How To Determine If Your Supplementation Program Is Working

Wildlife managers and hunters alike are no stranger to the term protein feeding. With the old adage of Genetics, Age and Nutrition being hammered by every hunting show host and biologist for the last 20 years, most of the hunting public are fully aware that nutrition plays a vital role in the overall quality of animals that are present on their property. In turn, wildlife managers typically make available a pelleted protein/mineral/ energy supplement usually through a free choice feeder to encourage intake, but how do we know if this added management cost is paying off?

There are three intended measures that most managers wish to achieve by supplemental feeding, first on the list is to improve trophy quality, with the next two typically being increased carrying capacity and improved overall herd health. This would include anything from improving fawn crops and recruitment to increased body condition or field dress weights. However, whether a manager can achieve any of these particular goals depends on how diligent they are in managing their feeding program.

Many feed companies make the claim that by simply providing supplemental feed in an area where it has not been provided, you can see these benefits throughout your entire herd in the first season. This could not be farther from the truth. While certain individuals or exotic species will take to the feed and benefit from it the first year, it will typically take two to three years before protein will become a significant part of your entire herd’s diet (.75 % body weight).  At this time your entire herd should start to show some of the benefits listed above. Another threshold is typically reached at 5 years after the inception of a protein feeding program.  Anyone who has been involved in production agriculture knows the better an animal is started nutritionally when they are young, the better they will be at maturity.  Deer and exotics are no different. At 5 years you will now have mature animals that have had access to supplemental feed their entire lives and in turn should show the benefit of being on an improved nutritional plane.

As I mentioned earlier, whether or not you realize this goal will depend on how diligent you are in managing your feeding program.  Managers have shown that the best way to get results from your feeding program is to provide protein on a year-round basis, no matter what the range conditions may be. Deer will often back off protein while range conditions are good, typically in the spring. Deer will however still frequent feeders and consume feed as part of their daily pattern just simply at lower levels. Whitetail deer are concentrate selectors meaning that they prefer to eat many small meals consisting of the most nutritious or palatable forages they can find. Keeping protein available during periods of peak range conditions only increases the nutritional plane available. The more diversity that is typically available the more diverse the diet will be, which will equate to better performance.

This is all well and good if we are managing exclusively for whitetail deer, but what happens when we throw exotics into the mix? Exotics in general are typically not as picky when it comes to protein and do not have as high of a nutrient requirement in general vs whitetail deer that are growing antlers or lactating. So how do you adequately supplement your whitetail without overfeeding your exotics? The primary concern is economic feasibility as many exotics will eat you out of house and home if they camp out on feed more often that whitetail. From a management perspective it would be ideal to manage deer and exotics in separate pastures if at all possible so we can really dial in nutritionally. This is not economically feasible or possible on many ranches though so what is typically done is we choose a ration that meets the minimum requirements for whitetail production and use that in pastures that are managed for both deer and exotics. The most important concern in this scenario is habitat and carrying capacity. We can manage both with this type of supplementation plan with good results, but those results will begin to erode once we begin to see habitat degradation due to exceeding the carrying capacity of your particular property.

In pastures managed exclusively for exotics, supplementation can still be an issue with certain exotic species even in the presence of exceptional habitat as they will still bunk up on feed. In this scenario I typically recommend limit feeding the exotics through timed feeders or we also have technology available now from a feed additive standpoint that will limit how much an animal will consume daily. The primary goal of any of these scenarios should be that the feed you are providing is a supplement to the habitat and not a substitute outside of extreme drought conditions or properties that are overpopulated.

Harvest records and survey data are vital to measuring your herd’s performance on a yearly basis. This above all will let you know if your management and protein feeding programs are working. Protein feeding is a major financial and management cost to today’s wildlife managers, but research has proved that year-round protein feeding programs will experience these results while strategic feeding programs may be hit and miss. Feed can be used strategically to negate poor range conditions, but it will be tough to experience consistent results across all age groups without a consistent approach to your supplementation program. Remember it is important to feed the most palatable and well balanced (Energy and Minerals) protein supplement you can find, and if possible, make it available year-round. This may not be possible for some managers due to cost or their management goals, but it is important to remember you will get out what you put into your supplementation program. At a minimum successful feeding programs should exhibit, improved field dress weights, improved mass measurements and decreased swings in trophy quality or reproduction due to a low rainfall year.

Trophy deer and exotics are not grown consistently overnight, protein feeding is only one piece of the management puzzle. It also takes both patience and proper management. Diligent managers who have an intensive feeding program are often the “Lucky” individuals though who will experience success on a yearly basis. Final thought is that every ranch will differ from a species mix, numbers, and overall habitat condition standpoint. It’s important to realize that each property should be managed differently from a feed perspective year to year with this perspective being evaluated annually based on the hand mother nature has dealt us. Feel free to reach out for a feed evaluation from the Record Rack team anytime!