ed in growing trophy bucks is in a high-risk situation. I’m not a financial advisor, but I'd like to share a low-risk, highreturn deer investment strategy that will result in big bucks—the kind you're after.
Always do a soil test before planting any food plot. Soil test kits are available from Whitetail Institute.
Brad Herndon
INVEST IN WINTER-GREENS FOR BIG BUCK RETURNS Winter-Greens, from the Whitetail Institute of North America, was introduced in 2006. Much field testing was conducted before it was brought to market. Fall 2006 marked the first time the product became available nationwide. The results have been impressive. Winter-Greens is a brassica blend designed to attract deer in November, December and January. As noted, bucks were often pulled away by more accessible food plots on adjacent land, or nearby unpicked corn or soybean fields. If you plant Winter-Greens, that's no longer true. Brassicas grow and produce lush vegetation, making you wonder why deer don't eat them when they're small. Interestingly, this works out perfectly when it comes to killing deer — especially big bucks. When the first frost or two hits, the starches in Winter-Greens turn to sugar, and that's when whitetails start tearing them up. Depending on the region, this can occur from October to December. In that situation, Winter-Greens is an incredible deer attractant during the rut or post-rut, which are top times to kill mature bucks. I was curious how Winter-Greens fared in various regions. First, I talked to Matthew Royal of North Carolina. “I got my Winter-Greens out late, but I did everything right regarding soil test, fertilizer and lime,” he said. “Within six weeks, the forage must have been 18 inches high, and then an early frost hit. That’s when the deer literally mowed the Winter-Greens down. I killed mature 8and 10-point bucks out of the plot before they eradicated
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WHITETAIL NEWS / Vol. 17, No. 2
www.whitetailinstitute.com