"In addition to 'management aids,' there are hunting aids on the market that — if the hype is true — will do everything except field dress your deer for you," says Ken Gee, a wildlife research specialist at the Noble Foundation. "The modern-day deer enthusiast is inundated with products they can't live without."

Many of these products, either by expressed claim or by implication, are being advertised as "cure-alls." If there's a problem, they have a remedy. Gee calls these products "silver bullets."

"I suppose it is human nature to want to believe silver bullets exist, but, generally, this is not the case," Gee adds.

Gee cites the numerous food plot mixtures being marketed at premium prices as an example of a silver bullet. Many claim to improve herd health and antler size, but do they really?

"Persons contemplating using these products need to ask themselves several questions. Is the food plot being planted to attract or concentrate deer for one reason or another? If so, a food plot may be useful," Gee says. "If, on the other hand, the justification for planting a food plot is to increase carrying capacity and improve herd health, then this requires closer examination."

Food plot or supplemental feeding programs that actually accomplish these latter two goals are very intensive and expensive. Land management practices (e.g., proper grazing management and prescribed burning programs) that affect habitat on the landscape scale are most beneficial to deer populations. In most cases, the casual food plotter is going to have minimal effect on carrying capacity and herd health.

Another question of interest is which, if any, of the "high dollar" mixtures is the one for the job?

"I really do not have an answer for that. If you believe the advertising, they all are. Will a certain plant or mixture grow in your region and soil type? The real answer is 'maybe,' although some of the claims suggest that some products will grow on asphalt in the desert,” Gee says. “Will deer eat it? Again, the answer is 'maybe.' Is there something you can plant that is less expensive and just as good? The answer is 'probably.'"

And, finally, after a long history of harvesting small yearling bucks, is planting a "super" food plot mixture going to improve a hunter's chances of finally harvesting that "once in a lifetime" trophy buck? Unfortunately, the answer is "probably not," according to Gee. If mature bucks are extremely rare in an area, harvest strategy and possibly large-scale habitat quality issues need to be addressed.

"I am a skeptic by nature, and I guess that is why I look at many of these products with a raised eyebrow," Gee says. "All too often, deer-related issues are over simplified, and silver bullets are used to address complex issues. Unfortunately, these silver bullets seldom hit their mark."

Remember, Gee adds, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; providing grants to non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.