Water Holes for Deer
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Water Holes for Deer
In Ohio there is quite a bit of water in most woods. One woods I hunt in has very little water in a dry fall. I found a place in a logging trail that got wallowed out by machines pulling out logs. On a wet fall it gets very little attention from deer. On a dry year it is a crazy magnet for deer and especially bucks out cruising for does during the rut. In the spring I take a square point flat bottom shovel and clean the rotting leaves and crud out of it so it will continue to be a water hole. Sometimes I see deer stand in the water and pee in it then drink the water right after they pee in it. Anyone else ever find a spot like that and have any experiences or thoughts on improving a water hole.
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- Posts: 516
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:17 pm
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Re: Water Holes for Deer
You have to check out Jeff Sturgess. He has a YouTube channel helping people improve their land to produce great whitetail habitat. This is what he does for a living and he puts everything on YouTube free of charge. Here is just one video of many talking about water holes and vertical licking, rubbing sticks. He seems very knowledgeable and sincere.BryanOney wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2019 10:57 pmIn Ohio there is quite a bit of water in most woods. One woods I hunt in has very little water in a dry fall. I found a place in a logging trail that got wallowed out by machines pulling out logs. On a wet fall it gets very little attention from deer. On a dry year it is a crazy magnet for deer and especially bucks out cruising for does during the rut. In the spring I take a square point flat bottom shovel and clean the rotting leaves and crud out of it so it will continue to be a water hole. Sometimes I see deer stand in the water and pee in it then drink the water right after they pee in it. Anyone else ever find a spot like that and have any experiences or thoughts on improving a water hole.
Enjoy
Wayne
https://youtu.be/8oHwinuI4Cw
Re: Water Holes for Deer
Thanks Wayne. That guy has quite a few informative videos.
Re: Water Holes for Deer
Many years ago I found a water hole in the woods while archery hunting with a bunch of heavily used trails coming to it, OH BOY! I put a tree stand there for gun season and didn't see hide nor hair of a single deer. Guess they were too busy evading other hunters to come for water, seemed like there was shooting everywhere except where I was at!
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- Posts: 516
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:17 pm
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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- Posts: 516
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:17 pm
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Re: Water Holes for Deer
I’m thinking the water hole idea is best suited for private or less active areas.artifact wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:08 pmMany years ago I found a water hole in the woods while archery hunting with a bunch of heavily used trails coming to it, OH BOY! I put a tree stand there for gun season and didn't see hide nor hair of a single deer. Guess they were too busy evading other hunters to come for water, seemed like there was shooting everywhere except where I was at!
Wayne
Re: Water Holes for Deer
I recall a Midwest Whitetail video—2016 or 2017 season, I believe—where a guy in a hot state like Georgia or Alabama put a kiddies wading pool in the middle of some planted pine. Kept it filled with water, and hunted over it. As I recall he was quite successful with it.
You can pick those kiddie pools up for a pittance at the Dollar Stores this time of year.
You can pick those kiddie pools up for a pittance at the Dollar Stores this time of year.
Re: Water Holes for Deer
I have thought about using kid size pools but I don’t know if I will be in the gray area when comes to baiting laws here in Indiana. I would like to put two of them out. Just use rain to fill them.
Re: Water Holes for Deer
No lawyer here but if you fill them then baiting could be in the cards. Im not sure how you would be baiting if they fill through natural rainfall.
If the pools were made from mineral rocks the state may have a case ...
If the pools were made from mineral rocks the state may have a case ...
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Matrix 350 SE / Hawke XB30 Compact - Couldn't say no......
308 Shorty / Hawke XB30 Pro- Tack driver ....
Axe 340 Raid / Hawke XB30 Compact - ....
Re: Water Holes for Deer
Make a call to Indiana DNR and ask, make sure you get the name of the official you spoke with, just in case!
It’s not the way you rock, it’s the way that you roll!
Re: Water Holes for Deer
You mean like this deer I filmed?
https://youtu.be/RcPiTL3ElM0
I have like 30 seconds of this but it wont post that long so this is a short clip. The deer pees in the water a couple of times and splashes it on herself...
https://youtu.be/RcPiTL3ElM0
I have like 30 seconds of this but it wont post that long so this is a short clip. The deer pees in the water a couple of times and splashes it on herself...