to conservation efforts by hunters. In 1900 only 100,000 wild turkeys remained. Again thanks to hunters’ efforts, today there are over seven million According to the National Wildlife Federation the Pittman-Robertson tax has raised more than 11 billion dollars for wildlife conservation. And these monies don’t include the millions donated by hunters to various wildlife organizations of their choice And here’s another fact to share: All the research, habitat enhancement, land acquisition and education pro-

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grams paid for by hunters, help countless non-hunted species… for non-hunters to enjoy. So if you’re a birdwatcher, wildlife lover, or hiker you benefit from hunting dollars. As individual food plotters, we have the privilege of being practicing conservationists in our own back yard, providing habitat and food, controlling deer populations and improving the quality of our herds. We can, in short, tend to our own “little piece of Eden” as writer Charles Alsheimer wrote in one of his articles for Whitetail News. It is a phrase that has stuck in my mind because it describes so well what we do and what we stand for. Add all the hunters and food plotters together and you have a truly awesome economic and conservation force that can impact and direct the future of our sport.

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Superior Sunn Hemp Formula Boosts Beneﬁts of Popular PowerPlant By Whitetail Institute Staff

Sunn hemp that has been browsed and is regrowing.

ave you ever wondered why the Whitetail Institute only offers one annual food plot product specifically designed to deliver massive amounts of protein for deer during spring and summer? The reason is simple: No competing spring/summer annual food plot product we’ve tested can match the tonnage of palatable, high-protein forage that PowerPlant provides. The Whitetail Institute’s Research and Development Department is always working on new products and finding ways to make existing products even better. In this article, we’ll look at why PowerPlant is already the top performer in annual food plot products designed for spring and summer protein delivery, as well as how the Whitetail Institute has raised the bar even further. Protein Understanding why PowerPlant is such a superb forage product must begin with an explanation of protein and why it’s so important for deer during spring and summer. First, that’s when bucks are growing antlers, and that requires lots of protein. The first stage of antler growth is the development of the velvet antler, which is comprised of up to 80 percent protein (collagen). Later in the antler growing process, bucks will deposit minerals on that velvet matrix, hardening it until it's solid. The first step, though, is to maximize the size of the velvet antler as much as a buck’s genetic makeup will allow.

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And protein is not just critical in antler formation. Although we commonly refer to the 200-day stretch of spring and summer as the antler-growing period, don't assume that antler growth is the only reason deer rely heavily on protein. During the same period, protein is equally critical to the rest of the herd. Doe milk is extremely high in nutrients, including protein. And fawns require high levels of protein as they rapidly grow during spring and summer. Exactly how much protein deer need during spring and summer is a matter of some debate, but it's generally recognized that bucks require about 16 to18 percent protein when building their antlers, and does and fawns require even higher dietary protein levels. To be clear, these are the optimum levels — amounts required if deer are to reach as much of their genetic potential as possible. Unfortunately, natural forages of spring and summer are generally very low in protein in almost all areas of the country, and their availability to deer drops off sharply as summer progresses. Even with these low protein levels and lack of availability, deer can obviously survive, but a manager who wants to push his deer as far as their genetic blueprints allow should supplement the protein shortfall.

gories: forage plants and structural plants. The backbone forage plants, which make up the larger percentage of PowerPlant, are vining legumes. These are true forage varieties that outshine agricultural varieties in several ways. Agricultural soybeans, for example, also offer high protein, but their utility is less than optimum when they are used as a forage for deer. The main reason is they don’t tolerate browsing very well, often being wiped out quickly or dying as soon as they are bitten off by deer. In contrast, the forage varieties of soybeans and peas in PowerPlant grow in supple vines that remain highly palatable to deer, and they’re also browse-tolerant. Once PowerPlant establishes, they can continue to vigorously grow even after being bitten off by a deer. Smaller amounts of structural plants are also included to act as a lattice for the vining legumes to climb and maximize production instead of growing along the ground. For years, the structural plants in PowerPlant have consisted of specially selected sunflowers and a highquality wildlife sorghum. Although the sunflowers will continue as a structural component of PowerPlant, the sorghum has been replaced by sunn hemp. Next, we’ll look at the range of benefits sunn hemp brings to PowerPlant.

PowerPlant’s Composition Sunn Hemp The key to PowerPlant’s incredible performance lies in the nature of its components and how they work together to deliver massive amounts of protein when deer need it most and to keep delivering that protein even when other spring/summer plantings are exhausted. PowerPlant’s components can be generally divided into two cate-

Sunn hemp is a warm-season legume that brings a heck of a lot to the food plot table. It’s a great soil builder that adds organic matter and nitrogen to the soil and translocates other soil nutrients from the subsoil. Sunn hemp is also drought-tolerant, and it can even help sup-

No spring/summer annual the Whitetail Institute has tested can match the tonnage of high-protein forage PowerPlant provides. Now — the addition of sunn hemp has made it even better.

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WHITETAIL NEWS 7

press weeds. And in the case of PowerPlant, the replacement of the sorghum component with sunn hemp yields improvements on several other fronts. Sunn hemp now plays the same structural role in PowerPlant that sorghum did. It grows tall very quickly; as much as six feet high or more in only a month or two. Its superiority to sorghum as a forage for deer, though, is where sunn hemp really shines. The attractiveness of sunn hemp to deer is nothing short of incredible — and so is the determination with which it continues to regrow. Unlike sorghum, sunn hemp produces highly palatable leaves that are about 30 percent protein. As a result, PowerPlant produces even more protein than before. Sunn hemp is also much more browse-tolerant than sorghum. Generally, deer don’t eat sorghum until the head dries. Then, they eat the head, and it’s gone. That wasn’t an issue with PowerPlant before, because sorghum was included mainly as a structural component. Sunn hemp’s foliage, though, keeps vigorously growing after deer start to browse it, even if they bite off the crown of the plant. This increases PowerPlant’s tonnage and longevity even more, and it can help reduce the difficulty some PowerPlant users have experienced when planting small PowerPlant plots in areas with heavy deer densities.

PowerPlant is now Arrest Max-Approved The replacement of the sorghum in PowerPlant with sunn hemp will also help planters reduce grass competition after planting PowerPlant. Grass takes up root space and siphons off soil nutrients and moisture that would otherwise have been available to PowerPlant. Also, although PowerPlant grows quickly enough to overtake competition from grass and other weeds in most cases, grass competition that’s especially severe can compromise the stand. Because the sorghum in PowerPlant prevented folks from spraying standing PowerPlant with selective grass herbicides, planters facing relentless grass competition after planting PowerPlant really had no option except to hope that their PowerPlant would grow quickly enough to shade out the grass. By replacing the sorghum in PowerPlant with sunn hemp, planters will now be able to spray their growing PowerPlant with Arrest Max, the Whitetail Institute’s selective grass herbicide. As has always been the case, wait to plant PowerPlant until soil temperatures have reached at least 65 degrees, day and night. If you see grass starting to grow in your PowerPlant plot, don’t wait too long to spray Arrest Max. Arrest Max works best at controlling grasses that are still young, ideally when grass is still only about two to four inches tall. And if you’re wondering whether walking or driving across the stand will harm PowerPlant, the answer is yes, but if you spray in a timely manner, the damage will be minimal, and in a few weeks, you won’t even be able to tell you went through it. Also, the minimal damage you cause will be far outweighed by the increased tonnage you’ll get by providing more moisture, nutrients and root space for your PowerPlant. If you’re already one of the thousands of hunters and managers who have seen the tall, thick wall of succulent, protein-rich forage PowerPlant produces, you already know why it’s so popular that the Whitetail Institute sells out of it almost every year. (And that reminds me: As is the case every year, don’t delay in ordering your PowerPlant for this spring if you want to make sure you get yours.) Now, you also know why the new PowerPlant is even better. For more information about PowerPlant, visit whitetailinstitute.com, or call the Whitetail Institute at (800) 688-3030. ^

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Spring P lantings Offer

POWErFuL BeneďŹ ts By Jon Cooner

ll Whitetail Institute perennials can be planted in spring in most areas. The same is true of two Whitetail Institute annual forage products, PowerPlant and No-Plow. Planting food plots in spring can be an outstanding option if you accept that it takes commitment to do it right. 10 WHITETAIL NEWS

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Planting food plots in spring offers heavy benefits. By doing so, you can offer maximum tonnage when fall arrives. Food plots planted in spring can also help you attract more deer to your property and hold them there. Another huge benefit of planting food plots in spring is increased protein availability when deer need it most. By now, most folks are already aware of how important protein is to deer, and that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s especially important to them during spring and summer for antler growth, doe lactation and overall herd health. Adding high-protein food plots in spring will increase the amount of protein available to your deer during this critical time. To make sure you get the most out of your spring plantings, be aware of certain realities and that you are committed to dealing with www.whitetailinstitute.com

them, especially during the first growing season. One issue you’ll face is weed control. When most of us think about spring, it’s usually with anticipation near the end of winter, when we’re ready for an end to the long winter cold. Our minds eagerly conjure up visions of the green color that will return to the barren landscape, signaling the arrival of new foliage. Some of that new foliage, though, will be weeds, and if you’re planning on planting a new area in spring, you’ll be better off if you can address weed competition before planting.

Weed Control During Seedbed Preparation Herbicides such as glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundupbrand herbicides and similar generics, are a superb tool for removing most kinds of weeds and grass from a fallow site. Keep in mind, though, that glyphosate is a foliar-uptake herbicide, meaning that a weed must be actively growing to take in glyphosate. As a result, if you’re considering using glyphosate as part of seedbed preparation for a spring planting, you’ll need to compare the Whitetail Institute’s planting dates for the product you’ve selected to the arrival of spring green-up in your area. In the Deep South, for example, spring planting dates for Whitetail Institute perennials and No-Plow lie well before spring green-up, so spraying glyphosate before planting perennials in spring isn’t an option unless the site is sprayed the previous fall before weeds go dormant. The planting dates for some areas in the far north, though, occur late enough that you have time after spring green-up to spray, wait seven days after spraying (required by glyphosate labels) and still plant within your planting dates.

With PowerPlant, though, spraying glyphosate before planting is possible in almost all areas. The reason is that PowerPlant should not be planted until soil temperatures are warm — at least 65 degrees, day and night, and by that time, spring green-up is well underway. Here’s how I use glyphosate as part of seedbed preparation before planting PowerPlant in a fallow site: Well before spring green-up, I perform a laboratory soil test to determine my lime and fertilizer requirements. As soon as I get the report back from the lab, I add lime to the seedbed and disk or till it thoroughly into the top few inches. Then, I wait for spring green-up to arrive. When grasses and other weeds have started to actively grow, I spray glyphosate. After spraying, I wait at least seven days, or later if necessary, for soil temperatures to warm to at least 65 degrees, and then fertilize and plant. One of the most important steps you can take to keep weeds from invading your food plot later is to make sure you address soil pH and fertility during seedbed preparation. That’s because weeds tend to show up in spots where the stand is thin, so the more lush, thick and healthy you can keep the forage stand, the less room weeds will have to invade. Soil pH and soil nutrients — such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium — are also critical factors in making sure your perennials grow vigorously. Whitetail Institute forage products grow best in soils with a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Most fallow soils, though, are acidic (with a soil pH lower than 6.5), and the soil pH should be raised by adding lime. Making sure that soil pH is 6.5 or higher is the most important thing you can do to assure food plot success. It can make the difference between the best food plot you can imagine and total failure. Yes, it’s that important. Levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the soil should

Spring plantings require some preparation and maintenance. Conduct a laboratory soil test to determine your lime and fertilizer requirements. Periodic mowing is also important to control grass and weed competition in perennial plots. For the latest promotions, sales and news visit www.Facebook.com/WhitetailInstitute

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also be raised, if low, by adding the appropriate blend and amount of fertilizer. To determine how much lime and fertilizer you’ll need, have a qualified soil-testing laboratory test your soil, and then follow the lab’s recommendations regarding lime and fertilizer. Again, be sure that you use a laboratory soil-test kit, not a do-it-yourself tester. Only a laboratory can tell you exactly how much lime and/or fertilizer you need to add to the soil for optimum forage growth. That way, you can be sure you’re planting in soil with optimum soil pH and nutrient levels, and you will save money by eliminating wasted expenditures buying lime and fertilizer you don’t need.

Weed Control After Planting If you’ve planted a perennial in spring, make sure you also control any grasses and other weeds that appear in the plot after planting. That’s an important step in maintaining any perennial forage stand, whether you sprayed glyphosate before planting or not. This can be critically important with perennials planted in spring, especially if you planted in an area of the country where spraying glyphosate before planting isn’t an option because the planting dates are set before spring green-up. Approach grass and weed control from multiple angles. Keep in mind that keeping grass and other weeds in check should be approached from multiple angles for best results. We’ve already talked about a very important part of weed control in the section on seedbed preparation — making sure soil pH and levels of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the soil are at optimum levels so the forage stand is as lush and thick as possible. And we’ve also talked about the best tool you have available for doing that: the Whitetail Institute’s laboratory soil-test kit. Periodic mowing is another important step in keeping grass and weed competition under control in Whitetail Institute perennial forage stands. Make sure you mow at the right time and that you mow correctly. As for timing, make sure you mow Whitetail Institute perennials

any time you see anything in the plot (forage plants, grasses or weeds) starting to flower or put on heads. That will help some perennial plants such as Imperial Whitetail Clover be even more lush and thick, and it can help with weed control by preventing grasses and weeds from reseeding. It takes a little while for the seeds in weed heads to become viable, so by mowing the heads off as soon as you see them, you can prevent production of the next generation of weeds. In most cases, mowing a couple of times in the spring and summer is sufficient. Of course, don’t mow when the forage plants are stressed, such as during periods of extreme heat or drought. How you mow is also important. For best results, just mow enough off the top of the plot to take the seed heads off. If you take too much foliage off the forage plants at once, you can stress them, and you can speed evaporation of moisture from the soil. The Whitetail Institute also offers selective herbicides for keeping grass and weeds in check after planting. The Whitetail Institute’s Slay herbicide can be used to control most kinds of broadleaf weeds in Imperial Whitetail Clover and in any other clover or alfalfa stand. The Whitetail Institute’s Arrest Max herbicide can be used to control most kinds of grass in any Whitetail Institute perennial, and now it can even be used to control grass in PowerPlant. Sure-Fire Crop Oil, also offered by Whitetail Institute, satisfies the adjuvant tank-mix requirement of Slay, and it can also be used with Arrest Max to make it even more effective at controlling tougher grasses.

But What if Weed Control Isn’t Possible? In some cases, it might not be possible to spray for weeds or mow. For example, if your new spring plot site is too remote to access with equipment, or you live too far away from your hunting land to make a forage-maintenance trip in spring. If that’s your situation, the Whitetail Institute still has you covered. Just plant No-Plow. No-Plow is the Whitetail Institute’s second longest-running forage product, and like all Whitetail Institute products, it has been continually improved through the years. There are lots of reasons folks like No-Plow so much. It attracts deer like crazy, it can be planted with minimal seedbed preparation, and because it’s an annual, no forage maintenance is required. And that leads me to what I think is the best news about the Whitetail Institute’s spring planting lineup: Whether you’ll be planting in spring or in fall, you’ll almost certainly find one or more forage products designed for your needs.

Conclusion

You can use Arrest MAX herbicide to control most kinds of grass in any perennial planting, and it can now also be used on PowerPlant as well.

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Planting Whitetail Institute food plots in spring offers many benefits, including attracting deer to your property, holding them there, and providing the abundant protein needed during spring and summer to help improve antler growth and produce better quality deer. Planting perennials in spring also allows a full growing season to maximize tonnage for fall. Just make sure you commit to controlling the weeds and grasses that usually show up after a spring planting. Finally, remember to put your trail cameras out later in summer near your food plots and on trails leading to them. And when hunting season arrives, be sure to fill your quiver. For more information about the Whitetail Institute’s seed products, go to whitetailinstitute.com, or call the Whitetail Institute at (800) 688-3030. ^ www.whitetailinstitute.com

By Whitetail Institute Staff

f you’re one of the thousands of Chicory Plus fans, then you already know what an outstanding performer it is. And you also know that it owes its reputation to the complementary nature of its perennial components, Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 Perennial Forage Chicory. This year, Chicory Plus has been renamed “Imperial Whitetail Fusion” for several reasons. As you’ll see, you can be sure that Fusion offers all the performance of Chicory Plus, and more! What’s in a name? Why change the name? The main reason is to remove the potential for misunderstanding exactly what’s in it. Specifically, some customers assumed that Chicory Plus consisted mostly of chicory, when in fact Chicory Plus was predominantly Imperial Whitetail Clover with a smaller amount of WINA-100 chicory added. That’s because Whitetail Institute testing has shown that for optimum performance, a clover/chicory mix should contain more clover seed than chicory

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seed. The main reason is the different seeding rates when planting Imperial Whitetail Clover or WINA-100 chicory alone — eight pounds per acre for Imperial Whitetail Clover, and three pounds for WINA100 chicory. Why change the name to “Fusion?” The Whitetail Institute decided on the name “Fusion” because it’s a perfect description of the product. If you look up the word “Fusion” in the dictionary, you’ll find that it means the process of uniting different things into a single whole, “as if by melting together.” That’s more than just putting different components in the same bag. For true fusion to occur, the components must be carefully selected to maximize performance as if they have been “melted together.” And that’s exactly what Imperial Whitetail Fusion is. Why Change The Name to “Fusion” Now? Because as good as Chicory Plus was, Fusion is even better, and a big reason is that it contains the next generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover, which was introduced after research, development and testing was completed on it last year. (Editor’s note: You can read more about the latest generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover in Whitetail News, Volume 25, No. 1 at www.whitetailinstitute.com). Over six years, The Whitetail Institute’s Director of Forage Research, Dr. Wayne Hanna, worked diligently to take Imperial Whitetail Clover to the next level. He obtained clover germ plasms from colleagues in the scientific community as well as stem cuttings from clover plants that had proven themselves winners in natural selection. He grew the stem cuttings in small test plots and regularly checked them over the next two or three years to determine which varieties performed the best. He then crossed those varieties with the aid of bees and continued selection of the offspring that exhibited the best

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attractiveness, vigor, and tolerance of heat, drought and cold. As a result of Dr. Hanna’s efforts, the new generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover exceeds even the Whitetail Institute’s demanding standards. The addition of the new generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover as a backbone perennial made the name change from Chicory Plus to Fusion even timelier. Next, we’ll take a look at these key performance categories, and why Fusion excels in all of them.

