Hunting watering holes.
 

Whats up everybody!

I hunt in an area that has had less than 2inches of rain all summer, I have a spot picked out that has five heavy trails leading to a hughe mud puddle in the middle of it. three of the trails are actually dirt roads. The tracks are so heavy you cant even tell what size the deer are and they have literaly cleared out the ground all the way around it. Do you guys think this would be a good morning spot? All the trails lead to bedding areas. Im thinking the deer would grab a drink on the way back from the farmers field which is about 100 yards from this spot. My stand is in a white oak that is about 4 feet across at the bottom. Sound like a good set up?

On another note, I hope evryone here has a good SAFE hunting season and if you have kids make sure you take them when possible. I am a self made hunter so my whole family thinks I;m wierd!:D

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

You'll see alot of deer there. Don't hunt right by the water hole. If the deer start equating danger to it they will quit using it. Play the wind and go get moby!!!

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

No leave that stand site now! it`s no good! you will never see anything in a place like that!!:DJust kidding.. With that many tracks? It is a morning, evening, middle of the day stand. Where I hunt thats called a honeyhole.

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

Yep I agree, sounds like it's the place to be. I would also get off the water hole and hunt a couple of the main trails close to the water hole. But then again, if you kill the monster on the first try, you won't need to move.

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

Right now my stand is 30 yards from the water. Ive got great cover and from what Ive seen the wind is always blowing in my favor. Im sure that will change though.;)

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

Of course

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

Iron Archer, you had better be careful posting here about hunting near a water hole. You're likely to be told it 'too easy', non sporting, unethical, cheating and any other number of negative things.;)

Afterall, you are only hunting there because you know a thirsty buck may come by eventually.:eek:

What you need to do, to meet the approval ofmany on this board, is to crawl to the water hole bare naked with a knife clinched between your teeth (if you can find thorn bushes to crawl through along the way, that would be all the better), then submerge yourself in the puddle and hold your breath until that buck takes a drink. Then you can grab him by theantlers (and they had better be 140" or better)andstab him repeatedly as he drags your arse across two counties.:D

Seriously, though, I wish I had such a set-up. Good Luck and I hopeI see a picture of you and a nice deer beside that waterhole soon.

PS. I won't even mention that I had actually once thought about creating a water hole on my property so that the deer wouldn't have to leave it to get a drink.(I had better check my flame retardant suit...);)

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

I have sort of the same situation. I am hunting the side of a mountain and I happened to find where a spring comes out of the ground. There is one major animal trail cut into the side of the hill coming to the watering hole. Only problem is there is a road only about fifty yards up hill and another road is only about 20 yards down hill. The area is remote and there are not too many vehicles so I don't think that will be a problem. There is a third road furthur down hill and I hunted where the creek crosses that road Saturday but I didn't see anything. I went to the lower road just to get away from the upper road. That road is the main road in/out and the second road branches off of the main road and the third road branches off of the second. I saw a lot of fresh deer and elk tracks so I am seriously thinking about going to the top honeyhole this weekend.

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

We have been very dry this summer as well but at our hunting ground we have a river that runs through it. In past summers, the river hasn't played much of a factor in deer movement, but after some scouting last weeked, it is evident that due to the dry conditions, the deer are really using the river as a travel corridor and obviously for much needed water. I hung a stand off a trail that parallels the river in hopes of a brute passing by on it. The river noise is also a great cover. The water holes though are truly spots that can be productive all day, especially in the warmer days of early season.

RE: Hunting watering holes.
 

I just went back through some back issues of Deer and Deer Hunting magazine and found an articles that talks about hunting water holes. According to the article, the rut is also an excellent time to hunt water holes as the bucks work up a powerful thirst while chasing does. They will literally go to near dropping without stopping for a drink, so they will hunt out that waterhole soon enough.