When Do You Think Deer Drink Water?
11-08-2009, 09:35 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,304
When Do You Think Deer Drink Water?
We're having unseasonably warm weather here in N. Minnesota. I also hunt early season with a bow at times and always wondered when deer "usually" drink water.
I do know about any deer will visit a water source when it's warm at any time of the day provided there is nearby cover. However, lets just talk about a general time they prefer... heat or not.
What experiences have you gathered to give you an idea when deer usually hit the water source?
Do they drink before they bed in the morning?
Do they head for water first thing after getting up from their bed in the later part of the day? I'm assuming yes if it's hotter than normal.
What are your thoughts?
iSnipe
I do know about any deer will visit a water source when it's warm at any time of the day provided there is nearby cover. However, lets just talk about a general time they prefer... heat or not.
What experiences have you gathered to give you an idea when deer usually hit the water source?
Do they drink before they bed in the morning?
Do they head for water first thing after getting up from their bed in the later part of the day? I'm assuming yes if it's hotter than normal.
What are your thoughts?
iSnipe
11-09-2009, 10:36 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,304
Answers aren't readily coming in. I posted something similar at another forum a few years ago with very few or solid replies. I found it to be a weak spot of knowledge for many hunters. It's easy to say "Hunt over a water source during warmer weather", but then deer need to drink a lot of water every day regardless of the weather, so the knowledge of "when" they drink or prefer is the $10,000 question. LOL!
Back in the day my dad and I would hunt along a secluded lake's edge, waiting for the deer to come out and drink. This was normally about 45 minutes and sooner before dark.
I'm thinking beyond the warm weather and when the deer have their winter coats on. I'm trying to learn about the natural process of when they drink water because I'm thinking it has something to do with their eating. If I knew more, I could plan an attack based on that knowledge.
Thanks guys.
iSnipe
Back in the day my dad and I would hunt along a secluded lake's edge, waiting for the deer to come out and drink. This was normally about 45 minutes and sooner before dark.
I'm thinking beyond the warm weather and when the deer have their winter coats on. I'm trying to learn about the natural process of when they drink water because I'm thinking it has something to do with their eating. If I knew more, I could plan an attack based on that knowledge.
Thanks guys.
iSnipe
11-09-2009, 11:00 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Upstate, NY
Posts: 150
I think much of the water they ingest comes from the food they eat. Almost everything they eat, or prefer to eat, is a live plant. Most plants need to be very hydrated to survive.
On hot days, deer need more water than these plants can provide because they use more than normal. Perhaps part of the reason we see so much sign near water sources is because of the thick, lush vegetation that surrounds these water sources. I know the ponds and creeks that are on the land I hunt are choked with apple trees and honeysuckle. Both of these plants/fruits contain a large amount of water.
These are just my thoughts based on the fact that I have never actually seen a deer drink either. I know that if I ate apples and berries all day long, I wouldn't really need to drink very much water either.
On hot days, deer need more water than these plants can provide because they use more than normal. Perhaps part of the reason we see so much sign near water sources is because of the thick, lush vegetation that surrounds these water sources. I know the ponds and creeks that are on the land I hunt are choked with apple trees and honeysuckle. Both of these plants/fruits contain a large amount of water.
These are just my thoughts based on the fact that I have never actually seen a deer drink either. I know that if I ate apples and berries all day long, I wouldn't really need to drink very much water either.
11-09-2009, 11:24 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NE & Western Wisconsin
Posts: 540
I think much of the water they ingest comes from the food they eat. Almost everything they eat, or prefer to eat, is a live plant. Most plants need to be very hydrated to survive.
On hot days, deer need more water than these plants can provide because they use more than normal. Perhaps part of the reason we see so much sign near water sources is because of the thick, lush vegetation that surrounds these water sources. I know the ponds and creeks that are on the land I hunt are choked with apple trees and honeysuckle. Both of these plants/fruits contain a large amount of water.
These are just my thoughts based on the fact that I have never actually seen a deer drink either. I know that if I ate apples and berries all day long, I wouldn't really need to drink very much water either.
On hot days, deer need more water than these plants can provide because they use more than normal. Perhaps part of the reason we see so much sign near water sources is because of the thick, lush vegetation that surrounds these water sources. I know the ponds and creeks that are on the land I hunt are choked with apple trees and honeysuckle. Both of these plants/fruits contain a large amount of water.
These are just my thoughts based on the fact that I have never actually seen a deer drink either. I know that if I ate apples and berries all day long, I wouldn't really need to drink very much water either.
11-09-2009, 02:49 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
I have seen them doing what appeared to be licking the dew off plants in the morning. I would think as others have stated they get a lot of moisture from the vegetation they eat.
I wonder if they lick snow. I read somewhere (Rue?) that they don't because it burns up too many calories warming it up in their bodies in the cold winter months.
I wonder if they lick snow. I read somewhere (Rue?) that they don't because it burns up too many calories warming it up in their bodies in the cold winter months.