The Important Part: Performance You’ve probably heard the term “a match made in heaven” before. In the context of foodplot plantings for deer, Fusion could very well be exactly that. Like most Whitetail Institute foodplot products, Fusion is a carefully assembled blend of complementary forage components that are designed and tested to work together to maximize stand performance. Fusion is a prime example of how well that can work (if it’s done the way Whitetail Institute does it: through exhaustive research, development and real-world testing). In the case of Fusion, the two backbone perennial components are the new Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 perennial forage chicory. Let’s look at how they complement each other to maximize overall stand performance. Attractiveness. As I mentioned earlier, the new generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover has proven itself extremely attractive. The combination of Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 chicory in Fusion also provides deer with a variety of different forages within the same plot, raising overall stand attractiveness even further. Increased Nutritional Content. The previous generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover was extremely nutritious, as is WINA-100 chicory, which provides up to a whopping 44 percent protein. Fusion, though, provides even more protein than Chicory Plus with an increased amount of WINA-100 Chicory. Enhanced Drought Tolerance. As I also mentioned, the new generation of Imperial Whitetail Clover is even more drought tolerant than earlier versions. And, when you consider that WINA-100 chicory can grow roots as deep as three feet into the soil, you can understand why Fusion’s drought tolerance is so impressive. Reduced fertilizer costs over planting Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 chicory separately. Both Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 chicory should be planted in seedbeds with optimum levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Since Imperial Whitetail Clover is a nitrogen-fixing legume, only about 25 pounds of Nitrogen needs to be added at planting just to get the stand going. After that, the clover plants make enough nitrogen on their own. Since chicory isn’t a nitrogen fixer, more nitrogen should be added at planting — about 80 pounds of nitrogen should be added at planting, and another 35 pounds should be added 30-45 days after planting. The combination of Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 chicory in Fusion makes the second nitrogen fertilization unnecessary, since the clover will produce enough nitrogen for itself and the chicory. Fusion is available in 1/2-acre bags (3.15 lbs.) and 1.5-acre bags (9.25 lbs.). Good soils that hold moisture or soils that are slightly welldrained are optimum. Soil pH should be “neutral” (6.5-7.5) at planting. The Whitetail Institute’s recommended planting dates, and planting and maintenance instructions, are provided on the back of the product bags as well as at www.whitetailinstitute.com. If you have any questions about FUSION, the Whitetail Institute’s in-house consultants are standing by to help. Give them a call at (800) 688-3030. The call and the service are free. ^ For the latest promotions, sales and news visit www.Facebook.com/WhitetailInstitute

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WHITETAIL NEWS 15

The Immediate and Long-Term Benefits of Food Plots By Mark Kenyon Photo by Charles J. Alsheimer

wo hours and change. That’s how long I hunted two years ago before my new food plot began paying off. It was only a few weeks earlier that I’d sprayed, disked and broadcast several bags of Pure Attraction into the previously bar-

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ren soil, and I was already seeing dividends. At first, the pay-off looked like a flicker of movement, but then it was a silhouette. Finally, I realized it was a mature buck. Many prospective food plotters worry that it might take years to see the benefits of their work come to fruition, but on that cool October evening hunt, I could see that wasn’t true. There’s no doubt that food plots offer tremendous long-term benefits to deer and deer hunting prospects, but you don’t need to wait years to see positive changes on your property. From what www.whitetailinstitute.com

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I’ve seen, the benefits of food plots come in many forms at many times — and not necessarily after a long wait.

Year 1 As evidenced by the encounter I described, the benefits of food plots can manifest themselves the first year you use them or even the first day of the season. But the ways those benefits come to be are many. Most notably, the first year you’ve established a food plot, you should expect to see more deer and increased deer activity on your property. Whitetails aren’t too different than teenage boys, as they’re always searching for their next meal. If you can provide the best food in the neighborhood, you’ll likely reap the rewards. More deer on your property, in most cases, will result in increased hunting opportunities. In addition to attracting more deer to your land, food plots can help you target those deer more effectively. With a well-placed food plot and smart hunting, even in the first year, you’ll likely see some deer develop a consistent pattern between a bedding area and your plot — especially in the early or late seasons. According to an Ohio wildlife habitat specialist I know, the key to seeing those immediate benefits depends just as much on how you treat the surrounding area as the food plot itself. “If you can provide a stress-free environment around a quality food plot, whether it’s the first or second year, it’s going to be attractive,” he said. “And then you can really start to dictate things.” On the other hand, if you’re sloppy with your access or entry, hunt the area too much or generally just stress the deer, you’re not likely

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Soil testing is one of the most important things you can do to ensure the success of your plantings — of any kind. The Institute is pleased to now provide soil test kits and results for all Imperial products or any other type seeds. (Complete instructions and all related information will come with kits.) Test results include pH, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Fertilizer and lime recommendations for maximum performance from your plantings will be provided. The average turnaround time is 24-48 hours after our lab receives the sample. The charge for the kit and results is $10.95. If ordered alone, add $2.90 shipping and handling for unlimited number of kits. If ordered with other Imperial products there is no shipping charge. Please send ______ soil test kits at $10.95 each. Add $2.90 shipping and handling for each order regardless of number of kits desired. (There is NO shipping charge if kit is ordered with other Imperial products.) Cost of kit includes test results and consultation.

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18 WHITETAIL NEWS

/ Vol. 25, No. 3

to see these benefits, as most deer, especially mature bucks using your plots will be much more likely to use the plot during darkness. Given the immediate ability of food plots to attract deer, they can also provide benefits in the form of increased viewing/hunting opportunities for young or new hunters. You can place a ground or elevated box blind at these locations that will make for a terrific and comfortable hunt while also giving new hunters the chance to see plenty of wildlife. That kind of experience can’t be easily replicated with consistency while deep in the timber hanging from a tree. I have enjoyed this benefit, as a box blind on my aforementioned food plot allowed my sight-impaired father to harvest his first buck in decades.

Year 2 If you played your cards right in Year 1 with food plots, you’ll likely have enjoyed plenty of success in the way of increased deer activity and hunting opportunities. During Year 2, you should continue to enjoy those benefits. In many cases, those types of results should actually improve, as deer become more accustomed to a new food source and develop more consistent patterns. Additionally, as deer learn to use your food plot, you can also learn how they’re doing it and then better adjust your hunting strategy to take advantage. In the second year, you’ll also begin to see another return. With increased hunting opportunities at a plot and by attracting more bucks to your property, you’ll have more opportunities to make management decisions. This is one of the greatest benefits of food plots. You’re going to be able to attract deer to your food source, and once you do that, now you can make the decision whether you want to harvest this deer or if you want to wait another year. Those increased harvest decisions, enabled in part by the opportunities afforded by your food plots, can really help you make a difference in your area. If you have more deer and bucks at your plot and around it, you’ll get to be disproportionately responsible for whether bucks make it to older age classes. If you’re targeting mature bucks, this can make a huge difference. In addition to hunting and management benefits, if you’ve implemented a substantial year-round food plot plan with perennials providing high levels of protein in spring and summer, you’ll likely begin to see the nutritional benefits for your deer herd. You should also see some of the bucks you passed the year before, and with added age and nutrition you’ll likely see better antler and body size. You’ll also likely see benefits such as healthier fawns and better winter recovery in the herd.

Longer Term Moving forward, every successive year in your food plot plan should bring more noticeable benefits. Hunting and viewing opportunities will continue to be strong, as more deer are attracted to your property and more deer make your land their home. As a result, your opportunities to make management decisions will continue to increase every year, too. Nutritional benefits, though, will most likely provide the greatest improvements during the longer term. With a year-round food plot system filling the gaps during lulls in natural food availability, fawn recruitment, body size, antler growth and many other metrics for deer health will likely continue to improve. In fact, according to a report from Texas A&M University, “Rewww.whitetailinstitute.com

searchers in Mississippi found that maintaining 0.5 percent of an area in year-round agronomic food plots increased body mass, number of antler points, beam circumferences and beam lengths of whitetail deer.” A study in Louisiana showed that yearling deer “exhibited a 19 percent increase in live weights following establishment of coolseason food plots.” Those types of results will, of course, vary depending on the food sources available outside your plots. But whether you’re in an area of heavy agriculture production or the big woods of the Northeast, providing additional high-nutrition options for the herd will certainly help.

encounter described at the beginning of this piece. Just last night, the benefits of that plot came to a head. It was 45 minutes before dark, and I was again perched high above the food plot, now an established, consistent all-you-can-eat buffet for local deer. As light faded, numerous deer emerged and headed into the plot, plump, content and comfortable — a pattern that has become nearly like clockwork. And then, a shining white set of antlers atop a stout 3-yearold Michigan buck emerged from the nearby standing corn and headed toward me on a mission. He’d obviously been there before — possibly many times during his three years. First, he nibbled on some Whitetail Oats Plus. Then he meandered into a strip of Winter-Greens and finally returned to the oats. And there in the lush carpet of green, my arrow met its mark and completed a cycle that was years in the making. During the three seasons that plot has been in the ground, I’ve seen multiple mature bucks, fed and nourished dozens of deer, watched and harvested numerous does, shared a successful hunt with my dad for the first time in years, and finally, three years later, filled my tag on a big-racked buck. Whether it’s Year 1, 3 or 10, the answer to the food plot question seems obvious. The benefits are immediate, long-term and everything in between. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get planting. ^

Whether it’s Year 1, 3 or 10, the answer to the food plot question seems obvious. The benefits are immediate, long-term and everything in between. So what are you waiting for?

Conclusion Two years and change. That’s how long it’s been since that initial

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Vol. 25, No. 3 /

WHITETAIL NEWS 19

A Girl and Her Gobbler

More Women are Getting Involved in Hunting By Kris Klemick Photos by the Author

elf-sustenance has been a way of life for generations. Families worked to farm their land and grow food for survival. And man has always hunted. Dressed to keep warm and dry, and outfitted with a weapon, he would leave his family behind in search of food. Sometimes, those outings would last for days, but more often, groups of hunters would eventually return home with their bounty, and the family thrived. Hunting and farming were synonymous, and their importance to livelihood was critical. Harvesting an animal could make the difference for a family to survive a long, harsh winter. How times have changed. We no longer depend on the husband, father or son to provide meat for the family. Many Americans have lost their way. We no longer enjoy the things our great-grandparents enjoyed, or even our grandparents or parents. Sure, finding the time to grow your own vegetables, catch your own fish or harvest your own meat can be a challenge. It’s much easier to stop by a grocery store or market on the way home after a busy day. Change has a way of stripping things from us. Things we cherished are no more. Faded recollections seemingly dissolve be-

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Jess Reese’s gobbler had 1½- and 1¾-inch spurs, and an 11½-inch beard.

fore us. I guess that’s why nobody likes change, even though they say it’s good for us. Well, for once, they have it right. Change can be good. In fact, some change is downright thrilling. For decades, the number of male hunters has spiraled downward. People do not have time nor patience to hunt. Fathers don’t take their sons to the woods or don’t have children that care to hunt. Fortunately, more women are finding meaning in something their fathers, grandfathers or great grandfathers cherished: hunting. Twenty-eight-year-old Pennsylvania native Jess Reese recently discovered that. “It's just amazing being out there in the woods that early in the morning to be able to see things and hear things that nobody else normally would,” she said. “It's addicting. It’s just… serenity. There’s something kind of spiritual about it, getting to see the sunrise from the wilderness, the way deer and other animals and wildlife get to see it, not from your home, not from your window.” Reese became an official hunter when she took her hunter’s safety course, got her license and shot her first squirrel during the smallgame season two years ago. “When I took the course, I was thinking I was going to walk in there in my 20s and be surrounded by a bunch of 12-year-old boys, but that wasn’t the case,” she said. “There were lots of girls. In fact, there were more girls than boys. There were a bunch of teenagers, even some women that were older than me. The instructor said there has been a big surge of women getting involved more than ever, so that was pretty neat. I think there were 32 of us. It was a big group. Definitely more women than men. It was a lot of information for me in eight hours but I learned a lot.”

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Reese has long enjoyed the outdoors. “I’ve always been an outdoors girl — fishing, camping or something,” she said. “Hunting came into play a little bit later.” She was introduced to it at age 18, when she would occasionally tag along with friends during hunting outings. She did so to see what it was like but eventually lost contact with those people. She had no one in her life to teach her everything required to truly enjoy the outdoors. “It’s hard, you know?” she said. “It’s easier when somebody else knows about guns and hunting and can get you involved in it more, instead of somebody like me that only knows a little about hunting and doesn't know where to start.” That might be the perfect call to action for hunters to encourage and invite others to join us. Jess’ story is proof that a budding huntress was yearning for a mentor. Maybe that’s why she was giddy with excitement when a 3 a.m. alarm sounded May 7 before a turkey hunt. “It was our second time out,” she said. “I was the chipper one. My boyfriend was not so chipper. I was very, very hyper. I was very excited. I couldn't wait to get out because, you know, you get that feeling that this is going to be the day.” “We heard a few turkeys off in the distance. There was kind of a big canyon and a road that wrapped around it up higher, so when they called, it sort of echoed, and it was hard to tell where they were coming from. That is definitely something I need to learn — depending on where a turkey is calling and if there’s hills.” Jess’ boyfriend, Brady, called with a mouth call, box call and slate call. “We didn’t hear anything for a while, so we went another several hundred yards, but still nothing,” she said. “We found another spot

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and heard a turkey down over the hill, so we called out, but nothing. We hiked another half mile or mile and sat down thinking it might be closer, but it was still very far away and clearly not excited enough to come over to the other side of the mountain.” As the group started back toward the truck, they heard another turkey. Brady asked Jess what she wanted to do. “I figured, we’re sweating, we’ve been here all morning, we may as well try,” she said. “The turkey liked the box call, I mean, he loved the box call. Brady tried others and nothing worked except the box call? He was hot. We were on top of a valley on state game land overlooking a stream with private property posted on the other side of it. We sat down, and Brady kept calling.” “This turkey was just non-stop. It kept gobbling non-stop. It was crazy. The turkey was on fire, and so was I. I was so excited. I had my 20-gauge, but Brady asked if I wanted to use his 12-gauge. We switched guns, and then it happened.” The turkey kept getting closer, and as soon as Jess saw it, it gobbled. She said it felt like heaven. “It was so neat and so loud,” she said. “It came across the stream and right up the hill, and I just started shaking. I was shaking so bad, my heart was racing. I had goosebumps. It was so hard to hold all that excitement in. It got closer and then started going side to side, and I saw it strut two different times, which was absolutely amazing. It was just gorgeous.” Brady scraped the box one more time, and the gobbler raised his head. Jess shot. “It was like slow motion,” she said. “It happened so fast, but it felt like everything played out in slow motion. The first thing I did was scream out, ‘Wow!’ I was shaking and crying because I was so happy, I was so excited. Brady was crying because I was crying. It was just a very emotional bonding experience.” Brady offered to carry the bird back to the truck, but Jess had none of it. “I shot this turkey,” she said. “It’s my turkey. I’ll take it to the truck.” When I asked Jess what she was looking forward to most next, she had her sights set on the ultimate prize. “Brady got me a bow for Christmas, so I’m going to use that during archery season,” she said. “I can’t even imagine what’s going to happen when I see a buck if I’m shaking and everything else when I'm seeing a turkey strut. Yeah, it’s gonna be something else.” “I told Brady, ‘I’m gonna cry when I shoot a buck, too. It’s going to happen.’ I cried when I didn’t shoot a buck, and I’m going to cry when I do. Last year, I was out almost every day, in the cold, freezing, and didn’t see anything. Then whenever I did, it was too far away or wouldn’t come toward me, or they were running down off the hill because some other hunter spooked them. I also got sick, but I was still in the woods for five days and just dealt with it. The last day, I just cried I was so disappointed. I was out there every single day and Brady said, “You know what, though? You’re a hunter. You were out there. You did the time. You stayed out there in the woods. You were cold, sick and freezing, and you didn’t complain. You did it. We were out there from morning until night, and that’s what makes the hunter.” I agree. She did it. As I told Jess during our time together, you have to experience difficult days in the woods to fully appreciate the good ones. Congratulations, Jess, on a beautiful Pennsylvania gobbler. We’ll look forward to hearing about your buck this fall. ^

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Vol. 25, No. 3 /

WHITETAIL NEWS 23

Whitetail Institute RECORD BOOK BUCKS… Tami O’Day – Iowa Prep for last year’s archery season started in late May when my husband, Clint, began setting several of his trail cameras out with Whitetail Institute 30-06 mineral on two farms. By late June, I started helping him run the cameras and move them to various locations. By early July, he had enlisted the help of friends to spray, mow and get the ground ready for five food plots. We planted Pure Attraction. An overcast sky on the morning of Oct. 31 left our Pure Attraction food plot quite dark even as we watched things come to life. At 7:45 a.m., Clint asked me if that was a grunt coming from where we entered our food plot with a drag rag earlier. Moments later, he caught a glimpse of a deer following our trail through small saplings. A few minutes later, he said, “It’s a buck and a big one.” I reached for my bow and watched, eager to get a good look at the buck. A doe made her way to a spot 25 yards from us, but I could not see the buck. Finally, as the buck moved toward the doe, I was able to see antlers and his body. The size of his body was enough to tell me he was an old buck and definitely one I wanted to take. With a doe distracting him, I was able to draw on him. Feeling confident I could make the shot, I touched my release. The buck staggered, spun and dropped down. By 8:10 a.m. we had descended from the stands, and with rain picking up, we were able to put our hands on a very nice, mature Iowa whitetail. He is a main-frame 10-point but has five scoreable points below his browtine on the right side. A rough green score puts him at 170-2/8 inches. He is my best buck ever.

