Minimal Excavation Waterholes

[gjs4]

I'm wondering who has had success with buying/creating waterholes that capture water but require minimal excavation? I cant be the first to have this idea or quandary.

(I know, I know....the next question is where to buy winning lotto tickets followed by a cheap property with 2 Booners behind every tree). I also know if it doesn't rain....it wont be holding water.

Hill Country area (slopes, benches,etc), not likely able to get heavy equipment back there....so it will be me, a shovel, maybe a quad. Best idea thus far was to find a flat area on a slope, put down a TSC tub, then block it in with cut logs. Dig/Trench a small swale into the side touching the slope with hopes to catch run off (using the spoils to also secure the tank). Thinking low profile/height is key for a lack of displacement.

Any ideas are appreciated..... ridicule is accepted as long as it comes with a quality suggestion as well.

 

[Telemark]

I have a similar problem. I have a spring that runs until about May and whenever we have heavy rain, and I would really like to put a basin below it to gather water before it runs into the swampy area. Unfortunately there are a lot of rocks and boulders there, so my options are limited. I thought about using cement to form a basin there within the rocks, but from my reading online it seems Flex Seal won't work long-term. I'm worried a flexible pond liner will get punctured by deer hooves or bear claws.

 

[Brian662]

There is not one thing available to hunters, IMO, that is more valuable for attracting attention of the dominant buck in the area during the rut than a water hole. The rut is so unpredictable, but within those ~3 weeks every big buck in the area will be there. The same can't be said for bait, feeders, plots, etc. It truly is incredible how well they work.

All that being said, keeping them full is paramount. The first time any deer comes to it for water and it's empty will have them going to your neighbors to look and ultimately once filled again will take them some time for them to find it and use it again. I would suggest doing whatever you need to do bury a tank (if you go that route) so that it can fill from rain water. If it doesn't rain, figure out a formula to fill it manually. For me, I use my tractor with an IBC tote and have an access trail cut into them for filling. If those aren't options for you, I have put 5 gallon pails with lids and hauled them out in a 4 wheeler trailer, multiple trips, scent everywhere, doesn't matter when it is dry....they are there again within 24 hours using it. I can't stress enough about not letting it go dry, that's very important.

 

[gwm]

Here's what I did:

Get a 110-gallon stock tank from your local Tractor Supply store. Get your wife multiple shovels just in case one fits her hand better than the others. As she digs the hole, have her put the dirt in the SxS so she can patch some spots on the SxS trail. Win / win.



Have her dig the hole so the lip of the tank is flush to slightly below the ground. Have her cover the bottom of the tank with dirt. Deer don't like clear water, so you want it dirty. This may be an eye-roll moment, but she'll power thru. Also, make sure you have a critter stick / log in there so small critters can get out.



Have her fill it up with water. You can back up as close as you want depending on how everything has gone to this point.



Other than the day it was put in, I've never filled it up. It has gotten very low but has never been empty. Every spring, my wife will go around and rake out the leaves that settle to the bottom.

 

[Catscratch]

Lol! Have the wife do it!

 

[gwm]

And as Brian said, they become really good during the rut. I got numerous pics of this buck chasing this doe and both stopped to get a drink.

 

[Brian662]

I like your style @gwm

 

[omicron1792]

Here is something I have had work.

Create a mineral lick at spot where you want a water hole. Over time the deer will dig it for you.
I am either going to put a liner in now, or dig a little more and put a tank.

Here are two like that. Both between 1-2’ deep.

 

[SD51555]

Every time I have equipment at my place, I dig a water hole. I've put in 5 so far. I'm putting in a 6th this summer, and I'm expanding one of my existing water holes to source more trail fix dirt. It only takes a few minutes to dig a water hole, an hour if you want a big one. No matter how many I have, each one of them is pounded by critter activity.

Each one usually has extra purposes. My property is flat as hammered shit, so if I want something to stay dry, it needs a foot of lift. I don't have the pics anymore, but I did an expansion on one of my plots about 6 years ago. It was low land tag alder swampy kind of ground. When it would be wet in spring, it'd hold 6" of water for a few weeks. I went in an laid down all the tag alder right where it stood, and a few ash trees. I dug a pond right next to it and used the dirt to put about 18" of fill over the top of all that brush, stumps, and logs.

That plot has been my most productive of anything on my property, and with almost no topsoil. The new plot I'm making this summer will be the same idea. It's got a few low spots that also pond in spring before the frost goes out. All of the trees that came down for that plot area will get buried under that new plot. This time I'm gonna scrape the topsoil off before I layer all that wood into it, and then put it back on top.

