Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
I have four of these preformed ponds around the land. I got them cheap from Menards years ago. All four pounds are within bow range of a stand/blind. Honestly, they don't seem to get a lot of use.
Small Watering Hole
- Thread starter Belo
- Start date
Mine have been like an African safari hunt over a water hole. Between 3, 165 gallon tanks, I've been putting 265 gallons of water in them to refill every 7 to 10 days. Rain kept them close to full up until end of July and then we've had .85 rain since then. All kinds of wildlife use them. The closest natural water source is about a 1/4 mile away(a creek and pond) the other ponds around the area are dried up. I have a mid level deer density.
The deer haven't been scared off by my intrusion. The same ones that were using them in August are using them today, and more have shown up.
The deer haven't been scared off by my intrusion. The same ones that were using them in August are using them today, and more have shown up.
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
I hope mine is doing something. I haven't been able to get up to check the cams or do anything else.
I would really have loved to put I bigger one in, but I knew I'd never be able to do it by hand. Over the course of three digging sessions, I was barely able to get this 45-50 gallon one in. It's all shale and roots, miserable.
But I did a little experimenting. Since the surrounding woods are all filled with maple syrup lines, I figured a little more junk in the trees wouldn't stand out too bad. So I bought one of https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNHG25CM and ran a long tube to my water tank. You can sort of see it on the right in this photo.
I know it won't make it through the winter, I'll either take it down before it snows, or just let it get ruined. It rained a little the night I put it up and the level was a couple inches higher the next day. I used my 25 gallon spray tank that still hasn't had any chemicals in it, to haul water up the hill. Then with a cordless pump and a couple garden hose I pumped water the rest of the way up and filled it. I don't want to do that again if I can help it. Figuring out different ways I can channel water to the tank, or put out other means of catching rain water and running it to the tank.
I would really have loved to put I bigger one in, but I knew I'd never be able to do it by hand. Over the course of three digging sessions, I was barely able to get this 45-50 gallon one in. It's all shale and roots, miserable.
But I did a little experimenting. Since the surrounding woods are all filled with maple syrup lines, I figured a little more junk in the trees wouldn't stand out too bad. So I bought one of https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNHG25CM and ran a long tube to my water tank. You can sort of see it on the right in this photo.
I know it won't make it through the winter, I'll either take it down before it snows, or just let it get ruined. It rained a little the night I put it up and the level was a couple inches higher the next day. I used my 25 gallon spray tank that still hasn't had any chemicals in it, to haul water up the hill. Then with a cordless pump and a couple garden hose I pumped water the rest of the way up and filled it. I don't want to do that again if I can help it. Figuring out different ways I can channel water to the tank, or put out other means of catching rain water and running it to the tank.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
At least one of my ponds is being used now. I did see some deer tracks around the other three ponds so that is encouraging.
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
I put a camera on my tank. I found out this weekend that something went wrong with the camera. lol So I have no idea if it's working. I don't really have too much faith in it, because the deer have other options. (one's that honestly I didn't even think about when I set about putting this water option in). One is a natural valley that has some standing water most of the year. The other was a spot where I put minerals down years ago, over time the deer ate (I guess) enough of the dirt that there's now a depression that holds water any time there's been rain. It's a great spot to film deer most of the year,but a crappy spot to hunt them. (road about 30 yards away on three sides. Private property on the other side of the road. So not where you want to bow hunt, and you never see deer there come gun season(?).) Honestly thinking about filling it in to NOT be a water hole.
Anywho.... my tub and tarp affair seems to be working great. I was really expecting it to be 1/4 to 1/2 full at best. It was in fact nearly over flowing!
Next year I'll lower it down. There's a natural grade, so it doesn't need to be up in the air to feed. All the height it doing is making it more obvious and harder to clean out the leaves. Don't know why I made it so high, I guess I thought I needed the elevation but I don't.
Anywho.... my tub and tarp affair seems to be working great. I was really expecting it to be 1/4 to 1/2 full at best. It was in fact nearly over flowing!
Next year I'll lower it down. There's a natural grade, so it doesn't need to be up in the air to feed. All the height it doing is making it more obvious and harder to clean out the leaves. Don't know why I made it so high, I guess I thought I needed the elevation but I don't.
hillrunner
5 year old buck +
I dug one last Sunday about 75 yards from my house. I see deer using it tonight already. It'll hold a couple thousand gallons and I can top it off any time with a hose. It's fun to watch.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
I'm lucky enough to have clay on a good portion of my property so all I have to do is dig a hole and it will hold water pretty well.
hillrunner
5 year old buck +
If I dig deep enough, I can get to clay, but I have to go through a lot of topsoil to get to it. Low areas that can naturally fill a pond will usually have several feet of black soil on top . It's a process to build a pond that actually seals. A lot of the ponds people have built around here never seal.
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
Funnel tarp.... well, I am quite shocked it was holding up. lol Part of me wanted to see if it would make it through the winter, part of me wanted to save the money and reuse it. I did cut the zip ties on the one side though. In the spring I will set it up about 12" off the ground.
As for the tank itself, the deer don't seem to care. Camera shows the crows, ravens and smaller birds like it. Racoons as well. Deer all just walk past it without so much as a look.
As for the tank itself, the deer don't seem to care. Camera shows the crows, ravens and smaller birds like it. Racoons as well. Deer all just walk past it without so much as a look.
hillrunner
5 year old buck +
Well, the property where I built this small water hole in October got pummeled with ehd this year so I didn't get the deer engagement I expected. However, it definitely attracted a few deer. Mostly i saw does using it but bucks came sniffing around too. 
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Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Watched a buck stop and drink out of canoe full of water the other day. Need to pic a camera on it, those could be fun pics.