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Steve Rekedal – Minnesota I own land on the Minnesota River in western Minnesota. This past fall while hunting over an Imperial Whitetail Clover food plot, I heard a soft, slow step coming through the woods. It finally came through with its head all the way to the ground in very thick buckthorn. It was a large 8-point about 20 yards from the stand. Due to tree branches in the way, I could not get off a shot. It stood for at least 10 minutes with its eyes fixed, looking at something past me. I then heard something approaching from that direction, so I slowly turned around and could not see anything. When I turned back the 8-point was gone and I did not hear it leave. I heard the noise behind me again and waited for it to come into view. It was a heavy-antlered buck with a lot of points. I turned back to where the first buck was, and it was standing back where I first saw him, staring at the other buck. They slowly started walking toward each other and met right in front of me, 15 yards away. Six does came into the field about this time, and one ran right between the two bucks. They seemed to not pay any attention to the doe and started a slow circle around the doe about 15 yards from each other. The doe moved out of the circle and they kept moving around with their eyes locked on each other. Both deer were about the same size and I contemplated which one to shoot. After about the third circle I finally decided to shoot the one with more points. After I made a good shot on him, the 16-point ran about 20 yards, stopped to look back and then started a slow trot across the field. The 8point then followed the buck I shot. The 16-point picked up speed and about 70 yards out put its head down. The antlers hit the ground, and the deer did a complete flip. The 8-point ran up to it and started fighting it on the ground. After watching for five minutes, I crawled down from the stand and the 8-point ran off into the woods. I walked back to the cabin, changed clothes and drove the tractor out to pick up the deer. It was dark by then and as I approached the area, the headlights shone on the 8-point buck hammering on the buck I shot. If only I could have gotten it on film. Thanks, Whitetail Institute.

Patrick Patterson – Wisconsin Imperial Whitetail Clover holds deer on my property and the bucks have bigger racks.

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Greg Hammer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ohio

Steph Matzke - Illinois

I own 29.5 acres in southwestern Ohio. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in the big hills, and my property is completely surrounded by Wayne National Forest. Wayne National Forest is public hunting and heavily hunted, especially gun season. I had a small dozer come in and cut out five food plots, between 1/4 acre to 1-1/4 acre. í˘ą Approximately 2/3 of plots I keep planted in Imperial Whitetail Clover as my main food source. Deer love it and browse it heavily. The other 1/3 I plant Winter-Greens and Tall Tine Tubers. All my plots were originally timber, so they required a lot of lime per acre, lot of work, but they made all the difference. I have done multiple side-by-side comparisons with Whitetail Institute seed and others including name brands and local co-op seed. Whitetail Institute products wins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hands down â&#x20AC;&#x201C; increases in body weight by 10 to 15 percent, increased antler growth and the ability to put these hard í˘˛ hunted, extremely wild old bucks within bow range. Four years ago I bow-killed a gross 177-inch 10-point with double brows. He was a Booner after deductions and a 60-day drying period (photo 1). The next season I let multiple 140- to 150-inch deer walk while targeting a possible 200-inch

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been more than 25 years since they first met, and their relationship has been lasting and productive. The Lyle Stine family of hunters and Whitetail Institute products is a match made in heaven. We have used Imperial Whitetail Clover for all those years. On central Illinois property bordering a river and a large nature conservation area, the big deer continue to thrive. As a field tester for Whitetail Institute products, Stine and his family of hunters have learned that a combination of quality deer management methods and smart placement of food plots secure positive hunting results. This year, two of Lyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandchildren, brother and sister Jordan and Carley Matzke of El Paso, Ill. reaped the reward by harvesting trophy bucks. Although not his first buck with a bow, Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buck was his largest to date. Having scouted the area with trail cameras, Jordan took down a buck whose image had been captured numerous times in the two years prior to the Nov. 1 kill shot. Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, Carley, had killed a doe two years ago during her first hunting season but had yet to have the opportunity to shoot a buck. But her luck changed in the first round of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shotgun season. Hunting with her oldest brother Ryan also a seasoned deer hunter, Carley was able to make a difficult shot that brought down her first buck. Having achieved the thrill of harvesting a trophy with a shotgun, Carley is now moving on to join the rest of her brothers, uncles, cousins and grandfathers as a bowhunter, hoping to repeat last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shotgun hunting success with an arrow this coming fall. ^

non-typical. I had no luck with him and he was shot by another hunter during gun season. Two years ago I bow-killed a 145-4/8 inch 8-point (photo 2). Last year opening weekend with daytime temps in the mid 80s, I bow-killed a 150-6/8-inch perfect 10-point with only 1-5/8 deductions. People tried to tell me I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consistently kill big bucks on a small piece of property surrounded by public hunting, and I sure have proved them wrong. Thank you, Whitetail Institute!

í˘ł

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Do you have photos of a buck that qualifies for the Pope & Young, Boone and Crockett or your state record books that you grew or took with the help of Imperial products? Send it to us and you might find it in the Record Book Bucks section of the next issue of Whitetail News. Email your digital photos and a 3 to 4 paragraph story telling how you harvested the deer and the role our products played to info@whitetailinstitute.com or send them to:

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Vol. 25, No. 3 /

WHITETAIL NEWS 25

Building Bone:

A Look at the Yearly Antler Growth Cycle By Matt Harper Photo by the Author

icture a crisp November morning, your breath swirling away in what you hope is the opposite direction of where you expect deer to move past your tree stand. The ambient early-dawn light is bright enough that you can easily see your sight pins, but the sun has not yet risen. Your hearing is

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heightened as you focus on every windblown leaf or scampering squirrel. Then you hear it: the unmistakable gait of a deer moving along the trail in front of you. Your heart rate and breathing quickens as you wait with expectation to see what emerges from behind the wall of brushy cover. Slowly, but with great purpose, a mature, thick-bodied whitetail buck comes into view, with a huge mass of bone adorning his head. Your heart rate quickens, and your legs develop a slight shake. To hold it together, you try not to look at the antlers, but you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to take your eyes off them. The next thing you know, you are infected with buck fever. www.whitetailinstitute.com

5IF 4VN JT (SFBUFS 5IBO UIF 1BSUTy >/(; +6,: 0; ;(2, ;6 4(2, ;/, <3;04(;, ;9(03 *(4,9(& .0=, <: ( *(33 (5+ 3,; <: -033 @6< 05 65 ;/, 3(;,:; 05 (4,90*(5 4(+, .(4, *(4,9( 0556=(;065 °

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Does that sound familiar? It has happened to me more than once. Now let’s take that situation, but instead of a monster buck, a young forkhorn steps into view. Be honest, would you suffer an immediate letdown? What would your reaction be if the deer was a doe? If you are being honest, you’re probably like most deer hunters and would be a bit disappointed. I’m sure some readers would say they are deer hunters, not trophy hunters, or might label themselves meat hunters. A few folks might really not care about the size of antlers crowning a buck’s head. However, I would argue that very few hunters don’t get a special jolt of excitement when a big buck comes into their sights. Similarly, if two bucks offer a shot, most folks would shoot the larger buck. There’s simply something about antlers that captures you. It’s just bone, but when it comes in the form of an antler, it takes on new meaning. Historically, antlers have been revered by mankind as a symbol of strength, virility and even spirituality. Aside from the awe they inspire in hunters, antlers are also awe-inspiring scientifically. The regenerative nature of antlers is not unique (skin, muscle, fingernails, as examples, also regenerate), but the amount and speed of regeneration of antlers could be considered one of a kind. A large whitetail rack can weigh several pounds, not to mention large elk or moose antlers, and deer shed and regrow them every year. In fact, antlers are one of the fastest-growing tissues. Many scientific fields study antler growth for that reason, including the medical and space travel sciences. Antlers are a natural wonder and leave little question as to why they sometimes diminish hunters to slobbering, shaking piles of goo when an exceptional specimen crosses our path.

Phase I Antler regeneration and growth begins almost immediately after a buck sheds his previous year’s headgear. In fact, pedicle formation, stimulated by high testosterone, begins in fall and survives, despite complete mineralization of the antler. It becomes the genesis of new antler growth the next spring. The pedicle contains regenerative cells that are responsible for antlerogensis. These regenerative cells are unique and are only found on the pedicle. If the pedicle is damaged, therefore damaging regenerative cells, antler growth will be affected. Most of the time, damage results in irregular or non-typical growth of the antler. If the pedicle and its regenerative cells are removed, antler regeneration and regrowth will no longer occur. Interestingly, scientists have conducted experiments in which pedicle layers containing regenerative cells were transplanted to various areas of a deer’s body, including the hip, causing a small but malformed antler to grow there, further proving that a pedicle’s regenerative cells are the source of antler regrowth. During late winter and early spring, pedicles slowly begin to produce antler buds, which begin to become visible sometime in early spring. The new antler growth is covered in a velvety skin layer appropriately called velvet and will remain in velvet throughout the active growing period. The velvet contains a massive blood flow system responsible for transporting large amounts of blood laden with the nutrients to support the new antler growth. In fact, if you were to touch a velvet antler, it would feel warm with all the blood flow. Velvet also contains a vast network of nerves, making it extremely sensitive, which biologists suspect is a protection mechanism to minimize damage caused by abrasions, as the velvet is fairly fragile.

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Quality nutrition during this time is important to supply bucks with the nutrients needed for antler growth. At this stage, the growing antler is primarily comprised of protein that forms the structure, or matrix, of the antler. Therefore, a source of high-quality, highly digestible protein is critical for supporting early antler growth. Research has shown that low protein levels during the early stages of antler growth can stunt antler growth, negatively affecting the final antler size, as compensatory growth does not seem to occur. Energy is also important during this time for various reasons. First, antler growth is secondary to body growth and maintenance. If a buck’s body is coming out of winter worn down and diminished, most nutrients the buck consumes will go first toward mending the buck’s body. Only afterward will more nutrients be allocated to antler development. Energy plays a critical role in rebuilding a buck’s body, and abundant supplies of energy allow for the rebuilding to occur more quickly and therefore decrease the time that antlers receive fewer nutrients. During the end of this period, bucks are also going through a molt-like process in which they shed their winter coat and begin growing their summer coat. This process takes huge amounts of energy and again takes away from antler growth. Finally, antler growth requires high amounts of energy in the diet, so it’s vital to have nutritional sources available to bucks that contain protein and energy. This time coincides with spring green-up, the exact timing of which is affected by weather. If temperatures stay low and winter holds on longer, spring green-up comes later, which affects nutrition supply to bucks. That’s why when planning a nutritional management program, it’s important to have perennials that are coldtolerant and green up quicker than others. Imperial Whitetail Clover is one such perennial and will consistently green up before most other forages. If spring green-up is delayed, you can use nutritional supplements such as Cutting Edge Initiate, which is designed for this phase of antler growth.

Phase II Phase II is the period between mid-spring and early fall. During this time, the bulk of antler growth occurs. Nutrient demands for antler growth are highest during spring and summer, as the velvet antler undergoes rapid growth and bucks prepare their bodies for the upcoming rut. Protein requirements remain very high as the protein matrix structure continues to grow. Energy needs also remain very high, but the nutrient category that begins to grow in importance is minerals. Protein comprises the majority (80 percent) or more of a growing antler, but a hardened antler is 55 percent mineral. That means large amounts of minerals are needed in preparation of the mineralization process. Mineral consumed by a buck does not go directly to the antlers but rather is stored in the skeletal structure. Mineral is taken from the skeletal structure and transported via blood flow to the antler, where it is deposited within the protein matrix. Remember, antler growth is secondary to body health and maintenance, so if mineral availability is not sufficient to support body maintenance and be used for antler mineralization, the total amount of mineral allocated to antlers will decrease. That is, a buck’s body can manipulate the amount of mineral taken from the skeletal structure to be used for antler mineralization based on how much mineral is in his diet. If the amount of mineral used for antler mineralization is reduced, there will be a direct reduction in antler density and overall antler size because the antlers will have less mass. In areas with high www.whitetailinstitute.com

mineral deficiencies, you often see lower mass measurements and a lot of broken antlers because of decreased antler density. Although some soils have higher mineral levels than others, nearly all soils in whitetail country are deficient in at least some of the vital minerals needed for antler growth. This is why the use of a mineral/vitamin free-choice supplement has shown improvements in antler size and density in nearly every area. If all vital minerals are available in more-than-adequate supply, the body has more than enough to maintain itself, letting larger amounts of mineral be used for antler growth.

Phase III The final phase occurs during fall and winter. Beginning in later parts of the second phase, testosterone begins to increase rapidly, reaching its peak during the rut. The increase of testosterone ends the active growth of the antler and triggers the mineralization process. As mineralization is completed and blood flow is shut off from the velvet antler, the velvet dies and is shed, which means velvet shedding is also controlled by high testosterone levels. In fact, if a buck’s testes are damaged or removed after antler growth has started but before mineralization occurs, the antlers will stay in perpetual velvet. The increase in testosterone is caused by the steady decrease of daylight. Whitetails are short-day breeders, meaning their breeding cycle coincides with the decrease in day length. The retina receives photoperiodic cues, which it relays to the pineal gland, which produces the hormone melatonin. The shorter the days get, the more melatonin is produced. This process ensures that breeding occurs at the appropriate time and in turn ensures that fawns are born at a time to maximize the chance of survivability. Research has shown that if deer are kept where light can be artificially manipulated, hormone levels can also be changed, which can change the antler-growing cycle. During the rut, a buck decreases his food intake dramatically, as the focus of his life changes from eating to breeding. Plus, bucks are constantly moving, so they will typically lose dramatic amounts of weight in fall — up to 25-30 percent, by some estimates. During the post-rut, with the hardness of winter approaching, it’s vital that bucks have access to high-quality nutrition loaded with energy to regain body weight that was lost during the rut. Bucks entering winter in poor condition are far more likely to succumb to winter kill. This is why mature bucks join fawns as the highest death losses in winter. Even if bucks survive winter but go into the next spring in bad condition, they will likely have stunted antler growth because they must regain body weight before the focus of nutrients can turn to antler growth. Therefore, it’s critical to have adequate amounts of winter plots, such as Winter-Greens, Tall Tine Tubers, Pure Attraction, etc. to help bucks during this phase. Where legal, you can also use supplements such as Cutting Edge Sustain to supply high amounts of bodybuilding energy to bucks.

Conclusion Man’s fascination with antlers is likely because of many factors, but it’s undeniably real. If you consider the process of antler growth and regeneration, I think it’s a valid fascination and goes far beyond the mere bragging rights of hanging a trophy on the wall. Antlers are amazing, and I will continue my fascination with them as long as I’m around to look at them. ^

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The WEED DOCTOR By W. Carroll Johnson, III, PhD.,, Weed Scientist and Agronomist ®

SLAY:

The Game-Changer for Broadleaf Weed Control in Forage Legumes

wo years ago, I was invited to be a symposium speaker at a conference on historical weed control advances in peanut production. Two of the herbicide groups that revolutionized weed control on peanuts were postemergence herbicides to selectively control emerged grasses and the ultra low-rate herbicides to control broadleaf weeds and nutsedges. These cornerstones in peanut weed control are the same as the foundational herbicides in food plots. I am referring to Arrest Max and Slay. I wrote about Arrest Max this past year, and you can read that article at www.whitetailinstitute.com. This article will discuss Slay. Slay controls a broad spectrum of broadleaf weeds in clover and alfalfa. The chemical nature of Slay lets it be applied at low rates, which is ideal for small-acreage plantings of food plots by hobbyists with less formulated product to transport and store. Slay is unique among herbicides because it controls emerged weeds through foliar absorption and non-emerged weeds by root uptake. Foliar uptake is rapid and enhanced by spray adjuvants, such as Sure-Fire Crop Oil Plus. Root uptake is not quite as efficient as foliar uptake but still significant. Slay is systemic, meaning the herbicide is translocated throughout the plant and accumulates at growing points where symptoms first appear. In susceptible plants, Slay inhibits production of a specific enzyme necessary for photosynthesis. A few hours after adsorption by susceptible plants, growth ceases — although that effect might not be immediately obvious. Whole plant symptoms might take up to two weeks to develop. Foliar applications of Slay are made to forage legumes with at least two trifoliate leaves (2 to 3 inches tall). Applications at this stage of forage growth ensure adequate crop safety. Another consideration on when to apply Slay is weed size. Consider Slay to be a “weed-seedling herbicide.” Some weed species, such as cocklebur and wild radish, are very sensitive to Slay, and you can achieve acceptable control of larger plants. However, most weed species are very unforgiving if Slay is ap-

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plied too late. Refer to the Slay label for specific information on critical weed sizes and herbicide rates for consistent control.

Environmental Conditions That Affect Slay Performance Slay performance is directly affected by weather conditions before, during and immediately after application. One factor to consider is temperature. Because temperature affects the rate of photosynthesis in plants and Slay inhibits a specific enzyme in photosynthesis, extreme temperatures will reduce weed control with Slay. Plants (crops and weeds) that tolerate Slay rapidly detoxify the herbicide. Cooler temperatures slow detoxification in tolerant crops, and temperatures lower than 40 degrees slow crop recovery from Slay compared to plants treated during moderate temperature regimes. Cool temperatures also slow herbicide symptom expression in susceptible weeds. My simple guideline for applying any herbicide, particularly Slay, is to avoid extremes: Avoid too dry, too wet, too cold and too hot. My weed science colleagues will say that statement is absurdly oversimplified, but you get the message. Slay performs well during periods of high humidity. Humid conditions thin the cuticle on leaf surfaces, making it easier for herbicides to enter the plant. Humid conditions also increase water transpiration and movement in plants, with Slay being moved throughout the plant with water in the plant’s vascular system. It’s worth mentioning the unfortunate results if humidity is low and prevailing conditions are arid. Weed control with Slay is significantly reduced by drought because of the opposite reasons.

Residual Weed Control Food plot hobbyists often undervalue the residual weed control properties of Slay. Herbicides in the same chemical family as Slay are frequently soil-applied at planting to other legume crops, such as soybeans, peanuts and edible legumes. We don’t have that option with Slay because of increased chances of stunting on emerging clover and alfalfa. Residual weed control with Slay can be captured to our benefit if applied early in the life of the forage planting. At that time, forage legumes are developed enough to tolerate Slay, but the plants have not covered the soil surface. Simply, if Slay spray droplets can reach the soil surface, the stage is set for valuable control of non-emerged weeds. Because weeds are not present during these conditions, there is often no obvious indicator of weed control other than the absence of weeds. A good way to assess weed control success is to compare treated areas with places in the food plot accidentally not sprayed or along nontreated margins. Another opportunity to use soil residual weed control with Slay occurs soon after rejuvenating a clover stand with mowing. Rotary www.whitetailinstitute.com

mowing is a basic production practice to freshen a clover food plot, usually to stimulate new growth, facilitate efficient top-dressing with fertilizer and clip tall weeds. Mowing opens the leaf canopy, allowing herbicide spray droplets to reach the soil surface, creating an opportunity for Slay to provide residual weed control. Ideally, mow the food plot and wait about two weeks before applying Slay. The clover leaf canopy will be open, giving herbicide spray an opportunity to reach the soil surface, and the delay allows established weeds to re-foliate with young, succulent leaves that are primed for herbicide uptake. Admittedly, it requires finesse to capture the benefits of residual weed control with Slay in food plots. However, the potential weed control benefits are significant. Slay is the sole herbicide available for use in forage legumes that has the chemical properties to be equally effective between foliar applications and soil applications. No other food plot herbicide can make that claim. Opportunities to use these attributes are too valuable to overlook.

