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By Tracy Breen
A quality deer mineral like Lucky Buck should be part of every deer hunters’ management plan for their hunting land if using mineral is legal in their state. Jim Ward agrees with this philosophy. Ward is a deer expert who spends most of his time showing land owners how to manage their land so it attracts whitetails. He specializes in teaching people how to build buck beds. He believes all land owners should increase the amount of time a buck spends on their property by giving the buck what it needs. “A big buck is going to spend most of his time where he can get his basic needs met; including food, water and cover,” Ward said.
“I always tell people that having Lucky Buck out, especially during the antler growing months, is going to keep bucks close because they need the nutrients the mineral provides,” Ward explained. “An added side benefit is antler mass. I have noticed that after feeding Lucky Buck for a few years, the antlers on the bucks really start growing some mass.”
Lucky Buck is one of many things Ward suggests all properties have. “Deer need water to survive. I tell people that if their property doesn’t have a water source, they should provide one. One easy way to do that is to collect rain water in a tarp. The deer can drink from the tarp. Another option is putting out a 55-gallon drum and letting it fill up with rain water or keeping it filled. If there isn’t much water in a certain location and a land owner is willing to provide it, the deer will regularly stop by and drink.”
Most land owners love putting in food plots and providing feed. “I suggest if someone is going to provide a food source, they put in a food plot that has a variety of seeds in it so there will be a variety of things maturing at different times so the plot will bring in deer during the early season when the clover is in and during the late season when the sugar beats mature,” Ward said.
When providing food and water, Ward suggests putting the water source, the Lucky Buck and the food plot a short distance from the bucks’ bedding area so he doesn’t have to travel far to get everything he needs.
If you are not sure how to build a buck bed, check out Jim Ward’s videos on YouTube
Or check out his website: He operates Jim Ward’s Whitetail Academy.