Water Hole

Post topo’s and Aerial photos for free advice. Food plotting, land manipulation, water holes, ect.
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AC Rider
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Water Hole

Unread postby AC Rider » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:43 am

So should a water hole be put at the end of a small seculuded hunting plot or away from any food source? I was thinking I might kill two birds with one stone if I put one right at the plot.


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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby dan » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:57 am

If it were me... The water hole would go near the bedding area. You want the buck to only have to travel a very short distance to reach the water hole from his bed. I like to put them right at the edge of the bucks safe zone. Just barly out of range of his eyes, nose, and ears... Prefferably the buck would leave his bed and head into the wind to the water hole, actually setting it up on a slight cross wind is the ticket to giving the buck a false impression that he can smell whats ahead of him.
If you hunt at the food plot, then a water hole at that location probably would help. But for me, most of my hunting is not done at the edge of a food plot.
Also, don't over hunt water holes or it takes away the security and they start coming in after dark.
Water holes in the perfect location can produce a good buck every year if only hunted and viseted a few times a season.
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby Sam Ubl » Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:04 am

How do you go about making a water hole?
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AC Rider
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby AC Rider » Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:13 am

I'm going to use Bentonite Clay. Mix Bentonite with the soil in the correct quantity and you're good to go. I just have to figure out where to put it.
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:23 am

Anyone know where to get the Clay?
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby tim » Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:14 am

i dug a pond last year on my property with a bobcat. it took 4 hours i was in perfect clay the first foot. at deepest point it is chest/shoulder deep. and gradually gets shallower because it is on a decline in bluff country. where i put it is the transition line of woods to overgrown pasture. right above a point that bucks tend to bed on . i couldnt get it into the woods with the bobcat it too many trees to deal with. so basically my crop fields are on top then i have overgrown pasture then woods. also the pond is in a location that has trees block the sun from the pond-- it is on a south sloping hill. and it is located centrally on my property as i didnt want it too close to either nieghboring property. after the first rains last year it held water all season although we never had enough to fill it, that should come with time and im hoping after all this snow melts and the rains from this spring and settling it will be good to go this year. i might add i drove a buck from that point (accidentally)to my dad opening day of gun season and he benefited well with a 19inch 8pt.
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AC Rider
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby AC Rider » Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:31 am

Sounds like a good deal Tim 8-)
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Black Squirrel
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:03 pm

A well abandoment company might have Bentonite clay. It is used to fill in abandedn wells. May be even a well drilling company. You could try your local NRCS office as well they could point you in the right direction. Just make sure you use a thick enough layer.
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby lungbuster » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:20 pm

Actually most plumbers that drill wells or do mound style septic systems will have bentonite, they also call it plumbers clay.
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby hunt n nut » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:19 pm

Good luck on the water hole AC.

We are going to be putting in a couple water holes on the new land hopefully next week.

Sounds good tim, glad they're working out for you. I remember you had some cool pictures putting it in.
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:24 am

In your opinion, how deep do these have to be to hold water during dry periods? I have no way of getting equipment into certain areas and was curious if it was even possible to dig the holes.
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby dan » Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:59 am

MOBIGBUCKS wrote:In your opinion, how deep do these have to be to hold water during dry periods? I have no way of getting equipment into certain areas and was curious if it was even possible to dig the holes.

Its possible... But a ton of work with hand tools. Should be about 4 feet deep in order to hold water year round. Use the natural grade of the land to funnel the run off rain to your pond. Build a berm type barrier that stops water from getting past and funnels it to the pond. A "V" mound with the pond in the bottom of the "V"
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Re: Water Hole

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:56 am

dan wrote:
MOBIGBUCKS wrote:In your opinion, how deep do these have to be to hold water during dry periods? I have no way of getting equipment into certain areas and was curious if it was even possible to dig the holes.

Its possible... But a ton of work with hand tools. Should be about 4 feet deep in order to hold water year round. Use the natural grade of the land to funnel the run off rain to your pond. Build a berm type barrier that stops water from getting past and funnels it to the pond. A "V" mound with the pond in the bottom of the "V"


Thanks Dan. I have a couple spots that would be ideal for this setup. The land would funnel the water just like you say it should; It is gonna be some work though!! However, nothing ventured nothing gained :)


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