Small Watering Hole

[Satchmogv]

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

I’m going to have dual small tanks in a couple spots come spring. I plan on sprinkling some mineral in one and do a side by side comparison. Stay tuned.


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[Foggy47]

I've done some research on keeping tanks from freezing, but this is the first I've heard the manure angle!

Pretty sure my 100 gallon tanks will freeze solid....if they have not already done so. That could be one advantage of a pond that is buried into the ground. But even then.....I see no evidence of those areas being used by deer....so....I think I am just too far north and too cold to consider such things.

 

[fishin coyote]

I don’t even try to keep them from freezing here. There’s plenty of spring seeps for the deer to get what they need during winter.
I do put a dark log either in or half in the water that way with any bit of sun especially in late winter it helps speed up the melting process or at least creates an opening for the little critters that use them

 

[Brian662]

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

What state are you in Willy?
Any further story to a 170 being shot within 10 yards of your water hole, was it by someone who has permission or a neighbor?

 

[H20fwler]

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

I’ve got a trace mineral block about fifty yards from it.

11hrs after digging a hole and filling the tank there's use. It's 21 degrees right now, supposed to get in the teens tonight. Curious if it will stay open or freeze.
View attachment 87075

Mine probably freezes solid some winters. We back filled it with sand under and around it to keep it from heaving up when it does.
Has worked great for around ten years.

 

[Catscratch]

I'm liking this water hole. Everything is attracted to it.

 

[willy]

What state are you in Willy?
Any further story to a 170 being shot within 10 yards of your water hole, was it by someone who has permission or a neighbor?

Southeast NE, I shot it with muzzle loader

 

[Brian662]

Southeast NE, I shot it with muzzle loader

Very nice!! When I read your post I wrongly assumed someone else harvested the buck. Congrats on the trophy!

 

[willy]

Thanks, no problem, I just was trying to promote what's possible with water holes.

On a sit Monday, I got to see 4 of the bucks that we believe are 4 and will be on the green light list next year, all go to the same water hole and drink. I counted a total of 85. for sure different deer in the two plots I was watching. A very large percentage of them visited the 2 water holes along one of the plots. A new water hole will be installed near the other this spring. I put 350 gallons of water into the water tanks yesterday. There were deer drinking from one of the tanks 27 min after I left, and all the tanks by the afternoon's end.

 

[willy]

Some examples

 

[willy]

The cuddelinks have done a great job over the tanks. I have seen no evidence of deer skittish or avoid the cameras.