I am big on water as we constantly see everything using them.I have used everything from wading pools to koy ponds.I just got a 50 gal in from tractor supply.it's a rubber maid apx 5ftX36" and 18 inches deep.This is about perfect size for what I do.Free shipping and 89.00 to your door
waterholes
- Thread starter buckdeer1
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Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Do you bury it or just set it on top of the ground?
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Waterholes, in my opinion are the second highest attraction on a property behind food plots (non-bait). Great camera locations and hunting locations. I'd honestly prefer to have a property with no natural water on it to make the water holes more attractive of a draw, then I can hunt them in locations I choose instead of Natural water. Closing on a 40 acre property in another month that has a rainwater retention pond off the end of an ag field to stop erosion, I'll be fencing it in to keep the deer going to my dug out tanks.
I've got a few 75 gallon tanks, but mostly 100 and 150 gallon tanks. Going to stick with 150 or larger tanks from here on out after the last few year's droughts.
Water between bedding and food is an absolute magnet, it becomes a staging type area. You get the benefit of hunting the attraction of both food and water without the risk that comes with hunting the food.
I've got a few 75 gallon tanks, but mostly 100 and 150 gallon tanks. Going to stick with 150 or larger tanks from here on out after the last few year's droughts.
Water between bedding and food is an absolute magnet, it becomes a staging type area. You get the benefit of hunting the attraction of both food and water without the risk that comes with hunting the food.
b116757
5 year old buck +
Behind my home place I normally have a creek this past year has been so dry that the creek has been completely dry for months now. I had never given water much thought with the creeks and ponds we have on the farms but I will say deer activity has been noticeable lighter this fall behind the house than most years with the creek being dry.
Big Nasty
A good 3 year old buck
All kinds of critters use mine. Big bobcat was there tonight.
I posted this on another forum that is having the same conversation right now. I have tanks all over my farm even though I have two dams that hold water. Mine are all dug into drainage routes and fill up easily when we get an inch of rain. However last year and this year mother nature kept them dry for the most part. The ones I can drive to, I've been filling every 10 days or so this fall/winter.. They are 110 gallon TSC tanks and the critters have been drinking them down to where they are half empty or more in that time frame. The water has been like a pile of survey corn. The deer flock to it.
I knew they got used but I've never put cameras on the tanks until this year. I wanted to see how much use they get in drought situations and what all came to them. I have had deer basically wait their turn until they could get to the water, with the line 8 deep. Bucks tended does to the tanks(watched that from the stand). Deer of all ages use them day and night and have given me some good pics to study. Bobcats, squirrels, coons, possums, birds, and deer are regular consumers.
The deer are a bit apprehensive about dropping their front legs into the tanks when they get low but will do so, with most going to their knees to reach the water when it gets that far down so I'm going to use the front end loader on the ones that are topographically set up that will allow me to dig out a side so they can reach it without having to get on their knees or put front feet in them when they get that low.
I am going to add two 330 gallon tanks this spring, one of which I will be able to plumb hose to and keep filled year round. Adding water to where you hunt if possible is IMO is a no brainer, even if you think you got plenty of water.
One can find some quality water tanks on FB marketplace that are cheaper than the TSC. If one can find IBC totes with 3/8" thick walls or other tanks with that thick of wall, use a chainsaw or circular saw to cut them in half. I bought 2 330 gallon tanks via FB and used my chainsaw to cut them into 2 new tanks. I'm looking forward to adding them to my water tank program.
I knew they got used but I've never put cameras on the tanks until this year. I wanted to see how much use they get in drought situations and what all came to them. I have had deer basically wait their turn until they could get to the water, with the line 8 deep. Bucks tended does to the tanks(watched that from the stand). Deer of all ages use them day and night and have given me some good pics to study. Bobcats, squirrels, coons, possums, birds, and deer are regular consumers.
The deer are a bit apprehensive about dropping their front legs into the tanks when they get low but will do so, with most going to their knees to reach the water when it gets that far down so I'm going to use the front end loader on the ones that are topographically set up that will allow me to dig out a side so they can reach it without having to get on their knees or put front feet in them when they get that low.
I am going to add two 330 gallon tanks this spring, one of which I will be able to plumb hose to and keep filled year round. Adding water to where you hunt if possible is IMO is a no brainer, even if you think you got plenty of water.
One can find some quality water tanks on FB marketplace that are cheaper than the TSC. If one can find IBC totes with 3/8" thick walls or other tanks with that thick of wall, use a chainsaw or circular saw to cut them in half. I bought 2 330 gallon tanks via FB and used my chainsaw to cut them into 2 new tanks. I'm looking forward to adding them to my water tank program.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
I think in certain circumstances setting it on top of the ground would be sufficient, but if it's in a location you can hunt over, I would bury it. In my brain it seems more natural of a look to be buried, but most importantly if you set it deep enough with some sloping, a decent rain can top it off and keep you from having to invade hunting locations to refill.
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Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
My 100 acre place has three ponds and a stream that runs right through the middle of it. This includes a spring that will run a 6 inch pipe full during the worst of droughts. I've never considered water holes, but I'm now becoming intrigued and may put one in just to see what happens.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
I dug that 300 gallon, blue tank down about 8" because I thought maybe it would set too high for the youngest deer to be able to use it. The blue tank is a bit of an eyesore, but the deer dont mind the color one bit. The deer use it way more than I ever thought they might. I agree that if you can put it between a bedding area and a food source every deer will stop at it. I plan to put in a couple more this year. The 300 gallon tank I found on Facebook market place for $100 someone had bought it to use as a kids swimming pool.