Sensitivity of Other Forage Crops to Slay Although forage legumes are generally very tolerant of Slay, other non-legume forages tend to be sensitive. All brassica forages are very sensitive to Slay, along with grain sorghum (milo), cereal grains (especially oats) and sunflowers. Most forage products planted for food plots are multi-species blends. Although forage legumes might be the foundation species in the blend, other plants in the mix might be sensitive to Slay. This pretty much eliminates the opportunity to use Slay for weed control in these plantings. More important, the significant soil activity of Slay might temporarily limit future plantings of multi-

species blends. Refer to the Slay label for a list of planting restrictions after herbicide applications. This is not meant to discourage using Slay. Rather, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the nature of this entire chemical family of herbicides, and Slay is no different. Although brassica forages are extremely sensitive to Slay, and Slay can also affect future food plot plantings that include brassicas, some weeds in food plots are in the Brassicaceae family of plants and should be dealt with. This past year, most of the food plot weed identification requests I received from late spring through early summer were weedy brassicas. These included wild radish (my nemesis), wild mustard, yellow rocket, various species of cress and Virginia pepperweed. These weeds are prolific producers of viable seed, are highly competitive with forage crops and provide little tangible benefit in the food plot context. Slay effectively controls weedy brassicas. So, there is a trade-off between not planting forage brassicas after using Slay versus the devastating losses caused by weedy brassicas. I will exhaust all options to control my weedy brassica (wild radish). For that reason, I routinely apply Slay and adjust my future forage plantings accordingly to avoid injury because of Slay carryover. For those who have weedy brassicas infesting their food plots, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wager that you will make the same choice. Slay is a thoroughbred herbicide and a valuable tool in the integrated management of weeds in food plots planted to clover or alfalfa. Although it might be temperamental in regard to environmental conditions necessary for optimum performance, Slay delivers outstanding weed control. This game-changing herbicide will greatly improve the longevity and vigor of clover and alfalfa food plots by eliminating broadleaf weeds and their competition. ^

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WHITETAIL NEWS 33

Small Property Success —

Whitetail Ghost Town to Island Oasis for Deer By Jordan Howell Photos by the Author

ost of us don’t have the luxury of hunting huge tracts of private land managed for whitetail deer. Instead, we hunt small farms owned by family or friends, and our trips to the woods each fall are usually limited by work and family obligations. It’s no wonder when it comes to seeing and shooting mature bucks, the average hunter’s season is nothing like what we see on TV or read about in magazines. Being consistently successful at harvesting mature bucks on limited acreage might seem like a pipe dream. However, I’m sure many of you know someone who hunts small properties but seems to kill big deer year after year. Is he just lucky? Maybe, but other factors likely contribute to his success. Small properties can produce some great hunting opportunities if they’re managed with the right approach. Consider the journey I’m taking with one of my properties. In Summer eight years ago, I acquired 63 acres in northern Indiana. It was a sand and gravel pit but had been vacant for more than 30 years. I jumped into it hastily because the price was right. Actually, I never walked it until after the paperwork was signed. Having a property I could manage for whitetail hunting was a dream come true. I have a passion for habitat development, so having a blank canvas to work with gave me that kid-in-a-candy-store feeling. I quickly discovered, however, that I had some challenges to overcome.

thought. It didn’t take me long to determine I had a major problem, though: There weren’t any deer living there. I didn’t understand why, but my trail cameras and time on stand the first year didn’t lie. Deer only occasionally traveled through the property on their way somewhere else. A neighbor told me I was wasting my time because all the deer lived on his property, and unfortunately, he was right. I knew I had to make changes if I wanted to be successful. The second spring, I contacted a state wildlife biologist and asked her to come to the property. I explained that my goals were to provide optimal wildlife habitat with an emphasis on whitetail deer. She quickly pointed out some things I had not considered. First, she addressed the tremendous amount of cover, which I had thought was a good thing. The property was overrun with an invasive species called Asian bush honeysuckle. It’s not the honeysuckle that grows throughout most of the South and that deer love to eat. Asian bush honeysuckle was brought to America as an ornamental plant for the red berries it produces in fall. It grows in thick clusters, with the base growing into small trees fairly quickly. It grows faster than most indigenous plants, so it quickly shades out native browse. The biologist pointed that out by having me kneel and look through the woods. There was almost zero browse on the forest floor. Other than the mature timber that was there before the honeysuckle, there were few other plants. The thickness was also really a façade, as the honeysuckle only became thick at about head height, where the smaller branches were. At ground level, you could see at least 50 yards in any direction. The biologist pointed out that deer don’t like to bed in bush honeysuckle for that reason, as they don’t feel safe. Deer like to feel secure, surrounded by cover when they bed. So although the property was incredibly thick, that vegetation was useless as bedding cover for whitetails. The infestation was severe enough that almost all of the native browse was gone. I did not have the right type of cover for deer nor any forage, either. It was beginning to make sense. The biologist recommended that I aggressively remove the bush honeysuckle. That was a tall task considering the entire 63 acres was covered in it. She sug-

Looks Can Be Deceiving Looking at an aerial photograph of my property, it appears to be a deer hunter’s dream. It’s 100 percent wooded, surrounded by massive agricultural fields and intersected by long narrow strips of woods connecting the land to other blocks of timber. It looks like the hub of a wheel. The timber on the property is incredibly thick, and the terrain has many elevation changes. Sounds great, right? That’s what I

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Food plots rquire work and doing them right is critical.

www.whitetailinstitute.com

gested that I draw a grid on an aerial map and focus on one section at a time to keep from being overwhelmed.

Strategizing I wrote a plan for the property, listing the goals I wanted to accomplish, and then prioritized them to figure out the order in which to tackle them to maximize my success. I acknowledged that with my limited acreage, I would never be able to make a mature buck stay on my property 100 percent of the time. So, I decided to offer a buck everything he would want or need throughout his life on my property in hopes he would spend more time on my land and not the neighbors’. I knew I needed to create ideal bedding cover to coax a mature buck to make his core area at my property. I also tried to figure out what my land lacked and surrounding properties had to make a mature buck travel there. The answer was food and does. Most hunters have heard the basics of whitetail habitat management: Food, cover, water and pressure (or lack thereof). I wanted to provide all of those on my property. I decided to focus first on the factors over which I had the most control and then move on to others. In February, seven years ago, I put my plans in motion.

Baby Steps Although not at the top of my list, the easiest piece to my puzzle was water. I knew the property had a natural water source, where two springs ran into an old gravel pit, creating a deep 3/4-acre pond. With a reliable year-round water source for deer, the next thing I addressed was pressure. I knew surrounding properties had a lot of hunting pressure and figured if I could offer deer a safe place, some might spend more time on my property. I chose an area at the center of the property I believed would be the most difficult to hunt because of access. Also, the area was fairly swampy and not conducive for future food plots. I designated the 20-acre area as a sanctuary, which, when complete, I would never intrude into unless absolutely necessary. First, I cleared

Food plots on smalll properties are essential. The author took a 160-inch buck on his Winter-Greens plot.

as much of the invasive honeysuckle as possible. Instead of burning the brush, I piled it around the edges of the sanctuary, leaving only a few gaps at select locations for deer to enter and exit. I then enlisted what I believe is the greatest habitat management tool available: a chainsaw. I did an aggressive hinge-cut throughout the sanctuary, dropping big dead logs and leaving the living tops of others touching the ground to encourage bedding. The added sunlight helped the native browse grow, giving deer nearby daytime forage. With the sanctuary and bedding cover done, I began to focus on my hunting strategy. I started in February and attacked the forest with a chainsaw, skid loader and later a bulldozer to remove the invasive species. You don’t often hear of a habitat plan that includes removing cover, but in my case, it was critical to implement the rest of my plan. I wanted to hunt the property effectively while managing the habitat, so I created a network of travel corridors resembling a spider web crisscrossing the land, and I cleared 1/4- to 1/2-acre areas alongside the trails at locations I had previously selected for stand sites. After I had cleared a few areas of honeysuckle, the ground exploded with new growth. The sunlight finally reached the forest floor, and seeds that had sat dormant for years came to life. By midsummer, sassafras, multiflora rose and young tree seedlings filled up the openings I had cleared. The deer herd was noticing, too, as several new trails appeared leading into the new bedding area, and browse pressure was evident in the small clearings. Now that deer were visiting the property regularly, it was time to address food. Although the fresh browse growing in the areas I cleared was attracting deer, the overall quantity and quality of the forage was poor. The biggest factor was the extremely sandy soil. Not many plants can thrive in soil that holds moisture about as well as a coffee filter. After a conversation with neighboring hunters, I learned they did not have any food plots specifically for deer but relied heavily on corn and soybean fields to attract whitetails. I knew I could not compete with that huge food source unless I added some high-quality forage. That’s where the Whitetail Institute became a part of the story. Deer would feed in the neighboring corn and bean fields no matter what I did, so nutrition was not my primary concern. I wanted to provide the most attractive food plot possible to entice deer to stop by before heading to the big corn fields, hopefully giving me a shot at a nice buck. I selected a 1/2-acre clearing between the sanctuary and the neighbor’s field for the first food plot. I wanted to plant Imperial Whitetail Clover, as I had enjoyed great success with it at other properties. However, clover is a shallow-rooted plant that doesn’t do well in sandy soil. I sent a soil test to the Whitetail Institute, and the results were not what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised that my soil had a near perfect pH of 6.9. It also contained high levels of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, although it was deficient in potassium. The very low organic matter level — 1.4 percent — was to be expected with sandy soil, but overall, the nutrient level was much better than I anticipated. Armed with that information, I planted Imperial Winter-Greens for two reasons. First, brassicas can grow well in a well-drained soil, provided they receive adequate moisture. Second, I wanted something that would peak in attraction during November, when I would hunt the plot. I followed the fertilizer recommendations on my soil test and planted the 1/2-acre plot in August. Until then, I had never seen a buck older than 2-1/2 years on the property, even on my trail cameras. However, a camera overlooking the new plot produced photos of two beautiful 3-year-old 8-point bucks frequenting the spot in daylight almost daily. That was all I

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WHITETAIL NEWS 35

needed to know my plan was working. Those bucks were the best deer I had pictures of, so I had my sights set on whichever one gave me an opportunity first. I wanted to wait until the time was right to hunt the spot, though. When the season opened, I didn’t hunt the farm until all the corn on surrounding properties had been harvested. I hoped that with the deer’s habitat drastically reduced, my woods would become a major bedding area.

On a String On Nov. 9, seven years ago, I climbed into my stand overlooking the small, secluded field of Winter-Greens. The plot was halfway between my sanctuary and a 200-acre picked corn field. A travel corridor I had cut through the timber connected all three, and I could barely see the edge of the field from my stand. As I watched the neighbor climb into his box blind, I suddenly heard sticks breaking and rapid heavy footsteps. A lone doe ran down the trail toward me from the field. I then heard the unmistakable sound of a mature buck grunting. The deer burst into the woods behind the doe, running at full speed. The pair ran straight down the trail and through my food plot. They were running so fast that by the time I stood, grabbed my bow and drew, the buck was almost through the plot and about to disappear. I yelled at the buck, and he slammed on the brakes, quartering away at 20 yards. As soon as my pin touched the crease of his front shoulder, I let the arrow go. The buck exploded into the air and disappeared down the trail leading to the sanctuary. Upon recovering the deer, I realized he was much bigger than I had first thought — easily a 5-1/2year-old, scoring 160 inches. Sitting next to him that night was one of my proudest accomplishments as a hunter, as I thought about the work and preparation I had undertaken to get there. I still don’t know where the buck came from, but I believe my property had become a place where the doe he was chasing felt safe, as she was heading for my manufactured bedding area. That hunt motivated me to push my habitat management to the next level.

Outside-the-Box Management I didn’t want to rest on the success of shooting one mature buck. I wanted to consistently get mature deer to call my place home. I decided to diversify the habitat so I could provide as many options for deer as possible, so if they were unpressured, they would live at the farm more of the time instead of passing through during the rut. I started by expanding my food plot program and have enlarged plots or added new plots every year. From one 1/2-acre plot of Winter-Greens, I currently maintain five plots, and the original plot is now 1-1/4 acres. I’ve tested many forages offered by the Whitetail Institute, and all have performed well. I credit that to high-quality seed and the time I took to match the right seed to the soil conditions. I rely heavily on fall annuals for my hunting plots. Each fall, I plant Winter-Greens, Pure Attraction, Winter Peas Plus and, my favorite, Whitetail Oats Plus. I also have a perennial plot of Imperial Extreme. I still wanted a way to grow Imperial Whitetail Clover in my sandy soil, so I found an unorthodox solution. The property was previously mined for sand and gravel, which left huge sand dunes from the mining process. A local grading contractor needed sand, so I struck a deal that whenever he digs a basement or clears away topsoil he needs to get rid of, he brings it to my property and spreads it where I want it. In exchange, I let him haul sand off of the property. I now have a 3/4-

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acre Imperial clover plot planted entirely in non-native soil. Getting creative has let me provide attractive food sources year-round. I’ve also used 30-06 mineral to help increase the overall health of deer for the past six years. I’ve also continued to improve overall habitat quality. One of the biggest steps has been enrolling the property in Indiana’s Classified Wildlife Habitat program. The state helps offset some costs of habitat improvement and will even help with suggestions to further your efforts. I continue to thin out bush honeysuckle each year, and the quality of the forest is rapidly improving. I have planted 1,000 crabapple, persimmon, white pine, Norway spruce and burr oak trees in areas I opened up. This past spring, I planted two acres of switchgrass and Indian grass along a power company right-of-way that cuts through the property. My hunting strategy has changed, too. I realized that pressure affects whitetails more than any other factor, and that’s magnified on small properties, as it’s much harder to hunt them often without educating deer. After observing deer patterns, I located all of my stand setups in areas with flawless access. If I cannot get into a stand and back out again without alerting deer to my presence, I won’t hunt that spot. I’ve learned to back off of smoking-hot sign and hunt the fringes. That keeps the property “fresh” no matter the time of year. I’ve also committed to only shooting deer I believe to be four years old or older and have passed opportunities at dozens of young bucks. Deer are not the only animals that have noticed the changes to the habitat, either. The property has become a mecca for turkeys, quail and small game. I doubt I’ll ever be satisfied with the property. I still have a long list of things I want to accomplish, including creating more food plots, secondary bedding areas, multiple small water holes and more fruit and mast-producing trees. It has become an addiction.

Changing Tides Looking at where I began, it’s rewarding to see the changes. The food plots I’ve planted have been a major factor in changing the patterns and core areas of area deer. I won’t try to convince you that planting Whitetail Institute food plots is the sole reason for my success, but just like the other improvements, my food plots have been an important piece in building a complete habitat picture. My concept is simple: I know a mature buck will not spend 100 percent of his time on my small property. My goal is to have him spend as much time as possible on my property by providing everything he wants or needs. I’ve done that by providing food, water and a sanctuary, and by attracting does and limiting my presence at the property to minimize pressure. I hunt the property less often each year, but each time I hunt is more productive. What was once a whitetail ghost town has become an island oasis for deer. Habitat management is hard work and requires considerable time and resources. But the more I do, the greater my passion for it becomes. There’s a reason the record books are exploding with entries across the country. More hunters are actively involved in managing the wildlife and habitat than ever before. A lot of big bucks are coming off small properties, too. No matter how many acres you have to hunt, a solid management plan and outside-the-box thinking will benefit your hunting strategy. You don’t have to do it all at once, but taking the right steps at the right time can turn your land into a whitetail paradise. ^ www.whitetailinstitute.com

Deer Suckers and Antler Builders A Guide to Product Identification By Matt Harper

ne of the major goals of a marketing group is to create a story or feeling around a product that is so appealing, the consumer believes their life would be better if they rushed out and purchased said product. If the consumer already has a deep passion for whatever the product will be used for, a small promotional push promising success is normally all it takes. For example, let’s say your passion is golfing — so much that you spend hours on the course trying to whittle away at your handicap. One day, while nursing the wounds of a back-9 train wreck, you read an advertisement for a new driver that’s so technologically advanced it will increase your drive by 30 yards. The advertisement shows a guy confidently striding past his golfing buddies to his ball which is significantly farther down the fairway. You think to yourself, “That could be me. That’s all I really need to beat old Jerry — just 30 yards.” Even if Jerry has a better second shot than you, how cool would it be to out-drive him? The driver you have is only a year old, but what the heck, if there’s a chance the new driver will do what it says it will, it’s worth the cost of a couple of — or maybe four to five — date nights. Of course, the advertisement doesn’t tell you that although the club might hit the ball farther, it’s also much harder to control accuracy, and the improvement in distance is only realized with the perfect swing. A passionate golfer is always trying to lower his score and will buy whatever equipment might give him a better chance of accomplishing that goal. Likewise, hunters will purchase products based on the slightest chance it will improve their odds of seeing more deer or help them harvest a monster buck. I’ve been in sales and marketing for most of my professional career, much of which has been in the hunting industry. Every year, outdoor retailers ask their sales representatives the same question: “What do you have that’s new?” They know

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Photo by Dustin Reid

hunters are looking for the elusive silver bullet for hunting success. Knowing this, I still fall victim to trying the newest gadget because there might be a chance it works. My hunting room holds multiple types of guns, knives, broadheads, releases, camo patterns, scent-control devices and — well, you probably get the drift. Besides, my wife might be reading this. As hunters, we have a passion for what we do, and if there’s a product that even has the chance of increasing our odds, a lot of us will give it a try.

