Some of you have seen a lot of really nice deer harvested by G.R.O clients. Below is a shed found this past season and the horns from that same buck harvested a few months later. That is over 70” of added growth between his 2nd year rack and his 3rd year rack. How is this possible?
Deer need 365 days a year of nutrition. When a deer goes into the winter in good condition and doesn’t lose much weight during the winter, they don’t go through a period of compensatory gain. What that means is they immediately start using their nutrient intakes for body weight and horn growth. For does they produce more milk and that in turn gets the fawns off to a jump start. A fawns growth curve is a lot like other animals where if you get them off to an early start, it carries through during their life cycle.So, bucks that don’t need as much nutrition to rebuild their body reserves will put extra inches on. Here are some ways to make this possible.
First thing in the spring have high protein, high energy and highly digestible perennial clovers. Sure a deer could eat winter rye, winter wheat or other browse but the protein levels are 10% higher on perennial clover, alfalfa, chicory and plantain. The mineral content is also as high as 300% higher in perennials vs spring grains. What it takes to grow large antler is a lot of protein and higher amounts of calcium and phosphorous. Antlers are made up of 45% crude protein, 22% calcium and 11% phosphorous. Grandpa Ray Outdoors perennial mixes are biodiverse and have the “groceries” to make this happen.
Another area no one covers in the wildlife industry is not all protein is created equal. There is a difference between 25% crude protein clover, alfalfa, trefoil and other legumes. There is a different “rate of passage.” There is differences in soluble protein and by pass protein levels. There is science behind my mixes verses random blends of ground cover.
A whole other area G.R.O. 365 Program members will have the ability to purchase is perennial mixes that are drought tolerant, some that handle more slope and a state of the art mix that has “Worming type properties.” Most don’t know this but in areas of high deer densities there can be major lung worm issues. Lung worms some miss interpret as a deer coughing and possibly a respiratory issue, when in fact it can be an internal parasite issue. Deer with a high worm load will not put on the pounds nor will produce as many inches of antler. The also might appear to have rougher hair coats and more of a copper hue to their coat.
For $20 a year, anyone who joins the 365 program will get a monthly newsletter where I will get more in depth with nutrition and science. You get 10% off all your orders and other specials through out the year. Members get access to incredible mixes like 3x and high and dry. You get what no one in the industry has the ability to offer because I don’t believe there are many true ruminant nutritionists out there.
Lastly, take a look at the G.R.O website and mixes. We are even priced less than a lot of the more visable companies out there. Starting January 1, 2017 we will also be offering free shipping. There is NOTHING we don’t offer or can help you with that anyone else does. We will take the time to give anyone who is a program member a full consultation starting with your soil tests and walk you through forage growth cycles. We even have the ability to help you understand what forages you plant and what the deer get out of it.
Anyone out there in the industry offering this? Ask yourself, Why on earth settle for average? Why not spend the same amount of money on your deer program and get a plane of nutrition two levels about what anyone else is offering in the industry?
www.grandparayoutdoors.com
608-235-0628
obrionag@gmail.com
