I personally do not use mineral pits for the purpose of hopefully affecting antler growth. I doubt that introduced minerals are a rapid panacea. However, just like the person who follows a nutritious diet but also takes daily vitamins; it cannot hurt, and may help, down the road.

A friend of mine whom has a degree in animal sciences owns one of the areas I hunt. He raises Sika and Red deer. He feeds the deer minerals mainly for health and body growth. I will take a 300 lb. buck with 4-points any day.

As for his deer management regarding the Whitetails in his area, the only management he applies is a rule to leave a certain amount of superior bucks in the population. That is why he enforces a " slot" rule on his property.

He firmly believes, and I totally agree, that the pursuit of big antlers craze is going to eventually have a devastating affect on the health and genetics of deer populations that they (wild deer) may never totally recover from.

He also is concerned that much of the natural forage that deer vitally need is rapidly disappearing, and that soybeans, corn, and clover just cannot provide all that wild deer need in their diet. With that in mind, it just might come to having to provide many of the minerals by forage plots and mineral pits.