Located in central Michigan, the Sanctuary ranch is legendary within the hunting industry. Founded in 1978, Sanctuary has become the Mecca of whitetail deer enthusiasts. The ranch is approximately four square miles in size with high hills and gullies, thick hardwood slash and cedar swamps. The Sanctuary has intensely managed whitetail deer for almost thirty years.

Unlike other ranches, the Sanctuary has never bought or sold deer and does not utilize breed pens. Our incredible harvest records are the result of almost three decades of intensive management of a native Michigan deer herd. All deer are born and spend their entire life in wild environment. Renowned biologist and outdoor writer Larry Weishuhn said that these were some of the smartest and most elusive bucks he has ever hunted.

The Sanctuary is the best - bar none! So don't waste another season looking for the whitetail hunting experience of a lifetime. The time has come for you to experience the best, the time has come for you to visit the Sanctuary.

NUTRITION

Today, we recognize the need for assisting nature in enabling deer to grow into healthy adults. With a basic understanding of the digestion, feeding behavior, life cycles and nutritional needs, you can take an active role in promoting the growth of healthy does capable of producing future generations we all can enjoy, and bigger bucks supporting impressive antlers.

Deer are related to other ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep. For this reason, it was once believed that deer could be raised and maintained on hay and grain. But unlike cattle or sheep who are grazers, deer have a smaller stomach compared to their body size. The smaller stomach not only affects the type of food a deer eats, but the frequency of feeding as well.

In general, all deer prefer high-protein, energy-rich plants like browse, leafy plants and acorns over more fibrous grasses. But as opportunistic feeders, they will make due with what is available, changing diets as plant availability and quality change with the season of the year. This digestive adaptability is one reason deer survive as well as they do. But it takes a few weeks for changes to take place. So, deer adapted to a winter diet of highly fibrous food can actually be harmed by well-meaning sportsmen or landowners who put out corn or hay to get them through the winter.

Deer nutrition is affected by physiological needs. Bucks have different nutritional needs at different times - for instance, protein demand is high during antler growth and energy demand is high during the rut. A doe's nutritional demands are highest during the last third of her pregnancy to just before weaning. And fawns, who triple their birth weight in the first three months, are most demanding in the first six months of life. Each stage of the life cycle is influenced by nutrition.

Nutrition is one of the major factors affecting the health and productivity of deer. Providing deer with a consistent diet that meets their seasonal physiological needs increases the nutritional level of the herd and allows each deer to reach its genetic potential. A well-planned supplemental feeding program can lower fawn mortality, decrease post-rut mortality in males and encourage the growth of bigger bucks with superior antlers. Supplemental feeding can also compensate for variations in nutrient value and availability of natural range and forage. Deer experience less stress when they are provided with a good quality diet year-round, especially during high demand times such as pregnancy, nursing and antler growth.

THE SECRET OF SANCTUARY

For almost 20 years, the researchers at Purina Mills have been working with The Sanctuary to provide world-class nutrition to grow world-class deer. And because nutrition is such an integral part of growing big deer, Purina Mills¨ Deer Chow¨ truly is the secret to their amazing animals.

What makes Purina Deer Chow better than any deer feed on the market? It starts with unequalled Purina Mills Research - the foundation of their newly formulated Deer Chow diets. And the results speak for themselves: optimal antler growth speed, size and mass in bucks, high fertility in does and low mortality in fawns. All levels no other form of nutrition can produce.

Purina Mills devotion to product excellence and innovation continues today, with their AntlerMax Technology.

ANTLERMAX TECHNOLOGY

AntlerMax is actually a protein technology. This patented nutritional delivery system provides a substantially higher quality protein to growing deer antlers. Simply put, feeding Deer Chow with AntlerMax will result in antler growth of unprecedented speed, size and mass. But there's more to the story than bigger, faster. AntlerMax delivers proprietary types and ratios of essential trace minerals that specifically target the needs of growing antler tissues, resulting in optimal antler density and strength.