Water tank?

[wisconsinteacher]

From what I see there are 3 ways to put in a water tank. (1) dig a hole so the top of the tank is level with the ground (2) bury the tank 1/2 into the ground (3) set the tank on the ground.

I don't like option 3 due to the amount of bears in the area. I fear they would tip it over or put a hole in it. So, what is best, option 1 or 2?

 

[j-bird]

IF you place the tank level with the ground rain may keep it filled for you....otherwise at only 1/2 buried....you may be trucking water back there to fill it. When I have used some sort of tank in the past I have made them level with the ground. I find a natural dug shallow depression is far more beneficial to far more wildlife. Just remember to put some hardware cloth down the inside in either case....otherwise you have a 100 gallon mouse trap!

 

[b116757]

Why would you do this????

 

[willy]

What jbird said

 

[Bill]

Why would you do this????

To give the deer water right next to your food. so they dont have to go drink on the neighbors place. :)

 

[Angus 1895]

U like hunting with mosquito?

Water is not a bad deal, if it is palatable, but if not ………..yuk!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

U like hunting with mosquito?

Water is not a bad deal, if it is palatable, but if not ………..yuk!

Up in the north land, not many mosquitoes after September.

Come November they turn into skating rinks for mice and squirrels.

I had used them in the past, they work well for early bow season, but if you leave them in much later then that, the water will freeze and crack your tank.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Up in the north land, not many mosquitoes after September.

Come November they turn into skating rinks for mice and squirrels.

I had used them in the past, they work well for early bow season, but if you leave them in much later then that, the water will freeze and crack your tank.

My thoughts were to empty the tank or put something in it like a boat bumper before it freezes to help with the expansion of the ice.

 

[willy]

I use the thick heavy plastic/poly tanks from TSC, a farm store. They freeze solid every winter but have not cracked in the 9 years they have been in the ground.

When I remember, I put mosquito pucks in the tanks during summer months.


During the freeze/thaw cycles the critters drink the water around the edges.

 

[PrairieShadow]

With last years severe drought I was having a terrible time with the squirrels and gophers chewing holes in my poly tubing going to my trees/foodplots. This had never been an issue prior to last year. I finally decided to give them a tank of water in hopes they would use that instead of chewing the poly tubing. It worked like a charm, I didn't have a single hole chewed after that. The deer used the heck out of it too.

Those poly tanks are tough as nails. You can leave them set full all winter and freeze solid and they wont crack. (I generally try not to do this though)

 

[4wanderingeyes]

How many gallon tank are you using for these?

 

[PrairieShadow]

How many gallon tank are you using for these?

I think the one I used last year was 160 gallons.

 

[willy]

Mine are 70 -100 gallons

 

[Brian662]

I use the 110 gallon tanks from TSC, I want to say they are around $80-100.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I just bought a 100 gallon tank.

 

[Someday isle]

55 gallons each. I bought them at the local Dickey Bubs. One is buried in a downhill towards a dry creek bed and the other is on a slope. I filled them by hand one time and they e stayed full for five years. One gets more use than the other but they both have regular deer activity around them. Other than a wet weather creek I don’t have any other water on my property. To me, there’s value in having them both. I have 36 acres more or less and they offer one extra opportunity to keep deer on my property a little more.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Has anyone ever built something to collect water and refill the tank? I was thinking about putting a 5x5' piece of tin with a troth going to the tank off to the side to help with refilling the tank. I have all the material to do it so it would be cheaper than buying a big tank to haul water.

 

[PrairieShadow]

Has anyone ever built something to collect water and refill the tank? I was thinking about putting a 5x5' piece of tin with a troth going to the tank off to the side to help with refilling the tank. I have all the material to do it so it would be cheaper than buying a big tank to haul water.

put a tank and a float valve in it an you could have a mini elk waterer.

 

[H20fwler]

There are a few threads on this in the "Everything Ponds" section that are pretty informative.
I myself think they are a great water source for all kinds of wildlife, even when they look like pea soup. We put a big deep used koi pond in along the edge of a woods five or six years ago and it gets constant use.

In areas that freeze hard I would recommend lining the bottom of hole and backfilling the sides with sand to keep it from heaving at all in winter....and lean some kind of log into it so small stuff can get out if it falls in.

 

[williams111]

Has anyone ever built something to collect water and refill the tank? I was thinking about putting a 5x5' piece of tin with a troth going to the tank off to the side to help with refilling the tank. I have all the material to do it so it would be cheaper than buying a big tank to haul water.

Installing a couple tanks is on my TODO list. I have been thinking something similar to fill the tank. I wondered if a piece of tin right over the top of the tank would provide shade to potentially help with evaporation? Maybe even attach a couple scrape sticks to the supports holding up the tin, and/or a feed bunk on one side or the other to put some corn in for summer pictures?