A Blurred Line Deer minerals and attractants have been on the market for many years and hold a special allure for avid deer hunters. An attractant, for example, raises the possibility of using a deer’s keen sense of smell against it by luring it to a spot and keeping it coming back there because of an uncontrollable desire to consume the attractant. How many times have you sat in a tree stand knowing there are deer somewhere on the property but remain frustrated that the elusive boogers won’t show themselves? If it’s simply a matter or pouring something out, hanging something up or tossing something on the ground that www.whitetailinstitute.com

will attract them, it would seem crazy not to give it a shot. A deer “mineral” has the touted ability to attract deer and affect the quality of deer on your property by improving their nutrition and thus their quality. If a deer mineral could make the deer you hunt bigger in body and bone, it would seem foolish not to use such a game-changing tool. The reality with attractants and minerals is, some products on the market truly do the things mentioned. The problem is, the line separating attractants and minerals has been blurred by marketing and advertising folks who take some generous liberties in how they define and promote their products. Some attractants are advertised as simply that: a product that will attract deer. Others, however, have crossed the line claiming not only attraction but also nutrition, and what could be better than a product that is a powerful attractant and also grows monster bucks? Some products attract deer and provide beneficial nutrition, but others make claims that are a stretch — at best. Words such as “antler-building minerals” or “fortified” sometimes find their way onto packaging of products that, after close examination, might have a hard time supporting those claims. True, the product might contain a mineral that is involved somewhat in antler growth, but that does not necessarily mean that it will improve antler growth. So how do you cut through the marketing fog to make good decisions about what to purchase and use? You first must have a good understanding of what defines an attractant and a mineral.

that apple is the best sweet attractant, but others swear by molasses. I know a deer researcher who used cherry pie filling to attract deer into range of a net cannon. In fact, I’ve heard so many variations on what particular source of sweet works the best to attract deer the only certainty is that if it’s sweet, there’s a good chance deer will eat it. Sodium is another taste sensory trigger that will attract deer. However, it will typically only attract deer at certain times of year. In spring, when plants are vegetative and growing rapidly, they contain high levels of potassium. Sodium and potassium must be in an appropriate balance in the body to maintain proper cellular osmosis. When a deer’s diet is high in potassium and low in sodium, such as it is during spring and summer, deer become salt-hungry because their bodies crave sodium to balance potassium. Another factor of vegetation during spring and summer is that it’s high in moisture that acts as a flushing system, further decreasing sodium level in the body and increasing a deer’s need for that element. As plants mature and potassium and moisture levels drop, the craving for sodium becomes less, decreasing its attraction power. Salt is the most common form of sodium used in attractants, but other sodium forms work, including sodium bicarbonate. One popular attractant uses soda ash or sodium carbonate. The interesting thing about this product is it has a warning label for nose and lung irritation because its pH is so high yet it has been on the market for years.

Free Choice Deer Minerals Attractants In the purest sense of the word, an attractant is a product that uses some form of sensory stimulant to attract deer. These stimulants focus on the two major components of a deer’s life: breeding and eating. Most attractants related to breeding claim to mimic the scent of an estrous doe that will attract a rutting buck. Attractants that target the taste buds can generally be divided into sweet or salty. But before we get into those in more detail, it’s important to point out that a “food” attractant can use either or both smell and taste. Have you ever walked into your house and followed your nose to the kitchen in expectation of fresh-baked cookies only to find the source of that smell is a cookiescented candle? You look around for a while in hopes there might actually be cookies somewhere but eventually give up and leave. Now, let’s say a deer smells the sweet scent of apples and investigates to find some kind of reddish looking stuff piled on the ground. If the deer dips its muzzle in the pile, the stuff will taste like apple, right? Not necessarily, because attractants often use scent or flavor enhancers to create the attraction, with the key word being or. Some enhancement ingredients focus on smell and others on taste, so a product that smells like persimmons might not actually taste like persimmons. There are a few that smell and taste like the same thing and some that use the actual natural ingredient to some degree. You have probably seen the products that say something like, “Loaded with actual acorns,” or “contains real apples.” The truth is these products typically contain some scent-enhancing ingredients to produce a stronger scent than what is produced by the natural ingredient. Often, a scent enhancement is used to target the consumer and not deer. I remember a product that claimed something like, “With the attraction power of acorns.” Acorns smell like dirt, but people don’t associate dirt with attraction, so the product contained a scent enhancement that smelled a little like smoky caramel but nothing like an acorn. As mentioned, sweet is a taste used to attract whitetails. Some say

The term deer mineral covers a large diversity of products, some ranging from highly fortified and nutritionally sound products to those that carry the name loosely at best. A true deer mineral is constructed with the first priority being nutrition. Yes, attraction is important, because no matter how nutritionally beneficial the product might be, deer have to consume it to derive any of that benefit. The primary consideration, however, in the development of a true deer mineral is a nutritional profile that will improve the quality of the deer herd. In general, the specific nutrients found in a deer mineral will consist of three categories, including macro minerals, trace minerals and vitamins. Occasionally, deer minerals might contain additional additives, such as a probiotics, a protein source, flavor or scent enhancers, and many others, but the main structure remains supplemental minerals and vitamins. Macro minerals used in deer supplements are those needed in larger quantities and typically consist of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Trace minerals are needed in smaller quantities but are nonetheless vital. These consist of zinc, manganese, copper, iron, selenium, iodine and cobalt. Vitamins used in deer minerals are normally limited to the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. Occasionally, water soluble or B vitamins are formulated into products, but deer have the ability, via rumen micro flora, to produce B vitamins, so generally they are not added to most deer mineral products. Just having these items formulated into a product does not make a true deer mineral, as there are other considerations to take into account. First, what is the level or amount of each mineral or vitamin in the product? This is an important part of the equation to investigate, because an ingredient can be listed on the product label regardless of how little is actually used. This is typically called “tag dressing,” which means putting in just a little so it can be added to the label. Unfortunately, this can be fairly common. For example, I know of a few

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Vol. 25, No. 3 /

WHITETAIL NEWS 39

products that claim to be “deer minerals” containing the “essential” elements we discussed. However, upon further examination, you find the product is 98 percent salt with some small amounts of macro and trace minerals and vitamins added for tag dressing. One product claims to have dozens of vital minerals but upon analysis contains .0001 percent of most of them. This causes the blurred line between attractants and true minerals. Another consideration is the source of the mineral. For example, copper can be derived from several compounds, including copper sulfate, copper chloride and copper oxide. If any of these are used, laboratory analysis will show that copper is present in the product and even at the level listed on the tag. However, the digestible variability of these sources differ greatly, with the chloride and sulfate sources being largely available but the oxide form being mostly unavailable, rendering it useless to deer. Finally, the ratio in which the various minerals are formulated can greatly influence the effectiveness of a product. The most common example is calcium and phosphorus ratios. If these minerals are not formulated at the appropriate ratio, neither will be beneficial to deer. There are many more examples of important ratios and, in fact, nearly all the minerals will interact with one another, meaning the ratio puzzle must be considered with each mineral used in the product.

Knowing the Difference As mentioned, it’s sometimes difficult to identify whether a product should be classified as a deer mineral or an attractant because of how the product is promoted and positioned. Words or phrases can be used

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in the product’s marketing that are legal but also misleading or, at best, embellished. If you want a deer mineral, you must be careful not to buy an attractant that is simply dressed up to look like a deer mineral. I want to make it clear that I’m in no way putting down attractants. If your goal is first and foremost to attract deer with little concern for the nutritional benefit, an attractant is certainly worth considering. On the other hand, if your first concern is providing nutrition, there are a few things you can look at to evaluate a product. If a product contains more than 60 percent salt, I would tend to classify it more as an attractant than a true mineral/vitamin supplement. As discussed, salt is used as an attractant, so a deer mineral will have to have a certain amount to get deer to eat it, but it should not be formulated so salt is the overwhelming ingredient. Also, I look to make sure the product contains all the macro and trace minerals we discussed, as well as vitamins A, D and E. Then I look at the levels of each mineral to determine if any ingredients are being used solely as tag dressing.

Conclusion Whether you’re looking for a deer sucker or an antler builder, it’s important to get what you’re seeking and not be distracted by clever advertising. Having a better understanding of the characteristics of each and how to generally tell the difference will help guide you to the right product. Finally, choose a product from a reputable company with years of experience and years of research, such as the Whitetail Institute of North America. It is fairly easy to put some stuff in a colorful bag with a big deer on it and use some catch phrases to sell the product, but nothing compares to years of success. ^

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Food Plot Planting Datesâ&#x20AC;Ś PLANTING DATES FOR IMPERIAL CLOVER, ALFA-RACK PLUS, EXTREME, NO-PLOW, CHICORY PLUS, CHIC MAGNET AND EDGE

Call for planting dates

Apr 1 - July 1 Apr 15 - June 15 Aug 1 - Sept 1 Coastal: Feb 1 - Mar 15 Sept 1 - Oct 15 Southern Piedmont: Feb 15 - Apr 1 Aug 15 - Oct 1 Mountain Valleys: Mar 1 - Apr 15 Aug 1 - Sept 15 Feb 1 - Apr 1 Aug 1 - Sept 30 Feb 1 - Apr 15 Sept 1 - Nov 1

North: Mar 15 - May 1 Aug 1 - Sept 15 South: Mar 1 - Apr 15 Aug 15 - Oct 15

Apr 1 - June 15 July 15 - Sept 5

Apr 1 - May 15 Aug 1 - Sept 15

Mar 20 - May 15 Aug 1 - Sept 15

Sept 15 - Nov 15

Feb 5 - Mar 1 North: Sept 5 - Nov 15 South: Sept 25 - Nov 15 Feb 15 - Apr 1 Sept 1 - Oct 30 North: Sept 15 - Nov 15 South: Sept 25 - Nov 15

21 22

Feb 1 - Mar 1 Coastal: Sept 25 - Oct 15 Piedmont: Sept 1 - Oct 5 Mountain Valleys: Aug 25 - Oct 15 North: Sept 25 - Nov 25 South: Oct 5 - Nov 30 Mar 1 - May 15 Aug 1 - Sept 15 Feb 1 - Apr 15 Aug 20 - Sept 30 Apr 15 - June 15 July 1 - Aug 15 May 15 -July 1 May 1 - June 15 July 1 - Aug 15 May 15 - July 1

PLANTING DATES FOR DOUBLE-CROSS, PURE ATTRACTION, SECRET SPOT, WINTER PEAS, BOWSTAND AND AMBUSH

Call for planting dates Call for planting dates Aug 1 - Sept 15 Coastal: Sept 1 - Oct 15 Piedmont: Aug 15 - Oct 1 Mountain Valleys: Aug 1 - Sept 15 Aug 1 - Sept 30

North: Aug 1 - Sept 30 South: Aug 15 - Oct 15

July 15 - Sept 5 Aug 1 - Sept 15

Aug 1 - Sept 15 Sept 15 - Nov 15 North: Sept 5 - Nov 15 South: Sept 25 - Nov 15

Aug 15 - Nov 1

Sept 1 - Oct 30 North: Sept 15 - Nov 15 South: Sept 25 - Nov 15 Coastal: Sept 15 - Oct 15 Piedmont: Sept 1 - Oct 5 Mountain: Aug 25 - Oct 15

21 22

Aug 20 - Sept 30 July 1 - Aug 15 June 15 - July 15 July 15 - Aug 31 July 1 - Aug 15

North: Sept 25 - Nov 25 South: Oct 5 - Nov 30

Call for planting dates Call for planting dates July 1 - Sept 10* Coastal: Aug 15 - Sept 30 Southern Piedmont: Aug 1 - Sept 15 Mountain Valleys: July 15 - Sept 15

July 15 - Sept 30 Aug 1 - Oct 1 North: July 15 - Sept 30 South: Aug 1 - Oct 10 July 1 - Aug 30 July 1 - Aug 30

July 15 - Sept 15*

Sept 15 - Nov 15 North: Sept 5 - Nov 1 Central: Sept 15 - Nov 15 South: Sept 25 - Nov 15 North: Aug 15 - Oct 1 South: Sept 5 - Nov 1 North: Sept 5 - Oct 30 Central: Sept 15 - Nov 15 South: Sept 25 - Nov 15 Coastal: Sept 1 - Oct 1 Piedmont: Aug 15 - Sept 20 Mountain Valleys: Aug 5 - Sept 15

21 22

North: Sept 15 - Nov 15 Central: Sept 25 - Nov 15 South: Oct 5 - Nov 30 July 15 - Sept 1 Aug 1 - Sept 30 July 1 - Aug 15 June 15 - Aug 1 July 15 - Aug 31 July 1 - Aug 15

Use the map below as a guideline for when to plant Imperial Whitetail Oats Plus in your area. For best results, wait to plant until excessively hot, droughty summer weather has passed. Imperial Whitetail Oats Plus is highly cold-tolerant and designed to provide abundant forage from fall into spring in the southern U.S. and from fall into winter in colder climates

Aug 1 - Sept 15

PLANTING DATES FOR WINTER-GREENS AND TALL TINE TUBERS

PLANTING DATES FOR WHITETAIL OATS PLUS

* Earlier (spring) planting dates may be applicable. Call Whitetail institute for more information. ** For northern Pennsylvania, earlier (spring) planting dates may be applicable. Call Whitetail Institute for more information.

*Do not plant PowerPlant until soil temperatures reach a constant 65 degrees F. Wait as long as necessary for soil temperatures to reach a constant 65 degrees F before planting PowerPlant.

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Aug 15 - Sept 15

Sept 1 - Oct 1

Sept 1 - Oct 20

PLANTING DATES FOR IMPERIAL POWERPLANT AND TURKEY SELECT

Do not plant PowerPlant in black areas.

May 20 - June 30 April 1 - May 31

Vol. 25, No. 3 /

May 1 - June 30 June 20 - July 31*

WHITETAIL NEWS 41

REAL HUNTERS DO THE TALKING about Whitetail Institute products…

t was two season ago, and I couldn’t have asked for a better night of hunting. I remember it was a little cold, so I took off my shoes so I could rub my feet to warm them up, and a bunch of big bucks came out of the timber about 140 yards away. My dad and I had been watching one particular buck for a while. We had a lot of pictures of it on our trail cameras. We also had his sheds from the

previous year. He and several others had been regularly feeding on Whitetail Oats Plus. It was one of the deer that came out of the timber. I jumped up and got the gun ready to shoot. I took the gun off safety, but when I finally had a good aim on it, it took off running with the rest of the deer. We sat for a little bit longer to see what the deer were going to do. After watching them for a couple of minutes, they moved into the timber. I put the safety back on the gun. I happened to take another glance across the field, and saw the buck I wanted to shoot about 100 yards away headed to ward the oats. I took the gun off safety again and aimed right behind the front leg. I had a perfect shot, so I took it. The deer ran about 40 yards and dropped! I was so excited! We ran to the deer in excitement. I probably took at least 70 pictures of the deer. I couldn’t have asked for a better night and a better hunting partner. The buck had a huge drop tine and scored 177 inches non-typical. (Photo 1.) Fast-forward to this past hunting season. We had placed a trail camera on a Whitetail Oats Plus plot we planted late this year. The oats were barely able to sprout before the deer started hitting them nightly. In fact, other than replacing the dark soil with green foliage, one could hardly tell these were oats. The deer, much like last year, nibbled the oats nearly to the ground. With five minutes of legal hunt time remaining, our target stepped out, and my sister, Olivia, killed a monster. (Photo 2) This fresh bit of green made the difference two years in a row.

Jack and Olivia McKelvey – Iowa

ince I started using Whitetail Institute products the number of bucks on the walls of my son, grandson and me have gone up. Whitetail Institute products keep the does in my area. I am enclosing some pictures of the bucks we have harvested the last 10 years. The Chicory Plus gets eaten down every winter right to the roots. The Imperial Whitetail Clover is a real deer pleasure. They gorge themselves on the Imperial Whitetail Clover. 30-06 Mineral Plus Protein gets eaten up. I had a 5-foot round hole in front of trail camera that was 6 to 7 inches deep from deer digging at the 30-06 Plus Protein site. When I first started hunting in 1965 we would see a couple of deer one day; then have to wait 3 to 4 days before we would see them again. Now I have more than 100 deer yard up in my back yard between December and March. Thanks Whitetail Institute.

Van Smith – Michigan

his year, I planted PowerPlant on two food plots. Even after the acorns fell the deer kept coming back to my plots. I also planted 1/2 acre of Winter Peas Plus at each of these sites. It is now Dec. 12 and the deer have continued to return. I killed two does and a very nice 11-point buck at these sites this year. This is the nicest buck I have killed yet. Thanks, Whitetail Institute for your products. I have tried numerous Whitetail Institute products and have been satisfied with all of them.

Joe Haase – Virginia

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ere are pictures of a huge buck on one of my 30-06 licks and one at my No-Plow plots. The deer unfortunately crossed the fence this past fall, and my neighbor shot him. He green-scored 170 inches. I have trail camera pictures of two more that are bigger. We are seeing tremendous growth in our deer herd, numbers and antler growth, since using Whitetail Institute products. Can’t wait for next hunting season.

Larry Griner – Pennsylvania

BEFORE

3 WEEKS LATER

T I

had a problem with grass invading two of my Imperial Whitetail Clover fields. I sprayed Arrest Max, and my grass problem is solved. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I’ve enclosed “2000 words” that illustrate the effectiveness of Arrest Max. We have had such an awesome year. It is amazing the difference we have seen in two years of planting food plots on this lease. This buck was cruising by a bigger plot that had Extreme, Pure Attraction and Winter-Greens. Right now, they are hammering the Winter-Greens. Thanks Whitetail Institute.

his is my first year planting Whitetail Institute products. I planted Imperial Whitetail Clover in one plot. I also planted PowerPlant on 1/2 of another plot and Imperial Whitetail Clover on the other half. Huge success! The clover had deer coming all hours of the day. My partner on this property was never a food plot believer. He is now! Can’t wait to see next year’s results.

Pete Benetatos – Kentucky

his is how Whitetail Institute products help grow them in Alabama.

E.G. Banks – Alabama

Jason Say – Pennsylvania

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WHITETAIL NEWS 43

Win the Antler Growth Lottery

offers, which is usually enough for bucks to grow antlers. Rather, I’m acknowledging and thanking her for her investment, and then investing a little on my own to help improve antler growth, doe lactation and overall herd health.

