Your thoughts on man made water holes for hunting deer
09-02-2004 | 08:11 AM
#1
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Omaha Nebraska USA
Your thoughts on man made water holes for hunting deer
I just finished reading the latest Deer and Deer Hunting magazine last night and was wondering how many have stands that over look watering holes?
I have been thinking for the last couple of years of putting in a man made water hole on my property, since the Game Commission in Nebraska does not count that as baiting. I still wonder if it isn't technically the same thing as baiting, though. Hunting natural water holes, sure, that's just taking advantage of what nature has given you, but a man made water hole for the purpose of setting up a needed resource for a deer in order to shoot it doesn't seem far from the baiting line. What do you guys think?
I have been thinking for the last couple of years of putting in a man made water hole on my property, since the Game Commission in Nebraska does not count that as baiting. I still wonder if it isn't technically the same thing as baiting, though. Hunting natural water holes, sure, that's just taking advantage of what nature has given you, but a man made water hole for the purpose of setting up a needed resource for a deer in order to shoot it doesn't seem far from the baiting line. What do you guys think?
09-02-2004 | 08:26 AM
#2
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Maine
RE: Your thoughts on man made water holes for hunting deer
I think it falls under the same classification os food plots: HABITAT IMPROVEMENT. A water hole can be multi purpose and I do not believe this would be considered baiting. I can't find anything in the regulations about watering deer.
I also think it makes a diffrence where you are in the country. I watering hole woulnd't be much good in Maine but a drier climate like Texas may bring deer for miles if there is no other water available
I also think it makes a diffrence where you are in the country. I watering hole woulnd't be much good in Maine but a drier climate like Texas may bring deer for miles if there is no other water available
09-02-2004 | 08:35 AM
#3
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Sprague, NE
RE: Your thoughts on man made water holes for hunting deer
Here are the Wild life regs for our great state:
001.01B It shall be unlawful:
001.01B12 to take mountain sheep, elk, deer or pronghorn within 200 yards of a site which is included in the same ownership as the site of take and upon which feed, feed supplement, or bait has been placed within the last sixty (60) days except for those instances where said food, supplement or bait has been placed in the active operation of husbandry for domesticated livestock
other than domesticated cervidae and provided that the Commission may, by special permit, allow take otherwise prohibited by these regulations.
They kind of give them selves a catch-all by not really defining ''Bait" but I surely don't believe for a second that making a watering hole would fall under that. The actual regs might say something more http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/admin/re...egulations.asp
But I'll let you look over the 200 pages.
Water sources can be a great hunting tool, even better if there is not much water arround. Deer arround here seem to prefer clean pools of water over the muddy creeks or rivers. Unless you are planing to do something rather large scale, or keep water flowing in the pool it will get stagnet fairly quick and not work for what you are looking for. Another option would be a shallow depresion that would fill a couple of inches when it rains and drain off in a couple of days, Deer love to drink out of these, but depending on the weather it may be dry most of the season.
001.01B It shall be unlawful:
001.01B12 to take mountain sheep, elk, deer or pronghorn within 200 yards of a site which is included in the same ownership as the site of take and upon which feed, feed supplement, or bait has been placed within the last sixty (60) days except for those instances where said food, supplement or bait has been placed in the active operation of husbandry for domesticated livestock
other than domesticated cervidae and provided that the Commission may, by special permit, allow take otherwise prohibited by these regulations.
They kind of give them selves a catch-all by not really defining ''Bait" but I surely don't believe for a second that making a watering hole would fall under that. The actual regs might say something more http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/admin/re...egulations.asp
But I'll let you look over the 200 pages.
Water sources can be a great hunting tool, even better if there is not much water arround. Deer arround here seem to prefer clean pools of water over the muddy creeks or rivers. Unless you are planing to do something rather large scale, or keep water flowing in the pool it will get stagnet fairly quick and not work for what you are looking for. Another option would be a shallow depresion that would fill a couple of inches when it rains and drain off in a couple of days, Deer love to drink out of these, but depending on the weather it may be dry most of the season.
