EDITOR'S NOTE: David R. Fuhr of Winigan, Missouri, a research chemist with Fuhr Research Laboratories, has developed Vita Rack 26, a vitamin and mineral supplement for deer that Hunter's Specialties handles.
QUESTION: To dramatically improve the quality of deer on my land, how much Vita-Rack 26 should I put out?
ANSWER: That amount depends on the size of the deer herd on your land. I'd recommend putting out one mineral location for every 40 acres on a good well-travelled trail. Monitor the activity in 30 days. If the Vita-Rack 26 is completely gone, and there's a big hole, the deer are craving the Vita-Rack 26. So put out another one.
QUESTION: On what type of soil I should put the Vita-Rack 26?
ANSWER: Clay is optimal for the Vita-Rack 26, because clay tends to hold moisture better. The deer also tend to like the nutrition that comes out of the clay.
QUESTION: How much does building a Vita-Rack site and maintaining it for a year cost?
ANSWER: I think it comes down to how you look at it. We initially recommend visiting your Vita-Rack 26 site at least once every other month to refresh it. If you use a 5-pound bag at $10 a bag, you're looking at $60 a year per 40 acres.
We enjoy going out and monitoring the deer's reactions. The guys that tend to get thrilled about it are those who hunt public lands because they all like to have their own special spots. Even those guys tend to benefit from it.
QUESTION: Are there any states that have banned the use of Vita-Rack on public lands?
ANSWER: No, except for Wisconsin. There's a question about it in Illinois that we're trying to get cleared-up. There's a moratorium for six months that started in September on using the Vita-Rack because of the Chronic Wasting Disease issue. We've contacted all the states and made the same case that we gave to the FDA as to why this product shouldn't be banned. If CWD becomes a problem across the country, the only way to fix it is through some type of medication you can make available to the deer. If you ban the deer's natural wild sites, you've defeated your purpose.
QUESTION: What's the future of Vita-Rack?
ANSWER: We see it as part of the deer's total nutritional program. Wildlife management is becoming very popular across the country. Everybody's concerned about it. I think that you'll find that the guys who are out there, whether they want to maintain their deer herds, shoot big bucks or increase their deer herds, will discover the importance of nutrition. I know Vita-Rack is only going to increase in popularity.
QUESTION: Vita-Rack is a nutrient supplement. But it's also an attractant so it'll draw the deer out so the hunter can see it.
ANSWER: That's true. It wasn't initially designed as an attractant. Some of the ingredients in it make it a natural attractant. The deer seek it out.
QUESTION: So, using Vita-Rack will increase your chances of taking a deer on your property, as well as increasing the nutritional levels of the bucks, does and fawns?
ANSWER: That's right.
For more information about Vita-Rack 26, you can e-mail David R. Fuhr at davefuhr@nemr.net.