With Help of Whitetail Institute Mineral and Nutritional Supplements

You might think the answer is obvious. When you dig deeper, though, you’ll find that marketing and cost sometimes play heavy roles, as sellers push the limits of what they can get away with. In the most general sense, a mineral or nutritional supplement is anything that provides additional nutrition. That’s a pretty broad definition, considering that a product that provides any nutritional benefit, even comparatively little, meets that definition. Consider cattle minerals, for example. They can be of some nutritional benefit to deer. Even so, they’re made for an animal that doesn’t have to grow new antlers every year. Another example is products marketed as nutritional supplements for deer that are really just glorified bags of salt. Sure, salt can be attractive to deer during spring and summer. They’ll often dig holes in the ground to get it, but don’t equate holes in the ground with bigger antlers, because there’s little correlation. You can see that when you consider that a hardened antler is less than one percent salt. That’s why you shouldn’t rely on a product’s name to tell you whether it’s a nutritional supplement built for deer. It pays to do some research before buying. The Whitetail Institute’s definition of a nutritional supplement is much more conservative: A nutritional supplement is anything that provides additional nutrition and that is scientifically formulated for the unique nutrient and dietary needs of a specific type of animal. Whoa, the definition just got harder to meet — a lot harder. But if

By Jon Cooner ’m not a betting man, at least as far as lotteries go. The reason is simple: Lottery odds are ridiculously long, and it makes little sense to risk my hard-earned money in a system that’s set up so I have almost no chance to win. In the same way, antler size is also largely a gamble if left entirely to Mother Nature, because most areas don’t offer enough high nutrition food for bucks to grow the biggest antlers they can. The antler-growth game, though, is one I play, because I can stack the odds in my favor. And the way I do it is with the help of Whitetail Institute mineral and nutritional supplements.

What is a Mineral or Nutritional Supplement?

Photo by Dustin Reid

It’s no secret that protein is important during spring and summer, not only for antler growth but also for doe pregnancy, lactation and overall herd health. Even so, we commonly refer to spring and summer as the “antler-growing season.” Generally, bucks need about 16 to 18 percent protein in their diets to grow the biggest racks they can. Protein is most important for antler growth during the first part of spring and summer, when bucks are growing velvet antlers, the underlying framework of the hardened antlers they’ll carry in fall. Generally, a buck’s velvet antler is about 80 percent protein. As summer progresses, bucks harden their antlers by depositing minerals on the velvet matrix until the antlers are solid bone that’s about 55 percent minerals. Mother Nature provides enough protein and minerals for deer to grow antlers but rarely, if ever, enough to reach their genetic potential. That’s why hunters who want to maximize antler growth provide deer with mineral and nutritional supplements. Now don’t get me wrong. I mean no disrespect to Mother Nature or the nutrition she

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met, it means the nutritional supplement can fully benefit the animal for which it is designed. And that’s why Whitetail Institute mineral and nutritional supplements are so painstakingly researched and developed specifically for deer. Ingredient Labels: What They Can Tell You: The good news is that any product sold in the United States as a nutritional supplement for deer must carry an ingredient label on the package that tells you what nutrients are in the product. That’s a great way to spot products sold as deer nutritional supplements that are mostly salt. Even in the best mineral supplements, you’ll find some salt, because the nutrients that actually benefit deer aren’t all tasty, and salt is a common taste enhancer that can help attract deer. And What They Can’t: Beyond that, though, the ingredient label won’t tell you much of what you need to know to be sure a supplement will do what you want. For example, as important as it is to have the right nutritional components in a supplement, it’s equally important to make sure the components are in the optimum forms and ratios for the animals. The label won’t tell you much about component forms. That’s why the safest bet in the supplement game is to buy from a company with a proven track record, such as the Whitetail Institute.

about mid-April through August. Optimize contains minerals, vitamins and a 16 percent protein boost to help improve antler growth, boost milk production, and benefit doe pregnancy and fawn development. Optimize can be delivered in covered trough feeders or directly on the ground, straight or mixed with soybeans or corn.

Fall Cutting Edge Sustain: Sustain is the next product in the Cutting Edge line, and it’s designed for the changing needs of deer and the stress fall and winter brings. It should be used from about September through December. The rut, cold weather and scarcity of food combine to make fall and winter tough on deer. Bucks can lose up to 2530 percent of their body weight, and pregnant does can also be negatively affected by the scarcity of food. Sustain is formulated to provide deer with a concentrated source of energy to help build fat reserves, as well as protein, vitamins and minerals to help them stay healthy during fall and winter and help reduce winter weight loss. Sustain can be delivered in covered trough feeders or directly on the ground, straight or mixed with soybeans or corn. Sustain also contains a buffering agent so it can be mixed with corn without the negative acidic effects of corn on deer digestion.

Whitetail Institute Mineral and Nutritional Supplements

Late Winter to Early Spring

The Whitetail Institute offers a broad range of mineral and nutritional supplements for deer. They have certain things in common. First, they’re scientifically formulated for the unique nutritional and dietary needs of deer. They’re also extremely attractive because of components such as scent and taste enhancers, including Whitetail Institute Devour, which can be addictive to deer. In fact, Whitetail Institute mineral and nutritional supplements are so attractive to deer that some states consider them bait, so consult your local game laws before hunting on or near any Whitetail Institute supplement site. Beyond that, Whitetail Institute supplements can be generally divided into groups by the time of year for which each is targeted (spring, summer, fall, winter) and your intended delivery system (trough feeders, gravity feeders, or granular or block for ground sites).

Cutting Edge Initiate: In late winter to early spring, bucks are beginning to re-grow their antlers, and does are entering the third trimester of pregnancy. Both require lots of protein and energy during this period, but vegetation hasn’t begun to produce lush new growth yet in most parts of North America. Cutting Edge Initiate is designed with protein, energy, minerals and vitamins deer need from late winter through spring green-up to help bucks recover some of their winter weight losses and let them direct more nutrients toward antler development earlier. Approximate dates to use Initiate are January through mid-April. Initiate can be delivered in covered trough feeders or directly on the ground, straight or mixed with soybeans or corn. Initiate contains a buffering agent so it can be mixed with corn without the negative acidic effects of corn on deer digestion.

Spring and Summer

Which One to Choose?

30-06 and 30-06 Plus Protein Mineral/Vitamin Supplements: 30-06 and 30-06 Plus Protein Mineral/Vitamin Supplements are professionally formulated, high-quality mineral and vitamin supplements that deliver essential macro and trace minerals, as well as vitamins A, D and E for a healthy herd and to help bucks reach more of their genetic antler growth potential. 30-06 Plus Protein also contains a 10 percent protein boost. 30-06 and 30-06 Plus Protein are granular supplements best suited to ground-based lick sites, and they’re easy to use. Just rake or shovel an area two to three feet in diameter, and mix with the soil. 30-06 is also available in block form. The 30-06 Mineral Block weighs 25 pounds and comes pre-scored so you can use it in one spot or easily break it into four 6.25-pound blocks for use at multiple sites. Cutting Edge Optimize: Cutting Edge is a year-round full nutritional supplement system that consists of three products, each for a specific part of the year. Cutting Edge Optimize is formulated for the needs of deer during spring and summer and should be used from

September through December: Cutting Edge Sustain. January through Mid-April: Cutting Edge Initiate. Mid-April through August: 30-06, 30-06 Block, 30-06 Plus Protein, and/or Cutting Edge Optimize. They differ to varying degrees in taste, scent and texture. That makes it a safe bet that your deer will prefer at least one, if not all. But how do you know which one? The Whitetail Institute has made that decision easy: All you have to do is let your deer tell you. The Whitetail Institute offers supplement sampler packs that let you try a little of each. The most effective way to use the sampler is to locate a spot along a trail between a bedding area and feeding area, clear off a site for each sample a few yards apart and then put them out side-by-side. Then, check the site periodically, and you’ll likely be able to tell quickly if they have a preference. For more information about Whitetail Institute supplements and sampler packs, visit whitetailinstitute.com, or call the Whitetail Institute at (800) 688-3030. ^

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I Know What I Want To Be When I Grow Up By Charles J. Alsheimer Photos by the Author

id you ever dream of what you wanted to be when you grew up? I did. A bunch of times. When I was five, all I wanted to be was a farmer. My parents owned a potato farm, and the more I was around tractors and farming, the more I dreamed of working with dirt the rest of my life. Well, that was short-lived. When I was eight, my dad took me to my first Major League baseball game at New York’s Yankee Stadium. I loved baseball, and my favorite player was Mickey Mantle. What an experience. The original stadium was huge; much bigger than the current Yankee Stadium. From that moment, my dream was to be a major leaguer. I chased that dream through my late teens before realizing I couldn’t hit a 90 mph slider.

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In my early teens, two other things became a big part of my life. In addition to baseball and the farm, I loved basketball, and the more I played it, the more I dreamed of one day playing college basketball. My senior year in high school was special. I was the team’s top scorer, and we ended the regular season undefeated and won our county’s championship. The other thing that had hold of me was hunting, to the point that it became a passion. By my freshman year in high school, I was a big fan of legendary outdoor writer Jack O’Connor. He was, hands down, the LeBron James of the hunting world then. One of my highlights each month involved going to the school’s library to read the latest issue of Outdoor Life. Jack was the magazine’s shooting editor. In addition to his regular shooting column, the issues often contained stories of his hunts to places such as Alaska, Africa and the Rockies. Though I loved the farm life and competitive sports, I wondered what it would be like to have O’Connor’s life, where you got paid to hunt and write about it. That was my idea of a dream job. The only problem was that I had no idea how to make it happen. Upon graduation from high school, I headed off to college to chase my dream of playing college basketball. I made the varsity squad as a freshman, became a starter halfway through the season and ended the year scoring in double figures. Unfortunately, I hated college and dropped out after the first year. Like many teenagers in the Vietnam era, my life was adrift and lacked focus. To avoid being drafted into the Army and winding up in Vietnam, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Though it was a four-year commitment, it proved to be one of the better things I’ve done. It not only caused me to grow up but gave me a much greater appreciation for America and the opportunities here.

Wake-Up Call With a year and a half left in my Air Force commitment, I was deployed to Vietnam. Talk about a wakeup call. I wasn’t prepared for much of what I saw in the 14 months I served there. Simply, war is hell on Earth for those who have to experi-

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ence it. But there was a positive side to my time there. I was introduced to photography, which would later become a foundation for my outdoor career. It also forced me to grow up fast, and I vowed that if I ever got back to America, I’d make something of my life. That opportunity came Dec. 3, 1970, when I returned from Vietnam and was honorably discharged from the Air Force. I went back to college, eventually graduating with a degree in business. Upon graduating, I married and took a sales and marketing position with a large furniture manufacturer. During my seven-year tenure with the company, I worked for an incredible man. Haas Hargrave served as vice president of sales for the corporation. He had been a decorated World War II bomber pilot, an all-American football player and an assistant football coach at Cornell University before entering the business world. He was also a passionate hunter, so we had a lot in common. I loved working for him, and the lessons he taught me about business and life were incredible. Though we talked a lot about the ins and outs of running a business, our discussions often drifted to hunting and more important things in life, such as family and my future. At times, he’d ask me what I wanted to do with my life. During those conversations, I’d share some of the dreams I had earlier in life, such as those of farming and being someone with a career the likes of O’Connor. In Summer 1977, Haas returned from a business trip to Wisconsin. As he walked by my office door, he said he wanted to see me in his office. When I entered, he told me to close the door. We normally talked in his office with the door open, so I thought he must have something serious to discuss. He opened his briefcase and handed me a copy of a magazine called The Stump Sitters, which was the forerunner of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine. He directed me to a page in the front of the issue that was soliciting story ideas for the publication. He looked at me and said, “You need to write for this magazine.” Then he went on to tell me that I shouldn’t waste my hunting and photography talent working for him. He encouraged me to chase my dream and possibly launch a career. At Haas’ urging, I wrote the The Stump Sitters’ editors, providing my resume and some possible story ideas. I didn’t know what to expect. Within two weeks, I received a phone call from Jack Brauer, the magazine’s publisher. For several minutes, we felt each other For the latest promotions, sales and news visit www.Facebook.com/WhitetailInstitute

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out. The call ended with Brauer asking me to do a story relating to one of my queries. For the next two years, I worked in the corporate world by day and dabbled in outdoor writing at night, all the time becoming more accomplished with a camera. My dream of becoming a full-time outdoor writer and photographer was taking shape.

was an incredible family, those I worked with and dirt.

The Farm In 1973, a year after going to work for the Gunlocke Corp., my wife and I purchased a farm. Though not as big as the one I grew up on, its 200 acres was enough to work for the wildlife that called it home. And boy, did we work it. During the past 42 years, we’ve planted thousands of trees and hundreds of food plots, and along the way reaped the rewards of our labors. But none of our farm’s successes have come on their own. Things change quickly in the farming world, and the birth of seeds for food plots and a better understanding of how to create great natural habitat has made the successes we’ve seen possible. Owning our farm has allowed me to expand my career in directions other than writing, photography and hunting. In 1995, with a desire to take my knowledge of the whitetail to the next level, my family built a 35-acre deer enclosure to study whitetail behavior and nutrition. No hunting occurs in the enclosure, and to ensure the habitat remains like that in the wild, we’ve kept the deer population to about 15 animals. To say I’ve received an incredible education from this endeavor would be a vast understatement, because I’ve learned things about whitetails I never dreamed possible.

Leap of Faith In Fall 1979, I left the corporate world to chase my dream of becoming a full-time outdoor writer and nature photographer. It was a scary time, but I felt I’d prepared for what was ahead. Had I known how tough the first four years would be, I might not have made the leap from a world of suits and ties to blue jeans and boots. In spite of manuscript and photo rejections, I pressed on. I caught a break in the early 1980s, because that was about the time the hunting world came into its own. During this time, the baby-boom generation came of age, the economy was on the upswing after the economically stressed 1970s and innovative outdoor entrepreneurs emerged with a variety of product offerings for hunters. With each year, something new and exciting for hunters was born. By 1985, print media had exploded, offering outdoor photographers and writers such as myself outlets to sell articles and photos. It was an incredible time to be a part of the industry, and for the next 20 years I rode the wave and lived the dream. During this time, I sold hundreds of articles and thousands of photos to outdoor and hunting publications. But if that’s all there was, my journey would not be complete. Certainly hunting, writing and photography would have been enough to make my life more than a success. But what made it special

The People Factor Life doesn’t happen in a vacuum. I guess you could live like a hermit, but that’s not something I’d like to try. When I reflect on what

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God has allowed me to do and accomplish in my 68 years, I realize the people who have touched my life have made the journey special. My wife and son are my rock, but for the last 35-plus years, I’ve realized that the business owners, writers and photographers who make up the hunting industry are extraordinary. For the most part, those I’ve worked with are of the highest integrity. They are the cream of the crop in America. My life began as the son of potato farmers, living on a dirt road in rural America. My dream from the beginning was to be a farmer, like my parents. My journey took me from ball fields, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the corporate world and back to the farm, where I’ve been able to live a life my parents could never have envisioned for their only son. I’ve been able to do it for all these years because I live in America, the greatest country on Earth, and by serving a great God. Yes, it’s taken a while, but I now know what I want to be when I grow up — exactly what I’ve been for the past 36 years. ^ For the latest promotions, sales and news visit www.Facebook.com/WhitetailInstitute

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The Next Generation of Whitetail Hunters By R.G. Bernier Photos by the Author

“Whether they come from the other side of the globe or the other side of town, America’s future hunters won’t necessarily look, think or vote like those of the past or present. As they begin venturing out into the woods, their fresh new voices will transform our dialogue about what hunting means in twenty-firstcentury America.” — Al Cambronne, Deerland The set of large deer prints imprinted upon a fresh white tapestry of snow drew me farther into the primeval forest. Enticed and more than curious, this tracker wanted desperately to catch up with the maker. The proposition of being completely engaged in the hunting process was alluring. Escaping the comfort and convenience of modern life and venturing into virgin country in utter solitude, far removed from the ting-tong of the cow bell, if only for the day, was refreshing. Some would believe this to be a dangerous enterprise — a foolish thought that should be quickly dismissed — while others might opine about how archaic and impractical this method has become. After all, these are big woods that extend all

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the way to perhaps the tundra with few roads, where you could easily get lost. And what if I shot the buck I was pursuing way back in the big bush? What then? How would I hope to extract him from his final resting place? Today, this type of deer hunting, which takes the pursuer beyond a well-marked trail, has been dubbed the new extreme sport. What? Extreme? Our ancestral hunters would be rolling their eyes to learn that the manner in which they procured their venison is now classified as an elite, specialized tactic practiced by a few adventurers. Indeed, much has changed, especially in the past quarter-century, where, at times, just keeping pace with the newest trend was an exercise. So where are we headed? What does our deer hunting future look like? Have we exhausted our ability to create something new and beneficial to harvest deer? Before making claims to our future, we must ask ourselves what kind of influence we’ve had on those following our footsteps. What lasting mark will we leave? Although not easily seen or immediately recognizable, what we do today is a foreshadowing of what the next generation will build upon. Let’s look at how this has happened during our rich deer hunting history.

