The Big Takeaway (TL;DR)
Soil quality does not dictate the baseline nutritional value of native deer plants; instead, simply having an abundant supply of native weeds and wild forbs is what drives maximum deer body weight and antler growth. Landowners don’t need premium soil to grow big deer—they just need to manage their land to allow native plants to grow.
What the Study Found
- Objective: Researchers analyzed 40 common deer forage species across 36 sites in 16 states to see if mineral-rich soils actually produced more nutritious plants for white-tailed deer.
- Key Discovery: Local soil nutrient levels explained essentially zero variation in plant mineral concentrations (partial R² = 0.00). Naturally occurring plants—especially wild forbs (weeds)—provided more than enough crude protein, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium for maximum deer growth, even when growing in incredibly poor, low-mineral soils.
- Management Impact: Stop worrying about your native soil’s mineral limits. Focus your budget and energy on canopy reduction (cutting trees to let sunlight hit the ground) and prescribed fire to encourage dense, native forb coverage where high-quality deer forage is desired.
Location of Study
- Eastern United States (16 states sampled)