 

[gjs4]

GWM- My man! Jealous on so many levels.

TSC tubs work. Filling is best. Burying is best. (can do 1 of 3 right now....LOL)

Other than SD51555s post above- where are you placing them (as in ideal areas)? Is it simply rut cruising corridors?

 

[Brian662]

GWM- My man! Jealous on so many levels.

TSC tubs work. Filling is best. Burying is best. (can do 1 of 3 right now....LOL)

Other than SD51555s post above- where are you placing them (as in ideal areas)? Is it simply rut cruising corridors?

Between bedding and food is ideal, IMO.

 

[bwoods11]

This will be a key habitat improvement for me this spring. I need to add a couple ponds in Iowa.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

Similar to gwm I have my wife dig them. I found though that she needs 2 spades and a 5 gallon bucket of water. The bucket of water is so she can always have one spade cooling while she's heating up the other! Good system!

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

Actually, I plan on putting in a couple of tanks/waterholes this spring. My plan to keep them full is to dig them in near the base of a slope. Then, on the uphill side, lay out a tarp, or a piece of rubber roofing, laying the edges up over some logs, and have the low corner near, and a bit above, the waterhole. Tuck the low corner of the tarp into a short piece of PVC and run it into the tank. I think and 8'x8' or 10'X10' tarp will gather enough rain water to keep the tank/waterhole full indefinitely. Your thought?

 

[rocksnstumps]

An 8' x 8' area after 1" rain is about 40 gals.

Been thinking about doing something similar with some old corrugated tin.

Out West they build a system called a "guzzler". Seen writeups and pics on that in the past.

One of those deer guru types claim a 300 gal tank filled up can likely keep enough water almost year round except drought years. Needs shade however and buy it about 20-24" tall

 

[bigboreblr]

Got a tiny stream or little valley area you can dig a hole.

When I was a kid the neighbors had a steel culvert pipe in seasonal streambed. Always had water n hoofprints.

Even little veins when it rains hard on the hill. Could make a hi lo setup. One up high with whatever pipe you can put in as a drain to the lower one. Old garden hose, used well pipe from a well driller, Put window screen over the pipe, should flow for most of the year w/o cleaning.

 

[Catscratch]

A friend in western KS keeps a few guzzlers going. They don't get rain so his are a little different than talked about above. His uses tin a couple of feet above the ground that's angled downward to one end that has a catch pan. Overnight dew runs down the tin and drips into the pan. It's not much... but rabbits, jackrabbits, quail, muledeer, etc all frequent them. He's basically in a desert so a few drops is enough.

This idea isn't exactly what you're talking about trying to gain drainage from rain, but if you don't get rain often it might be a solid idea.

 

[Brian662]

I think it depends so much on natural drainage, deer density, heat units vs shade, and probably more factors.

I can speak from experience that a full 300 gallon tank will not last all season without filling or rain with moderate to high deer density.

We are also planning to get some coon cuffs around our water holes this summer to hopefully cut back on how much splashing and drinking those things do, sometimes 8-10 at a time. It's like a bath tub for them.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I think it depends so much on natural drainage, deer density, heat units vs shade, and probably more factors.

I can speak from experience that a full 300 gallon tank will not last all season without filling or rain with moderate to high deer density.

Yep even a 300 gal tank will need occasional rain hence the disclaimer about drought years. Believe the reasoning was a bit bigger tank can have enough reserve capacity most of the time until next significant rain. Talking about upper Midwest. Prolonged drought in summer for months is not normal weather pattern here like can be much further south.

A 1-1/2' to 2' deep pool also helps combat evaporation vs a wide shallow one with tons of surface area but still not too tall for deer if just sitting on the ground. For other critters and/or trying to use some sloped ground to fill probably want to dig it in.

I actually find that waterhole spots show up on my trails in a few areas with heavy tractor or skidder traffic. Almost all of my land is sandy loam and poor for holding water but in the woods sometimes silt builds up a bit in low spots and ruts form that hold water. I'll either see that as a likely spot and dig a hole next to the trail instead and use fill to rebuild trail or what works best is drive back and forth and squish out a bigger rut and then move the trail around it. Edit: These silt areas are just thin layers so if you dig too deep you get back into sand and just pulled the plug on your water hole

Those spots are rare on my land though and not like you get to choose where they are.

 

[gjs4]

Great input!