water hole - in the timber or in the plot?

[j-bird]

I'm adding a water hole (buried kiddie pool) this year and I have 2 locations picked out, but just don't see the need for 2 of them in one general area. Do I put it in the trees or put it in my actual plot? My thinking is in the trees so I can hunt closer and keep the water in it out of direct sunlight and the algae issues - but wanted a few other opinions.

 

[wiscwhip]

In the trees, along a currently used trail between the bedding and the food plot. Make sure you place it in a "huntable" location where it can be accessed without alerting deer as well.

 

[Greta&Gus]

I'm adding a water hole (buried kiddie pool) this year and I have 2 locations picked out, but just don't see the need for 2 of them in one general area. Do I put it in the trees or put it in my actual plot? My thinking is in the trees so I can hunt closer and keep the water in it out of direct sunlight and the algae issues - but wanted a few other opinions.

I understand what wiscwhip says, but I wonder what the risks and benefits are of putting it on the edge of a plot. Could you hypothetically get deer to enter a plot earlier if the watering hole was closer? What is the appropriate distance? 25, 50 yards? Or, have it adjacent to a mineral site?

 

[wiscwhip]

I was thinking this was more to bow hunt over and do camera surveys than it would be for gun hunting, so I would say you have to keep it within effective bow range of a good stand tree or two. I think if you put it in a plot within bow range, you would run the risk of getting busted trying to leave the stand after hours more so than if the the stand was off the plot by 50 to 100 yards. I agree G&G, adjacent to a mineral site would be an ideal location as well.

 

[wiscwhip]

Ideally something like the sketch below, with the mineral and the water both within bow range of the stand tree.

 

[j-bird]

If I put it in the plot I won't be able to be close enough for bow. I like the idea of the woods as I could potentially set the area up as a staging area before the deer enter the plot. I have one out in the open in some NWSG that I am going to post some pics of that the deer use, that is simply a dug out spring seap.

 

[j-bird]

This is what my one water hole - I was burning some weeds/grasses today and took a few pics. This was a surface spring seep that I dug out. Its about 8 x 4 feet.


The below pic gives you an idea of how it fits well into my plan. Mt annual food plot is just a few steps away and the entire area is surrounded by tall NWSG's and I have a shooting house that sits to where I can cover the plots and the water hole. There is a strip of willows that comes from the neighbors place that the bucks just rub the snot out of every year. I saw him this past season but he was too far - maybe I will see him this coming season.


Annual plot to the right - currently in rye - will be corn this spring. Distant area is a perennial plot with 3 apple trees - large ag corn/bean field to the left. Distant wood lot is 5 acre sanctuary area.

 

[Greta&Gus]

If you already have one in the field I think the answer is put one in the woods. Do you see daytime activity on the watering hole in the photos?

 

[j-bird]

If you already have one in the field I think the answer is put one in the woods. Do you see daytime activity on the watering hole in the photos?

Not much but some - especially once I added the NWSG - water really isn't an issue on my place, but for some reason the deer seem to prefer to drink from standing water vs running water. I don't know if it's a head down/noise thing or what. But I have seen far more deer drink from a puddle than the decent creeks I have.

 

[ruskbucks]

Woods. It should see more daytime activity. The shaded woods will also see less evaporation. Less algae growth too.

 

[bat man]

Hey Bird - How do you access that tower blind? Don't they get you coming or going when they are in the plots?

 

[j-bird]

Hey Bird - How do you access that tower blind? Don't they get you coming or going when they are in the plots?

Batman - we access across the field via a waterway, but yes we are exposed climbing up or down. A conifer screen is on the list of things to do to screen the entire corn field and to go around the shooting house as well. Always improvements to be made.

Just the way my place is laid out - you have to cross open fields to get to ANYTHING - lots of screening in my future.

 

[bat man]

We should start a new special breed of mutt that likes to play with deer. Keep him in a box under the tower blind and open the door so he can frolic when its time to clear the field. Should be a smallish dog with smooth short coat, but able to stay warm in November. Maybe a malamute Jack Russel cross.

 

[Terrific_tom]

We should start a new special breed of mutt that likes to play with deer. Keep him in a box under the tower blind and open the door so he can frolic when its time to clear the field. Should be a smallish dog with smooth short coat, but able to stay warm in November. Maybe a malamute Jack Russel cross.

I like the concept. The last day of gun hunting season I had a bunch of does and a 4 pointer on food plot I was sitting on. It was getting dark and the deer would not leave so I got the idea to play a yote sound on my smart phone. All that did was get the deer's attention and they came closer to blind. Now it is dark with deer all around blind, so I was going to hit the sound one more time but hit a rabbit in distress call by mistake, every deer instantly left the plot.

 

[j-bird]

I found shooting the deer typically clears them out!:D

 

[Terrific_tom]

I found shooting the deer typically clears them out!:D

There were no doe tags in our area last year.

 

[j-bird]

There were no doe tags in our area last year.

My DNR doesn't care - choot'em! I could have killed 7 off my place if I wanted to last season! I tend to carry some walnuts and chuck them and the deer tend to leave - I actually hit one once - that confused!