Water holes ?

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dreaming bucks
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Water holes ?

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:05 am

Has anybody here made a water hole and hunt over it ?

The past couple years I have been playing with the idea, and actually made a couple very small ones. I think Black squirrel did the same as I did. I took a plastic 55 gal barrel and cut it length wise, and dug a hole in the ground to keep it in place... It has worked really good, but I wish it was bigger because I have to fill it up ever once in awhile, and I don't like leaving my scent out there everytime I fill it....

Next spring I want to get a skidsteer or something and actually make a big hole , maybe 20' x 20' and 4 feet deep, then hopefully a couple good thunderstorms will fill quite a bit of it....

Anybody have any pictures of their water holes ?

I actually shot my biggest bow buck over my small water hole 2 years ago, he came in about a half hour before dark, and stood there broadside to me about 18 yards away. I couldn't believe all the deer that would hit that water hole while I was in the stand.... of course you get lots of squirrels hitting it too...


tim
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby tim » Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:02 am

my buddy dug me a water hole a few years back with a bobcat. its nice , it holds water always, not full but always plenty since it seen its first rainfall. deer standing in it have water up to there upper legs at times. it was the one thing my land was missing, ive hunted over it a couple times and passed small stuff, ive never sat over it much i just want it there for the deer. its right above a point on a ridge bucks like to bed off of. just outside the woods line in a corner with trees/brush and apple tree right above it so its pretty secluded. maybe ill have to give it a try this year 8-)
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BigHunt
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHunt » Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:21 am

yes i have and shot a few deer ...actually if the wind is right on saturday after noon ill be hunting this water that i purposely made just a 100 yards or so fron a know buck bedding area


Image



obivously the blue dot is the water hole and the red and orange dot is the bedds i found this past spring ....dan mentioned that the deer is probly bedding all over this point just on differnt winds
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dreaming bucks
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Sat Sep 17, 2011 12:09 am

Bighunt....

How big is your water hole ? and do you fill it at all, or just let the rain keep it filled ?
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Black Squirrel
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Sat Sep 17, 2011 2:31 am

This year I collected a bunch of old garden hoses, and ran it from the road to the hole. It's down hill from the road and probably about 100 yards from the road. So now all I have to do is fill a barell from the road and let the water trickle down to the "hole". I have a couple others that I can't do this with. So those I have to rely on rain, which sucks, because even if it rains, they drink it so fast, it's dry with in a day or two of being filled. :x I would have someone dig it if possible.
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Sat Sep 17, 2011 2:48 am

We have 4 ponds on our land and they become magnets especially in hot weather. I love hunting over them during the rut hopefully catching a cruising buck stopping for some much needed water. My dad had 4 bucks chasing a doe right past the water hole a few years back unfotunatly he couldnt get a shot at the huge 8 pointer they all kept going. We have taken alot of does over water though. The ponds are about 20-40 feet across both ways. I ALSO RECCOMMEND PUTTING THE WATER SOURCE UP HIGH! NOT DOWN LOW.
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Sat Sep 17, 2011 4:18 am

What is the main reason you don't want them down low ? Is it because the deer are usually bedded towards the top, & would have farther to go to get a drink ?

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kenn1320
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby kenn1320 » Sat Sep 17, 2011 6:00 am

I put one in by my food plot, thinking deer would use it and keep them on the plot longer. I get some tracks, but its not a dedicated water source for them. Its not in the best location, as the deer have actual ponds in good cover within 300yds of this. I like the barrel idea, would provide a bigger water hole. I bought what appears to be a big tub from Menards garden center. I put rocks in it to hold it down, and sloped the ground around it for rain run off. I can carry 4 gallons(2 buckets) and fill it in 1 trip. Its only 150yds from my house, so its easy.

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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:14 am

dreaming bucks wrote:What is the main reason you don't want them down low ? Is it because the deer are usually bedded towards the top, & would have farther to go to get a drink ?

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1. Bucks bed up high
2. You can cheat the wind easier up high....
3. Some may be thinking scent potions work well Ive tried several kinds by that low pond we have and they dont work. Get busted every time due to swirling. CHEAT THE WIND INSTEAD UP HIGH.
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:17 am

BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
dreaming bucks wrote:What is the main reason you don't want them down low ? Is it because the deer are usually bedded towards the top, & would have farther to go to get a drink ?

[ Post made via Android ] Image


1. Bucks bed up high
2. You can cheat the wind easier up high....
3. Some may be thinking scent potions work well Ive tried several kinds by that low pond we have and they dont work. Get busted every time due to swirling. CHEAT THE WIND INSTEAD UP HIGH.



That makes sense..... I think Dan mentions this in his hill country dvd as well....
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:21 am

BigHunt wrote:yes i have and shot a few deer ...actually if the wind is right on saturday after noon ill be hunting this water that i purposely made just a 100 yards or so fron a know buck bedding area


Image



obivously the blue dot is the water hole and the red and orange dot is the bedds i found this past spring ....dan mentioned that the deer is probly bedding all over this point just on differnt winds


Hey BIGHUNT kind of off topic but looking at your topo I see potential for an awesome funnel during the rut. Its the deep ravine covered in woods with open around it in the bottom left portion of that topo map. The ravine shoots south. Although Im not sure what it looks like further south you would have to help me out but if it turns into another ravine that would be a deadly spot I would think, JUST trying to help you out man.. :)
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:58 am

dreaming bucks wrote:What is the main reason you don't want them down low ? Is it because the deer are usually bedded towards the top, & would have farther to go to get a drink ?

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weel one of the main reason is its rare to find water up high in hill country
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BigHunt
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:00 am

dreaming bucks wrote:Bighunt....

How big is your water hole ? and do you fill it at all, or just let the rain keep it filled ?

its about four by five feet in diamiter...rain keeps it full all year round Image
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BigHunt
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:02 am

BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
BigHunt wrote:yes i have and shot a few deer ...actually if the wind is right on saturday after noon ill be hunting this water that i purposely made just a 100 yards or so fron a know buck bedding area


Image



obivously the blue dot is the water hole and the red and orange dot is the bedds i found this past spring ....dan mentioned that the deer is probly bedding all over this point just on differnt winds


Hey BIGHUNT kind of off topic but looking at your topo I see potential for an awesome funnel during the rut. Its the deep ravine covered in woods with open around it in the bottom left portion of that topo map. The ravine shoots south. Although Im not sure what it looks like further south you would have to help me out but if it turns into another ravine that would be a deadly spot I would think, JUST trying to help you out man.. :)



8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) o ya man i all ready know this and yes its one of my favorit spot to sit the rut ...........look for stanlys thread about .....good example of a bottle neck.... there i talk about it and it also a good early season spot too
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jonsimoneau
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Re: Water holes ?

Unread postby jonsimoneau » Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:53 pm

I made some once in an area that had little to no water most of the season...and yes it was effective. I never actually shot a buck over it but I passed up a bunch. I did it right after hunting in Africa, which is mostly over waterholes. The way I did it was I took some rubbermaid tubs and burried them in the ground. I then carried alot of water out to fill them half way up...which was alot of work...but then I let rain do the rest. The deer flocked to them. I gotta say...if you are going to do this...make sure you put a limb on the ground that goes across the water hole. The reason is that I have heard turkeys will get caught in them and drown if they do not have something to get ahold of to get out.
After you have created a waterhole...pick the tree you want to hunt in due to prevailing winds. Then build a brush barrier around most of the waterhole, in order to encourage the deer to water downwind and standing broadside of you. This is another tactict that is routinely used in Africa, and it works great. Same concept as making funnels even better.


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