The Past James A. Swan, author of

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The Sacred Art of Hunting, wrote, “The hunting story is one of the most basic elements of culture, as basic as the love story, and perhaps even older. A good story of the hunter’s quest captivates the listener, engages mind and emotions, engraves lessons in the mind, and kindles the campfires of the soul, because the hunter is a hero, symbolically and mythically, as well as in real life.” The deer hunters of yesteryear not only knew how to tell a great story, they had great stories to tell. These dyed-in-the-wool huntsmen lived and breathed for each titillating moment of their deer hunting quests. As Frank Forester wrote, “The deer hunter is the epitome of manliness and independence, whose untrammeled sense of individual will and power opposed the decadent corruptions of modern civilization. … A man of energy, and iron will, and daring spirit, tameless, enthusiastic, ardent, adventurous, chivalric, free — a man made of the stuff that fills the mold of heroes.” These were men that intimately knew the game they pursued and possessed little fear of the vast forests they tramped. In fact, when on the hunt, they seldom gave up, as the German-born deer-slayer Miller wrote in his hunting journal: “I walked home. But where was my home? Wherever I happened to be — where I had erected a bark shed, or spread my blanket, or lighted a fire, or where the hospitable roof of a farmer or back-woodsman received me; though the next morning might find me with all my goods on my back — no heavy burden — seeking a new deer shooting ground, and a new home.” They were also men of mettle who enjoyed the chase to capture their prize, as written by Judge John Dean Caton: “The pleasure of the sportsman in the chase is measured by the intelligence of the game and its capacity to elude pursuit and in the labor involved in the capture. It is a contest with sharp wits where satisfaction is mingled with admiration for the object overcome.” And chase they did. We find by their accounts that early trackers William Earl and his partner E.N. Woodcock were “seldom in camp until after dark,” and once in pursuit of a fine stag, “hustled from early morning until long after dark.” Huntsmen of our past paid little regard to their comfort. In fact, according to Archibald Rutledge, “If a man be a hunter born, he will tolerate an astonishing number of inconveniences in order to gratify his sense of sport.” So much so as George Laycock pointed out, “They could pillow on the earth and sleep unsheltered under the canopy of heaven without thinking it a hardship.” Lacking all of the modern trappings that are so prevalent today, these hunters of resolve faced many hardships. When detailing his great-grandfather’s hunting exploits, R. Getty Browning wrote, “His hunting expeditions must have been seriously affected by sudden climatic changes and the difficulties in traveling on foot through the snow for long distances in zero weather must have demanded the greatest resolution and endurance, even for one so strong and active as he was.” But that was then.

the sporting industry would rise and even soar to meet the increasing demands of the deer hunting public. Like it or not, hunting has changed dramatically with the introduction of these advantages. Even the late George Mattis foretold of this shift well before much of what we see today was invented: “Convenience is the public cry in hunting. … Today’s sportsman is so pampered with such an array of gadgets and attire for ease and comfort that deer hunting is no longer a privilege of the hardy outdoor clan. … The practical deer hunters, and especially the newcomers, come to hunt the game animal where it is most plentiful, and many a bag is filled without the hunter straying a quarter of a mile from his parked car, a farm field, or a side road. The task of dragging in a deer killed even a mile back in from any road is becoming the exception today.” Taking this to the extreme, Roger Phillips stated in his back-country hunting post, “Some hunters use every advantage they legally can to make it easier to find, kill and haul out deer.” So much so that he wrote, “There weren’t ATVs — possibly even four-wheel-drive pickups — back in grandpa’s time, not to mention game cameras, GoreTex, Google Earth, GPS, laser range-finders or other high-tech hunting gear that is common these days. Hunters didn’t have the option of driving an ATV to a blind the size of a studio apartment and shooting a buck that came to an automated feeder, which was also scouted via remote camera with a computer up-link.” Landowners realized their acreage was far more valuable left as whitetail habitat and opted to lease rather than develop. The back-40s

The Present This is now. Cambronne wrote, “If deer have adapted to this new habitat, so has a new breed of hunters.” Whitetails and the pursuit of them have been exploited to a level that most of us could never have imagined. With more free time, disposable income and a burgeoning population of deer, reaching more than 30 million nationwide, deer hunters spend upward of six billion dollars annually on the hunt. Little could we have envisioned how the entrepreneurial spirit of

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on many farms have been transformed into veritable smorgasbords of planted delicacies for deer, thanks in large part to companies such as the Whitetail Institute, a company that has helped a generation of land managers become more knowledgeable and successful. Can what we are experiencing today as deer hunters be sustained? After all, change is inevitable. According to Dr. Timothy Nuttle, “We’ve burned, logged, plowed, paved, and tampered. There’s no single perfect natural state to which we can return. But if we can’t go back, we can at least move forward.”

The Future If the pace of technology and entrepreneurial ventures is any indication of how quickly the landscape of deer hunting is morphing, I share the sentiments of Ray Scott, founder and president of the Whitetail Institute: “I can only imagine what environment my youngest grandson will inherit.” Yet, it might not be as revolutionary as we might think. James Kroll shared this thought: “We now refer (present) to our pastime as 'sport hunting' or 'recreational hunting.' We prefer the latter. Because the drive to hunt is one of the strongest instincts, we doubt seriously if the true motivation is ‘sport.’ Rather, it allows us to be re-created (future) in the image of our forefathers (past). The modern hunter admittedly does not depend on wild game for survival. Yet, like his predecessors, he still takes chances, hoping to discover new strategies that add only a few points to the odds. It is the challenge, not the kill,

that motivates the best in our sport.” Although it's difficult, if not impossible, to predict the future, especially regarding something over which we only have partial control, we can at least offer possibilities based on current trends. Cambronne offered a sensible prediction when he wrote: “The briefest glimpse inside America’s deer-industrial complex reveals countless examples of the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit that made America great. It also reveals other aspects of our national character. Some of us seek new challenges, and some of us seek new shortcuts. Still, deer hunting remains a great American tradition enjoyed by rich and poor alike — for now…. For the foreseeable future, then, we’ll be counting on hunters, and quite possibly fewer of them, to help reduce or at least maintain our present deer populations. But if smaller populations of hunters continue to hope they’ll see more deer with less effort, and if politicians continue to give them what they want, then balance will remain elusive.” However, knowing the human spirit, which is never satisfied and becomes easily bored, we look for new challenges, even if they are not really new. Pop-rocker Dave Matthews supported that when he wrote, “We’re awed by the wonders of technology. The accomplishments we’ve made to bring us closer together by plane, road or satellite are fantastic. What I fear most is that while we play with our toys and technologies, we forget where our playfulness comes from.” We seek “new and better,” when in reality, it’s the same; it only looks different. Mattis recognized that we are still a frontier people enmeshed in modern technology, who seek better hunting grounds only to find there are none. He then cautions that we’ll have to do with what we have, but will have to do it more wisely. Wildlife photographer Mike Biggs wrote, “Will technology eventually create such an artificiality that it could destroy the mystique that brought us here in the first place? For most of us, the real frontier of whitetail enlightenment lies in the accurate perception of their lives and times — the true understanding of how whitetails live, develop, behave and age under natural circumstances. We want the knowledge. We need the mystery.”

Full Circle The imprints led down a small incline, across a shallow brook and up through a labyrinth of head-high fir trees. As I slunk out from the confines of the fir jungle and began to climb, the buck, in one powerful motion, burst from his bed not 20 yards away. In the midst of flying snow debris, I leveled my rifle, and as the buck stretched out in full flight from his second bound, I fired. The contrast of the crimson droplets against a white backdrop made trailing the animal easy. Topping a rise in the terrain, I spotted my prize. There he lay in the eight inches of snow, head up, seemingly alert and ready to vault once again. Taking careful aim, I sent the final volley, which served to anchor the buck without him rising again. Crouching next to the behemoth of a buck, I heard the lone crescendo of a wolf howling in the distance. It was a lonely sound, an echo that served to break my euphoric trance. As I gazed about my surroundings, unfamiliar for sure, I realized I was miles from my vehicle and, according to my GPS, more than a mile from the nearest road. Despite the work that was ahead of me and the distance I’d have to drag, I was, in that moment, deep in the forest, never more satisfied … or more content. ^ For the latest promotions, sales and news visit www.Facebook.com/WhitetailInstitute

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LIME:

Facts and Fallacies By Jon Cooner

f you’re a longtime reader of Whitetail News, you already know that almost every issue addresses soil pH and its critical importance to forage growth. That should give you an idea of how important soil pH is. In this article, we’ll touch again on soil pH and what it means to food plotters. Then, we’ll cover a question the Whitetail Institute’s in-house consultants are often asked: “What type lime should I use to raise soil pH in my food plots?”

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The Basics of Soil pH What is soil pH? In simplest terms, soil pH is a number on the pH scale, a set of numbers from 0 to 14. It’s a measurement of whether a soil is acidic (0 to 6.4), neutral (6.5 to 7.5) or alkaline (higher than 7.5). For example, if the soil pH in your plot is 6.8, it’s within neutral range. If the soil pH in your plot is 5.8, it’s acidic. Why is soil pH important? Remember I said that soil pH is a measurement? Technically, it’s a measurement of whether soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline. For our purposes, though, there’s another way to define the soil pH measurement that’s easier and more direct: Soil pH is a measurement of how well or poorly forage plants will be able to access and uptake fertilizer and other nutrients in the soil. Soil pH must approach neutral for fertilizer and nutrients already in the soil to be freely available for uptake by high-quality forage plants. Most fallow soils are naturally acidic. If you plant in acidic soils without first increasing pH by adding lime, many of the nutrients you apply as fertilizer can be unavailable to plants. Acidic soils chemically alter important soil nutrients, which makes them unavailable to plants. Making sure that soil pH is within optimum range is so important it can make the difference between the best food plot you can imagine and total failure.

The Importance of Laboratory Soil Testing As mentioned, soil pH is a measurement — one that’s important to make accurately. It’s just like building a house out of wood. You wouldn’t guess about how much lumber you’d need because that would likely leave you with too little lumber to build a solid structure, or you’d end up buying more wood than you needed, wasting money. Making sure you measure soil pH accurately is important for the same reasons. If your soil pH is acidic, you know exactly how much lime to buy for optimum forage growth, and you won’t waste money buying lime that you don’t need.

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Only a qualified soil testing laboratory can make accurate recommendations about how much lime you’ll need to add to the seedbed if your soil is acidic. That’s because soils differ widely in their ability to hold lime activity. And that’s often true even with soils taken from plots close to each other — even seemingly identical soils. The only way to know exactly how much lime you’ll need to add if your soil is acidic is to have a laboratory tell you, based on its analysis of your soil.

A Brief Look at Liming Materials As mentioned, the rest of this article will discuss things folks consider using to raise (or trying to raise) the soil pH of acidic soil. The list is remarkably long — too long to cover everything here. Some, though, come up more frequently than others, so I’ll hit the high points.

Liming Materials as Used in This Article Some of the materials folks consider using are not recommended because they might pose pollution hazards or offer unknown actual neutralizing capacity, or they might be too caustic for most folks to safely handle. Even so, I’ll collectively refer to them as liming materials so we’ll have an easy term. Three primary soil amendments neutralize soil acidity: carbonates (calcium or magnesium carbonate), calcium oxide (quick lime) and calcium hydroxide (slaked lime). Each material has advantages and disadvantages.

Natural Liming Materials Carbonates (Aglime and Pelleted Lime) By far, the most commonly used liming materials are aglime and pelleted lime. Both consist of mined limestone rock that has been crushed to a given particle size. The limestone rock that makes up aglime and pelleted lime can be either of two types: calcitic limestone (calcium carbonate) or dolomitic limestone (a combination of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate). Which you’ll find near you will likely be determined by what type is being mined at the closest quarry. The difference in neutralizing capacity is minimal. Aglime is more coarsely ground than pelleted lime. Pelleted lime consists of more finely ground limestone that’s then reformulated into small pellets using a water soluble polymer that quickly dissolves to release the finely ground material. The Whitetail Institute’s consultants are often asked, “Which is better, aglime or pelleted lime?” If you’ll be using a hobbyist-grade spreader to put the lime out, pelleted lime is the better choice. In most other cases, though, aglime is the way to go. One reason is that aglime is much less expensive than pelleted lime. Another reason can be stated in a somewhat oversimplified rule: Smaller lime particles raise soil pH more quickly, and larger lime particles keep soil pH up longer. Did you notice, though, that I didn’t say that pelleted lime works faster than aglime? The reason lies in how aglime is usually stored before sale — in bulk. Because it is usually stored in bulk, it will contain particles of varying sizes, which works to our advantage. The smaller particles in aglime neutralize acidity more quickly, and the larger particles keep soil pH up longer, providing the best of both worlds.

Liquid Lime Liquid lime also neutralizes soil with limestone. Even so, there are

some misconceptions and drawbacks concerning liquid lime that aren’t posed by aglime or pelleted lime. A big misconception about liquid lime is that it works more quickly to raise soil pH than aglime or pelleted lime. That assumption might seem reasonable, given what we said earlier — that smaller lime particles work more quickly than larger ones, and the particles in liquid lime are crushed so finely that they’ll suspend in a spray solution. Actually, though, even though it’s a fluid, the solution does not react any faster than limestone of the same weight ground to the same fineness. One ton of liquid lime solution will not increase soil pH any faster than one ton of limestone ground to the same fineness (100-mesh or finer). In addition, liquid lime has quite a few potential drawbacks not presented by aglime or pelleted lime. Liquid lime is much more expensive and carries a much greater risk of raising pH too high, and its effectiveness is short-lived compared to limestone — so short, in fact, that you must often reapply it every year. Also, it’s almost impossible to apply enough liquid lime through a sprayer to significantly raise soil pH anywhere but at the soil’s surface. Liquid lime can also be tough on equipment. Most sprayers do not have a pump with enough agitation to suspend the slurry, possibly ruining the pump by trying to pump the thick slurry through the sprayer.

Other Natural Liming Materials A few other natural liming materials will effectively neutralize acidic soil. Few, if any, though are as practical an option for most folks as aglime. Egg shells are one example. Egg shells will neutralize soil pH, but it takes a lot of them, and they have to be crushed to work. Marl is another option that will work, but it’s impractical for most folks. Like calcitic limestone, marl is calcium carbonate. It’s a natural deposit that usually appears muddy when wet or white and crumbly when dry. Moving large amounts of marl from one location to another is time- and labor-intensive, and hardly worth the effort when aglime is so inexpensive to purchase and have delivered.

Synthesized Liming Materials From Mills When we’re asked about liming materials other than aglime and pelleted lime, it’s usually about a synthesized material, meaning a product of one or more industrial processes. The two most commonly asked about are quick lime and slaked lime. Calcium oxide (quick lime). Quick lime, which is also referred to as autoclave lime, burned (or burnt) lime, oxide lime, un-hydrated lime and soda lime, has roughly three times the neutralizing capacity of mined limestone rock. However, it’s also a caustic irritant. Calcium hydroxide (slaked lime). Slaked lime, which is also referred to as hydrated lime and builder’s lime, is basically quick lime that has been exposed to water because it was piled outside. Calcium hydroxide also quickly and efficiently neutralizes soil acidity, with about twice the neutralizing capacity of mined limestone rock. Handling difficulties. There are quite a few reasons why we don’t recommend folks try to use quick lime or slaked lime in their food plots. The main reason is that they’re difficult for most food plotters to handle safely. The Material Safety Data Sheet for calcium oxide specifies that handlers need to wear goggles, gloves and a chemicalresistant apron and avoid breathing calcium oxide dust. Calcium hydroxide is also a caustic irritant and equally miserable to handle.

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Pollution concerns. Some synthesized materials that will increase soil pH might damage the environment with varying degrees of certainty. In the past, some mill castoffs have contained heavy-metal pollutants such as lead, zinc, chromium or cadmium. Flue dust (also known as cement kiln dust), for example, is another synthesized liming material that has been identified as sometimes being a source of heavy-metal contamination. These days, though, many mills offer good material for soil enhancement. Be sure you use such materials only if they are specifically labeled as appropriate for use as a soil amendment, such as “For beneficial use.” Although most suppliers of synthesized liming materials these days should guarantee what they offer is pollutant-free, if you’re considering buying from a supplier who won’t offer that guarantee, it would be smart to pass. If you put such pollutants into the soil, it can cause damage to the environment and get you in a mess with the EPA. Known neutralizing capacity. Remember, we’re looking at materials to raise soil pH by a specific amount. It stands to reason that knowing a material’s neutralizing capacity is pretty darned important. Some liming materials, though, do not offer any standardized neutralizing capacity. Agricultural slag, for example, has less neutralizing ability than limestone, and it will have to be tested to determine the correct application rate if it isn’t being sold specifically as a liming material.

The Bottom Line Use a laboratory soil test report to test your soil. Soil pH is the most important thing you can control to ensure food plot success. Accordingly, it makes sense to make sure you know what the soil pH in your food plot is, and if it’s acidic, how much lime to add to increase soil pH to 6.5-7.5. Only a laboratory soil test can tell you these things exactly, allowing you to make sure you add enough lime to raise soil pH to neutral and that you don’t waste money buying additional lime you don’t need. For most folks, aglime and pelleted are optimum materials for raising soil pH. I hope this article has also helped you see that although other options for raising low soil pH exist, you’ll always be well served by following the recommendations in your soil test report, which call for the addition of lime (aglime or pelleted lime) to the seedbed. As Dr. Wiley Johnson, the Whitetail Institute’s first director of forage research, said, “Lime doesn’t cost. It pays!” Thanks to Dr. Carroll Johnson, Whitetail Institute’s weed and herbicide scientist, for his assistance in writing this article. ^

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Chainsaw Therapy

Make Wooded Habitat Work for You By Scott Bestul

or $500, a pair of earmuffs and safety glasses, you can make your whitetail property exponentially better. The money is for a chainsaw, and the muffs and glasses represent the safety gear you’ll need. Throw in $20 for gas and a little sweat equity, and your deer woods can change from OK to kick-butt in a year. Even better, your initial work — right — will provide dividends for years to come, with virtually no follow-up maintenance. Don’t get me wrong: I know food plots are important. I love 'em as much as the next guy and spend more time as a gentleman farmer than I probably should. But how you manage the wooded habitat on your property is equally critical. Deer bed, feed and seek security in young-growth timber, and one of the best ways to create or maintain that young growth is with a chainsaw. The past three years, I’ve been helping on timber stand improvement projects with neighbors, friends and hunting buddies, and that work has convinced me of something I should have learned long, long ago. As a high-school boy, I read Aldo Leopold’s classic “A Sand County Almanac.” The book is a wonderful read, and in it Leopold— widely acknowledged as the father of game management—advised that the two most important tools for the deer manager are “the rifle and the axe.” The firearm explains itself, but when Leopold mentioned the axe, he was stressing the importance of creating and maintaining the young-growth timber on which whitetails depend. Chainsaws are, naturally, faster, and I bet if Leopold were still alive, he’d recommend their use.

