First attempt at making a water hole

[Peeps]

I picked up 2 of the plastic kiddie pools on clearance at Walmart. I'm heading up to the land this week and I'm going to dig them in and fill them to see what happens. I'll try to post some pics and put a camera on one of them so we can all see how it works. It's sandy in my area so there's not much water around except for a small stream that cuts through the corner of my property so I think it will work.

 

[PackerBacker]

Interested to hear how it turns out. Picked up a couple 110 gallon water troughs for $25 a piece and hoping to get in the ground yet this year.

 

[Peeps]

I didn't have time to get them in on this trip. Had an unexpected surprise of some Dozer work being completed.

 

[Peeps]

Finally got my redneck water hole in. Now if I get hot I can take a dip while I'm hunting.

 

[dipper]

We really have a member named peeps? That's awesome bro, just watch out the crotchety old grumps don't like your name.
Hahaha

 

[j-bird]

I saw "pools" on clearance today and had the same thought. At less than $5 each I may get me one or two and give it a try. I have a dug out spring that the deer use, but it's out in the open and I have never seen any evidence of it being used in daylight. I like the idea of the pool so I can get it back into the woods more.

 

[Peeps]

I put a camera on it and will share the results when I check it in a few weeks. I'm not expecting any big bucks as other hunters in that area shoot anything with horns. Target had theirs on clearance for 1$ a few weeks ago.

 

[NWWI]

Make sure you put enough rocks all the way around the bottom. I did the same thing but had the pool lip an inch or two below grade to catch runoff. I put one 50# rock in the middle. We got a downpour that week and some water got under the pool and pushed the sides up. The rock held it in the middle but pushed it up all the way around. For all the hard work digging it out by hand it was comical. It's well anchored now.

 

[Peeps]

Checked the camera and the deer have found it. A group of yotes also found it one night. Thinking about trying to learn how to trap the yotes.

 

[Rauch18]

We have been thinking about putting in a couple of these at our property. However, with the ongoing reports of EHD across the state of Indiana, we are reluctant to do so. Thoughts?

 

[Peeps]

EHD is is from the midge that used the mud from the banks of water sources especially when it is hot and the water source is receding exposing the moist mud. I would think a plastic kiddie pool would be a pretty safe option as no mud is involved like in a normal water hole. I am no EHD expert tho.

 

[Peeps]

The deer are still loving the kiddie pool water holes I put in last year.

 

[Bill]

It took about 6 months before they even used my kiddy pool. After that it gets attention everyday.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have an active spring in a ravine that my deer stand over looks. I dug out part of the spring, towards the down hill side of it, and it seems to be working pretty well, well up until we got 12 inches of rain last week, and it pretty much filled in with mud, but it wont take long for me to shovel it back out. I wanted to expand it more anyhow. I started off with about 2 foot by 6 foot, and maybe 18 inches deep, I would like to expand it to 6x10 maybe, and 18 inches deep.

 

[H20fwler]

After seeing this thread I started looking at the coy ponds for a possible water source for along along a small woods. I started pricing them at Menards and Lowes and was going to wait for black Friday to buy one on sale and wouldn't you know it...on the way to work last week there was a used one for sale for $50 in a front yard! It's close to 24" deep and maybe 8'X6'.
Planning on putting it in in early spring...thank you all for the great idea.

 

[Peeps]

After seeing this thread I started looking at the coy ponds for a possible water source for along along a small woods. I started pricing them at Menards and Lowes and was going to wait for black Friday to buy one on sale and wouldn't you know it...on the way to work last week there was a used one for sale for $50 in a front yard! It's close to 24" deep and maybe 8'X6'.
Planning on putting it in in early spring...thank you all for the great idea.

That's a good find and should work well. If you want to put more in keep your eyes peeled as the box stores should start putting all the kiddie pools in clearance soon. I've seen them marked down as low as a few dollars. They are easy to dig in and fill especially in hard to access areas and mine have held water all year long. It didn't take the deer long to find mine and the dirtier they got the more they used them.

 

[Ben-WPA]

I have swamp and streams all around my plots. Will they still use the water hole?

 

[Peeps]

I also have a small steam cutting thru my property and swamp area with small spots of standing water. For whatever reason they seem to prefer my kiddie pools for quenching their thirst.