In this month's Field and Stream it suggests improving water availability for deer. The interesting idea is how they do it. They say that deer are lazy and since they're eating dry food in the fall they will walk the least distance to a water source. A deer would rather drink stagnant water 100 yds away than walk 1/4 mile to a stream.

What they do is look for drainage gullies near the bedding and food sources. Then they bury barrels or large pots even with the ground level. The pots fill up with the fall rains and the deer use them as the closest water source.

Dan O.