Getting Started Before you fire up that Stihl or Husqvarna, you need to have something of a plan. This is obvious to people like me; folks who have a healthy fear of a power tool that can kill you, destroy valuable timber and do long-term damage to the very deer habitat you’re hoping to improve. Unfortunately, I’ve learned this is not obvious in the least to some of our whitetail-loving brethren. Tell them they need to cut trees, and they’re making sawdust before your words echo from the timberline. So let’s start with some precautions. First, safety must stand above all else. Many men feel a genetic entitlement to the use of power tools. But a chainsaw is not a cordless drill. My good friend and closest

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neighbor nearly cut his leg off and bled to death in a chainsaw incident many years ago. Dave is no weekend warrior, but a farmer who works with big, powerful machinery many times a day. He survived only because he was young, tough and very lucky (a Medivac chopper reached him in time, and this was in the pre-cellphone era). If you’ve never run a power saw, learn basic safety rules first. They’re easy to find on the internet, as well as in the handy owner’s manual that comes with each saw. Better yet, have a pro teach you the ins and outs of running one. Then, purchase—and wear— protective gear; helmet, goggles or safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves and chaps. If I sound like your grandma here, consider this: Another of my close friends is a full-time logger, a man who has felled hundreds of thousands of trees in a long career. Tom won’t even touch the start button on a saw without being fully covered in the safety gear above. Tom’s wife is an occupational therapist, and she treats all the macho loggers who think they don’t need the stuff. Then she helps them find a second career. Second, if your property has potentially valuable timber, you’d be wise to consult with a forester before going crazy with a saw. Most of the projects we’ll discuss here involve dropping trees that regenerate quickly on their own, or the removal of undesirable species (or individual trees) to better habitat. If you’re not familiar with the tree species Photo By Charles J. Alsheimer in your area, there’s no quicker way than to have a pro walk your woods and teach you. In my region, state foresters will often visit a property for free or a nominal fee. But paying a consultant’s fee can be worth it; he can assess your timber, listen to your goals and help create a long-term plan. This extra step will not only result in your immediate dream of improving deer habitat, but also a blueprint that will make money for you (and future generations) as you harvest marketable timber.

Get to Work! Despite these warnings, Timber Stand Improvement needn’t be dangerous. Nor is it rocket science. With safety gear and a basic knowledge of tree species and whitetail habitat needs, even a chainwww.whitetailinstitute.com

saw newbie (like me) can have a lot of fun and make great strides in improving deer habitat. Here are four projects to get you started. Clear a Bedroom: Almost any property will produce better hunting if it contains high-quality bedding cover. In my area, unfortunately, that is the one component most frequently missing. Make no mistake; whitetails will bed almost anywhere. But they prefer to bed in dense, second-growth cover that gives them maximum seclusion. In the oak-hickory forests that dominate my local landscape, secondgrowth timber is tough to find, mainly because oaks are slow-growing trees that aren’t logged very often. So here’s what we’ve learned. We seek out small stands of aspen (frequently called popple) trees and clear-cut them. Aspen trees regenerate vigorously in the aftermath of a clearcut, primarily by sucker-sprouting (sending saplings up from the root systems of existing trees). Saplings will also sprout from seeds dropped by mature trees. These seeds will lie dormant in the soil until exposed to the ample sunlight created by a clear-cut. Since most aspen stands are relatively small (from ¼-acre to 5 acres) in this area, two men with saws can clearcut a popple stand in a weekend of work. I use the term clear-cut literally but with exceptions. Species like aspen regenerate best when exposed to sunlight and minus the competition from other trees. So we take down every tree (including brush species) unless it is unique for the area, has some market value or is a mast producer. I showed my young daughter the results of a just-completed clear-cut recently and her jaw dropped at the apparent devastation. This fall, I’ll walk her back to that same area and show her aspen whips that are 6 to 8 feet tall and being eaten by deer. And in two years, Brooke will see young, healthy trees reaching for sunlight in the same spot. Better yet, deer will use the cut to bed, feed and escape hunting pressure. Make a hinge: Not all forests contain species like aspen that respond so perfectly to clear-cutting. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create habitat with a chainsaw. Hinge-cutting is simpler than clear-cutting, because all you do is cut the tree at a spot about 4 to 5 feet above the ground, and then saw just far enough through the tree that it tips over. And then you leave it. The hinge-cut tree not only creates a bedding-cover tunnel near its trunk, but the terminal crown and branches will continue to grow for a time (sometimes several seasons), creating a browse source. Even better, hinge-cut areas allow sunlight to reach young trees and shrubs and encourage their growth. Like a clear-cut, hinge-cutting helps you create a bed and breakfast that can last many years and can achieve similar results. I helped a neighbor with a hinge-cut three years ago, and the one-acre spot has become a whitetail haven, especially during the pressure of the firearms season. However, bucks started using the area only months after our saws went silent. Hinge-cutting works best where low-value or particularly abundant tree species—in my area, trees such as box elder, ironwood, elm, young maples and even hickory—grow in relatively small patches

close to more valuable timber or mast-producing trees. Clear-cutting sometimes isn’t a viable option, but small hinge-cutting projects can create bedding areas in an otherwise mature forest. Please release me: Chainsaws are often thought of as instruments of destruction, but release-cuts flop such notions on their head. If you know the timber on your property well, you’ve likely identified species — if not individual trees — that you want to grow strong, healthy and propagate more of their kind. Release cuts encourage these primo trees by eliminating competition for food, water and sunlight. Let’s start with a simple example. White oaks are as valuable in my region as they are anywhere else. To encourage young white oaks to grow, we’ve often eliminated competitive trees growing near them that have little or no timber value. Elm, basswood, ironwood and box elder (among others) are often found growing in stands of young white oak, and felling trees from these species has helped us give the oaks a boost. Sometimes, a small clump of white oaks grow in close proximity to each other, and a release-cut can eliminate the poorer candidates, allowing the sapling with the most potential to do its thing. However, unless you’ve had some experience, it’s usually best to consult with a professional forester (see note above) to help you decide which oaks should go or stay. Soft-mast species can also benefit from a release-cut, and individual trees might also be improved by pruning. Apple trees — an excellent whitetail food — are a perfect example. I recently drove through southern Wisconsin, one of the Midwest’s largest orchard regions, and was amazed at how aggressively these trees had been pruned during winter. I knew that come fall, these trees would look well-rounded and fully leaved, and pump out bushels of prime fruit. But their offseason haircuts made them look like pathetic stumps. Again, a pro could give you a short course on apple pruning, but there are also many easy-to-read guides at the library and on-line. Steer your deer: Chainsaws are also excellent tools for creating funnels in and around stand sites. By felling and moving poor-quality trees and brush, you can steer deer toward areas that will offer you the best shot, avoid winding you or both. Here are two examples. Small food plots — often called harvest or kill plots — are a perfect example. Whitetails adore these small, secluded food sources, but deer quickly develop the annoying habit of establishing entry trails from multiple directions, and then entering the food plot only when they have the wind at their advantage. Of course, this is usually the deadwrong wind for you. The simple remedy is to pile stems, brush and other debris across all but a few select trails, blocking any whitetail on-ramps you don’t want them traveling. I’ve talked to other hunters who have used much the same technique in the timber, dropping trees and brush to form a barrier. Gaps in the barrier are left near prime stand locations, or the barrier is left intact, forcing deer to do an end-around and wind up in bow or gun range from a good stand site.

Conclusion This is just a sample of the work that can be accomplished with some chainsaw time. I’ve found these projects to be satisfying and successful, and they create positive changes in habitat that will last for years. Even better, the best time to complete chainsaw projects is in that late winter/early spring period — before trees start the year’s re-growth — and they create one more excuse to be in the deer woods. ^

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Spring Weed and Grass Control Vital to Perennial Forage Maintenance and Fall Success By Jon Cooner ucks and perennial food plots have something important in common during spring and summer: They require your attention and a little work to make sure theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in top form when fall rolls around. Just as it takes protein, mineral and vitamin supplementation during spring and summer to help bucks grow the biggest racks they can, it takes some work to make sure your perennial food plots stay as lush, attractive, nutritious and weed-free as possible. One of the most important steps in perennial forage maintenance is to keep grass and other weeds in check. Whitetail Institute herbicides are specifically designed to help you do that. Whitetail Institute Herbicides: Descriptions Arrest Max. Arrest Max is a selective grass herbicide that will control most kinds of grass, and it can be used on any Whitetail Institute perennial forage stand (and now, even on PowerPlant). Slay. Slay is a selective broadleaf-weed herbicide that will control most kinds of broadleaf weeds, and it can be used on Imperial Whitetail Clover and on any other clover or alfalfa when all the plants have grown to at least three inches tall and have all their leaves unfolded. The Slay label provides additional information.

Surefire Crop Oil Plus. Surefire is a high-quality agricultural oil that satisfies the adjuvant requirement for Slay and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also highly recommended for use with Arrest Max. Surefire is vegetable based, not petroleum based like some other agricultural oils. It even contains an anti-foaming agent to help you mix the spray solution correctly.

Use of Herbicides Grass Control. When it comes to perennial forage maintenance, the most important task is to make sure you control grass in a

Whitetail Institute herbicides help you keep grasses and weeds in check.

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timely manner. As Dr. Wiley Johnson, the Whitetail Institute’s first director of forage research, said, “You’ve got to get grass under control as soon as it starts growing in the spring, or it can take over the plot in a hurry.” That’s why controlling grass each spring is your No. 1 priority in perennial forage maintenance. Arrest Max enters grass through its leaves, so wait to spray it until you see grass actively growing — not just looking greener, but looking green and actually growing taller. When you see the grass growing, it’s best to spray before the grass matures. Surefire Crop Oil Plus. Arrest Max will still work on mature grasses, but it’s still best to spray when grasses are young. If you will be spraying mature grasses, though, be sure to add Surefire Crop Oil Plus to the Arrest Max spray tank. Arrest Max already comes with oil in it. Even so, adding Surefire to the Arrest Max is highly recommended, as the additional oil will help you get the most effectiveness from your spray efforts. I always add Surefire to my Arrest Max tanks, whether I’m spraying young or mature grasses. That gives me an extra measure of comfort in knowing that if the grass is one the Arrest Max labels says Arrest Max will control, you’ll almost always only have to spray it once. When you consider how inexpensive a two-acre bottle of Surefire is — especially when compared to the cost of seedbed preparation, planting and other food plot expenses — adding Surefire to the Arrest Max spray tank every time is a no-brainer. Broadleaf Weed Control. Slay requires that an adjuvant such as Surefire Crop Oil Plus be tank-mixed into the Slay spray solution for Slay to work. One of the beauties of new Arrest Max is it can be tankmixed with Slay and still be 100 percent effective — something you couldn’t do with earlier grass herbicides. That means you can mix one spray tank with Arrest Max, Slay and Surefire seed oil, and spray both herbicides together. Also, that way the Surefire that you have to add to the tank for Slay will simultaneously boost the effect of Arrest Max. Like Arrest Max, Slay is also designed to work best on weeds that are still young, so spray Slay in early spring before weeds have a chance to mature.

Other Important Information Integrated Weed Management. If you want to get the best results from your weed control efforts, don’t just rely on herbicides. Instead, make sure you follow what Dr. Carroll Johnson, the Whitetail Institute’s weed and herbicide scientist, refers to as “integrated weed management” by simultaneously tackling weeds in three ways: culturally, physically and, as we’ve already discussed, chemically (with herbicides). As Johnson explains, each is like one leg of a three-legged stool, which requires all three legs for stability. If you’ve never heard of integrated weed management, you might want to review an excellent article Johnson wrote about it in Whitetail News, Vol. 18, No. 3. (You can find the article online at the Whitetail News link at www.whitetailinstitute.com.) Cultural weed control means doing what’s necessary to make sure your forage stand is as lush, healthy and vigorous as possible. To accomplish this, make sure you keep soil pH and fertility at the proper levels. By far the best way to do that is to perform a laboratory soil test and follow the recommendations in the report, but general recommendations are available at whitetailinstitute.com. As Johnson cautions, “Most weeds are opportunists and tend to show up where the stand is thin.” By keeping the forage stand as thick and healthy as

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you can, you’ll leave less room for weeds to get a foothold. That’s why cultural weed control is the most important way to keep most weeds from compromising a perennial forage stand. Here’s another reason cultural weed control methods are so effective — one you might have never considered: If soil pH in your area is naturally low (acidic), as most fallow soils are, the weeds and grasses that grow in your area will likely prefer acidic soil, and by raising soil pH to neutral (6.5 to 7.5), you ensure that your forage plants can grow well and it can make it harder for grass and weeds to grow. Physical weed control includes any weed control measure that involves taking a physical action against weeds. An example is mowing. From a weed control perspective, periodic mowing to prevent annual weeds from having a chance to flower and make seeds is a normal part of maintenance for all Whitetail Institute perennial forage stands. Another example of physical weed control is pulling up weeds when you see them. Obviously, that’s generally only reasonable when the plot is small or just a few weeds are present, so if you decide to use this method, try to pull up weeds before they get too numerous. A great example is the thistles that appear in my food plots here in Alabama in spring. In many cases, I’ll just see one or two appear, and I’ll pull them as soon as I see them. And here’s a tip: If you pull weeds, be sure to remove them and all their parts from the site. It can be a good idea to stick a garbage bag in your pocket whenever you go to your plots for just such a situation. The planting and maintenance instructions the Whitetail Institute publishes for each of its perennial forage products are designed to help you achieve the most robust growth and longest life from your perennial plantings. You can find them on the back of the product bags, and they’re also available at whitetailinstitute.com. And if you have questions, the Whitetail Institute’s in-house consultants are just a phone call away at (800) 688-3030. ^ www.whitetailinstitute.com

REAL HUNTERS DO THE TALKING about Whitetail Institute products… (Continued from page 43)

’ve been growing food plots with Whitetail Institute seed and using 30-06 minerals for several years. I have already seen the benefits of Whitetail Institute’s products in our deer herd including bigger fawns and heavier deer. This photo shows a 30-06 supplement site. The deer love it. Everyone at Whitetail Institute has gone out of their way to help with every question I have had from Day 1. I had never grown a weed before five years ago. when I started my first food plots. Thank you so very much!

Tim Zellmer – Wisconsin

e have been using Whitetail Institute products for about six years. Feeding them well and letting the small bucks go has made a big difference in our bucks. It took some time to convince my hunting crew, but now they know it works. Enclosed are two pictures. The first one is of me with a buck I harvested in the fall two years ago. It weighed 220 pounds field dressed. The second is of my brother-in-law with a 12-point he got here last fall.

Mark Baas – Minnesota

hitetail Institute products have taken my hunting land’s potential in central New York from meager to great. Before creating food plots, the land was overwhelmed by wideopen agricultural fields that didn't attract or hold deer other than a few does and fawns. By my second year of planting Whitetail Institute plots I had noticed a huge increase in deer density and the size of the bucks even at the 1-1/2-yearold age! Last season was my fourth year planting plots, and my trail cameras showed just how much the land has improved. My main plot was planted in Imperial Clover and Chic Magnet along with some annual mixes. And that is where the two bucks in the photo were caught fighting. The buck on the left is a 3-1/2-year-old 8-point and the buck on the right is a 2-1/2-year-old 9-point! I can’t wait to see what happens this season. Thank you, Whitetail Institute!

Kyle Forshee – New York ^

Send Us Your Photos! Do you have photos and/or a story of a big buck, a small buck or a doe that you took with the help of Imperial products? Send it to us and you might find it in the Field Tester section of the next issue of Whitetail News. Email your digital photos and a 3 to 4 paragraph story telling how you harvested the deer and the role our products played to info@whitetailinstitute.com or send them to:

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Vol. 25, No. 3 /

WHITETAIL NEWS 67

Don Carlson – Missouri When I moved to Missouri seven years ago, I discovered my land was a transitional property for deer. They crossed it only to get to other food sources. I needed to create quality food plots to attract and hold the deer. After consulting with the Whitetail Institute, I developed three main food plots and planted Imperial Whitetail Clover, Alfa-Rack Plus, and Chicory Plus. When the food plots matured, I began to see deer feeding on a regular basis. My land has several water sources, areas that provide cover and now a food source, all of which would encourage deer to frequent my land. At age 12, my grandson Justin came to visit and deer hunt for the first time on youth weekend. Both he and his dad were in a ground blind watching a food plot where there had been a lot of deer activity on a regular basis. The food plot was 2 years old and had been seeded with Alfa-Rack Plus. It was about 4:30 p.m. the first day of youth weekend when an 11-point (symmetrical 10 with one sticker point) walked into the food plot along with some does. With one well-placed shot, Justin had bagged his first ever deer, and a great buck at that! It green-scored 160 B&C. Bottom line: this buck had traveled to my property during the early rut, not so much for the food source but rather because of the resident does that had remained on my land. There is no doubt that the food plots and the Whitetail Institute products were the important ingredients to my grandson's exciting new experience. Since then, I continue to see fawns born and my resident deer population increase. I appreciate how the Whitetail Institute has helped me over the years and will continue to recommend their products because they work for real. Thank you, Whitetail Institute of North America.

Paul Hausz – Wisconsin I ordered my first bag of Imperial Whitetail Clover 16 years ago, and it was sown into the moist soils of our farm. I was amazed on how the deer were so attracted to the clover and how the bucks seemed to be so attracted to this field during daylight. A few years went by, and the results were amazing. I noticed larger body mass and a major difference in antler growth. Well, 16 years later and numerous Whitetail Institute products always present on my farm, I have harvested more than 17 P&Y bucks including my first gross Booner this year. This is my new wife’s first buck/deer ever. She used to donate to PETA until she met me and found out that there is a different hunter in this world, called a conservationist .

Quentin Johnson – Minnesota Thanks, Whitetail Institute, for great products. I started using Whitetail Institute products 15 years ago and have had good success. I have a small plot of land in central Minnesota. My daughter Mikayla shot her first two deer off of an Extreme plot and an Alfa-Rack plot. She shoots an AR that I custom-built for her and gave to her for her 10th birthday. I bought her a youth model 20-gauge shotgun for Christmas this past year, and as you can see in the photo, she knows how to use it. Mikayla is 11 years old, her first turkey fell to a 25-yard shot. It was 30-plus pounds, had a 12-inch beard, and a smile that said it all. Thanks again Whitetail Institute for excellent products. ^

Email your First Deer photos and story to info@whitetailinstitute.com or send them to Whitetail Institute of North America, 239 Whitetail Trail, Pintlala 36043, Attn.: First Deer Dept.

68 WHITETAIL NEWS

/ Vol. 25, No. 3

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