Small Watering Hole

[rocksnstumps]

Finally got some decent rain so the rain catcher put in a month ago can do its thing. Just a 16' chunk of tin siding picked up cheap at an auction as part of a shed rebuild at another property. Have had a small waterhole in this location for awhile but wanted to try to fill up this version more complete. Think when it got low it doesn't see much use. After this pic I plopped the stick back in for critter evac that had gotten washed out. Holds maybe 100 gals.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

I like it.

I was up on my little "tub" this weekend. When I saw how dry the ground was, like a cracked dry lake bed, how low all the streams and ponds were.. if not totally dry, and how dead all the plants and grass was, and how dusty the road was, I thought for sure the tub would be mostly empty. But it was 98% full?? I don't know why, I guess there's a enough shade to really help.

Other than raccoons and birds, I've yet to see anything in the act of drinking out of it. Starting to think I need video, that the camera is firing before and the intervals just aren't getting anything drinking?






^ owl

 

[bwoods11]

I didn’t even dig this landscape tub in yet, but 6 deer hit it last night when I was in the stand . I’m gonna fill it this weekend, luckily not far off the road . (Minnesota)

It’s been very hot !!

 

[H20fwler]

The koi pond we put in years ago gets a lot of traffic. And this time of year the water looks like pea soup but they sure go after it.


A little fella getting right in


As soon as the beans get cut along the back of woods we are going to haul water back and refill it.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

Kills me that I've recently seen a couple pond liners get thrown away near home. I just have no way to get them 250 miles to where I need them.

 

[Foggy47]

Ive got three areas with above the ground water tubs. The other two use 100 gallon cattle tubs I bought from TSC. Filled them at the beginning of summer using two 55 gallon water drums....and the rains have kept them mostly filled all summer. This smaller "ice sled" is now just about empty.....and I should get some more water in it next week. All these tubs get daily use by the deer....and seem to be a social gathering spot.

Even the turkeys use 'em.

 

[Foggy47]

....and my deer use these tanks daily and more. Really a gathering point at all three water tanks. I should do more.

Cheap / Easy / Effective. What is not to like?

 

[Foggy47]

....and my deer use these tanks daily and more. Really a gathering point at all three water tanks. I should do more.

Cheap / Easy / Effective. What is not to like?
View attachment 83704

Not sure why folks dig holes.....when these tanks stay filled most of the time on their own (at least in rainy Minnesota). I only filled mine at the beginning of the season....but this small "sled" tank is pretty low now and I may give it a hand this week with another 55 gallons.

I did buy two clean / blue drums and the proper fittings to empty the contents into my tubs. The ones I bought have brass drain plugs. I'm not sure if I will drain the tubs in winter.....or just let em freeze. I will let them freeze solid if it does not harm the tanks. That way when spring breaks....I got some water again....and I am still in OZ playing golf and staying warm.

I've had that "ice sled" in continuous use for over 10 years.....and it has never leaked nor cracked or had any kind of damage to it. Seems to me I paid about $50 for it some 20 years ago. Owes me nothing....and makes a good water hole.....tho a deeper one (with more capacity) may be better....if they withstand the deep freeze of life here on the tundra.

 

[H20fwler]

Got the beans off so cleaned out the koi pond good and hauled water to it and completely refilled last week.

 

[b116757]

My deer seem to be in an odd pattern this fall and I’m seeing way less on camera than most years but my creek that’s behind the house is completely dry this fall I’m almost wondering if that’s a contributing factor to reduced deer numbers. I may need to invest in a watering tank of sorts.

 

[fishin coyote]

Well the Mrs is happy with the new water hole in front of her cabin. She watched this small buck come in and get a drink, munch some rye and acorns before wandering off.

Gonna have to take the leaf blower out and give the poor rye a chance to grow. It’s had a tough go of it with the lack of rain over the last month or so

 

[willy]

I thought I just add a late season note on water tank usage. The deer have been keeping my water tanks open enough for them to get a drink, even through lows of 0 to teen temps for several days in a row in two stretches. Ice was 4" thick in all of tanks except the hole they kept open. The pic numbers on these tanks has increase almost 2.5 to 1 compared from Sept to end of Nov vs Dec one till present. I've had every buck that has been on a camera other than my water tanks be photographed at my water tanks double digit times. In fact, there are several bucks that have only been photographed at the tanks. Every new buck that showed up after rifle season have been regulars at the tanks.

I removed ice and refilled the 5 tanks( each tank is 165 gallon) I have on Dec 6. We had some very cold temps prior to that and after. I had to refill the tanks based on cam pics over some of the tanks. On Dec 21 I refilled them. It took 440 gallons to refill them. I have no doubt that 50 gallons of the refill came from ice I removed but that still means they drank a lot of water in that 2 weeks time. The two newest bucks that showed up after the refill on Dec 6 have been every other day regulars at the tanks. I could have shot one of them at 50 yards with muzzle while I was in the stand. That buck is a typical 5x5 that would score in low 150's, the other new buck is a 6x5 that would push 160. Both on on the red light list and hope they'll be around next season. If it goes as it has in years past. They will be regulars next fall if they survive until then.

A great 6x5 (split g2, scores in low 170's) was shot Dec 4, 10 yards from one of my tanks. Water is in the top three of habitat manipulations that I've done to my properties to make them better deer hunting properties.

1. Getting to and from stand without deer sensing hunting pressure
2. Forest stand improvement
3. Water (there were/are two dirt dam ponds on mine but until I put tanks in, it really wasn't a factor. There are dams(from 10 yards to 25 yards away) on neighboring properties and a creek 400 yards north of my line.
4. Food plots

 

[Catscratch]

Anyone put mineral in the water, or make a mineral lick next to one of your tubs?

 

[Foggy47]

Great post Willy. What I need is a solar water tank heater. S.D. are you paying attention here?

 

[Foggy47]

Anyone put mineral in the water, or make a mineral lick next to one of your tubs?

Where I am at (In a CWD zone) putting a mineral lick out is taboo. But I am not sure on the mineral in the water. Hmmmm