This plainly states that they do have a role. This is why we produce the Mineral Gravy, it is not a magic bullet. If you put all of the resources together then I will guarantee that you will see a difference in the body weight, antler growth and overall herd development. Below in not a quote from me but from one of the sources you posted on. We do not claim that you just throw minerals out and then sit there and you will kill the next world record, but from what we have found it will help to increase the areas liste above.
Clearly minerals are important in antler development. Because of the large quantities of minerals required for antler growth, whitetails actually deposit calcium and phosphorous in their skeletons prior to the onset of antler growth and then transfer these minerals during active growth (Stephenson and Brown 1984). However, these body sources of calcium and phosphorous provide only a portion of that needed for optimum antler growth. The remainder must come directly from their diet while their antlers are actively growing. Therefore, supplementation of these minerals prior to and during antler growth may be beneficial. While deer have the ability to “stockpile” calcium and phosphorous, this is not true for the majority of other minerals found in antlers. As in humans, many “trace minerals” such as barium, aluminum, zinc, and strontium are toxic in large quantities and must be excreted from the deer’s body. As a result, these minerals must be consumed in very small quantities (parts per million) on a regular basis. Despite their presence in antlers, the role of trace minerals in antler growth is largely unknown.
By the way we tell everyone that we are in no way like Deer Cocaine. They advertise as a draw to hunt over. That was and still is not our goal. It is to give the minerals that they need when they need it. If you wait until October to put stuff out you are just wasting your time. The time that they need this is early spring and summer. So if someone is looking for something to hunt over then we try to tell them they probably want something else, if they want to try to help the deer herd then the Mineral Gravy is designed for that.