Whitetail Trivia......
 

Will a deer travel half a mile to drink from a running creek or will it travel 200yds to drink from a small secluded pond?

Keeping in mind there is safe travel to both areas. The running creek water is cooler and cleaner.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

The closer pond. The less they have to move, the less chance of being detected by predators.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Come on guys, I'm looking for suggestions..... I don't know the answer either.... But my secluded pond is missing the sign I would expect to see......... I'm leaning towards the creek or there is hidden spring that I am unaware of..... More scounting is needed......

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Is the pond in the open like in a field or clearing and is the stream in a wooded area? If that is the case then the deer probably drinks as it moves through the woods from feeding area to bedding area. I bet he sleeps close to the brook in a thick area.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Ever notice "where" a deer drinks water before? I like to hunt over creek crossings, but they usually don't drink there! I wonder if they are like sheep? Sheep will not drink from moving water, never, ever! I have seen deer drink from the creek, but it was at a spot where some beaver dams made a still area. I have to go with the pond on this question. Let us know what you find out!!! Thanks.
Trae

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

To be honest I really never gave it much thought. But my best guess is that the deer don`t give it much thought as long as there is water somewhere near by where they are when there thursty. I have and I know everyone else has to? Found crossing on creek banks and also found tons of deer tracks around lakes and ponds.Personally I think they will not walk one foot further than they have to.(imo).

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

i would bet that the deer are using the pond. but there is a good chance that there is another spring or pond that you don't know about. i've had that happen before. just get out there and look around in places you've never been before.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

WELL ,I have been thinking , Remarkable. I have lived on a farm or in the country all my life. Spend a thousands ofhours a year Scouting and hunting THE PAST 57 YEARS. YOU KNOWWHAT I never seen a deer ever drink water. I seen tracks around the farm pond and of course popular creek crossing.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

I would tend to believe that deer drink at spots along their normal travel patterns...not that they go out of their way to find a place to drink water. I would look for places along the creek that deer trails cross it and then plan from there.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

What ever they are closest to at time of need. I have seen them drink out smallpuddles when a better water source is not far away.
www.pbase.com/mlo3135127

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

now i don't have much experience with only like 6 years of hunting under my belt but i believe i've seen deer drink out of a slow moving crick that i hunt over...i also like to hunt over crossings but i have seen deer come down to the crick while still hunting the area. its kinda weird that all of us hunt these animals but never really pay attention to small things like if they stop and drink out of the river or the pond!

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

go to terra server and pull up a overhead pic of the land and see if there is water somwhere you dont know about

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

I've seen deer drink out of ponds that were green with duck weed.I've also seen them drink out of a channal that winds it's way to the river about 500 yards away.Where the buck was drinking, the water was moving so slowly you could not see the water move.Hope this helps you.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

They drink from a zillion places, even the smallest puddle in the woods. If your pond is the only water around and there's deer in the area, they'll be using it...you're just missing the sign. Either way, I wouldn't count on hunting a "Water Source". A quick shower can ruin your hunting plans. Like I say, all they need is a little puddle somewhere. Hunting a water source would only be regular to me in extreme drought...which can end with an overnight shower.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Interesting thought. I have a secluded pond and a stream on my property. In spring they were hitting thepond big time. Since the weather got hot the sign around the pond has all but vanished. The pond is about two hundred yards from the stream and my guess can only be that they prefer cooler water. I am thinking that either spot will be good on early mornings of the rut after the bucks have been lathered up chasing does all night..........dabow

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

I have personally seen a deer drink from a drainage ditch running through a field back to a creek but was inside the woods under cover. It was a small buck andI kept him interested with my grunt call for about 20 minutes or so. It was during the rut and between corn fields and bedding areas in the evening. I think deer are kind of a lazy animal and opportunist and won't go out of their way.I watch them cross fences that are low in spots, cross flat fields instead of plowed fields unless they are being shot at or pushed hard. They justexpend the least amount of energy they have to in my opinion. [/align]

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Deer get most of their moisture from their diet. Unless there's a hot dry spell I don't believe a deer needs very much , if any. They consume their morning grasses with plenty of dew attached.

Some times in the higher elevations you can hear the unmistakenable " Yahoo Mountain Dew."

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

I have seen a deer drink from a creek before. Last october i was in a stand that overlooked a major trail that crossed a small creek that was in the middle of some thick cover. A small yearling doe came down the trail and then walked down the creek. The creek was on average, probably 8-10 inches deep and had enough current that you could see it moving. The doe, not only drank out of the creek, but she began playing in it, jumping up and down as well as running up and down the creek. She seemed to really be enjoying her time there.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

I would guess the pond. Deer are lazy if not pressured. Just a guess though....

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Well, I moved my game camera over to the pond this weekend and I will check it next weekend to see what type of activity we have. You have to remember that I am in MS and temps are in high 90's all of August and most of September. Average for October starts in the high 80's, so water is key the first few weeks of the season for our deer.

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

niether, if your having a lot of rain like we are they get enough water from the plants, heavy dew at night ect ect. that's why there isn't any sign at the pond and there won't be any at the river either..

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

Bees,

We haven't had rain ina month and it's been too hot to leave any dew..... I've got a few theories to test out, I'll let you know how it goes....

RE: Whitetail Trivia......
 

It's a toss up. One spot I hunt is prone to haveing small seasonal pond throughout the woods caused by seasonal rains. I often witness the deer drinking from these basically small puddles. IMO distance traveled along with where the food sorce is will dictate where the animals drink.