Does anyone have water buckets?
 

We have been thinking about putting out water buckets. Do they work? What would happen if a deer get's used to a bucket and it dries up?

Anybody have ideas on makeing a water barrels etc..?

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

i think the water would spoil too quickly. probably get mosquitoes and unless theres a drought i doubt if its worth it. now i do see the occasional mr turtle pool out at the curbside once in a while and it has crossed my mind:D

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

Ive watched deer drink swamp water so yes I do think it would work. Is it enough to keep them comming back day in and day ot probably not. Needless to say it wouldnt hurt.Look for a old tub that someones throwing away.Dig a big hole and put the tub in it. Wala you have a water hole. That sounds pretty good I might have to try it.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

Cut a 55 gal drum in half. Make sure you know what was in the barrel before you go cutting on it or use it for your deer heard. Of course if you get any 2 headed bucks.......................:D:D

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

Does it work will it help keep animals in the area instead of traveling for water?

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

i know a guide in kansas who has 15 gal tanks in ground and it attracks deer, where there is no water

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

I don't know if it is worth it for me to attempt. My property is bordered by the Frio River. The deer would have to and normally do travel less the 1/4 mile for water and plenty of it.

The whole idea for me would be to keep them on our hill instead of in the bottoms of the river/canyon.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

no it probably wont help, this would help if the deer had to travel great distances for water

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

Given a choice of walking 1/4 mile of open ground for clean water or 100 yards of cover for swamp water the deer will choose the swamp water , especially if they don't have to expose themselves . They are lazy skittish creatures , and will choose the closest source .

Where I live there are myriad small seeps and springs in the woods , so buckets would be a waste of effort for me .

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

In a dry year they will come up and drink from my horse tank. Therefore I quess in dry years easy water mught attrack them.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

Along these same lines - I hunted a spring area on our property last year and saw some quality deer but the problem was trying to find a consistent pattern where they came into the water. The actual water that is produced by this spring covers quite a bit of area but only holds water in pocket sizes of a few inches by a few inches - just a real muddy area. Would it do any good to try to dig out a bigger hole and let it fill up? I'm wondering if I could narrow down the area they want to drink from by making one area much better than the others? I also have no idea how much work this would be - maybe I'm dreaming to think that it wouldn't be a really large task.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

Sounds like a plan.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

You don't give a clue as to where you live and hunt so it is practically impossible for anybody to give you a good answer. Wildlife Biologists I have spoken to, and articles I have read, indicate that Whitetails require very little water because they get most of the moisture they need from their food. This is not to say they do not use water from other sources because they obviously do. If you live in an area where it is usually quite dry, as several folks have indicated they do, then it may well work. If not, it would most likely be a waste of time and effort.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

I hunt in west texas hill country.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

I put in a water well and windmill a couple of years ago thinking it would be a great attraction. It mainly brings them in during the summer when it is hot and dry, but during hunting season it doesn't seem to make much difference. Deer can go a long time without drinking.

If you have a river nearby, I would tend to think you would be wasting your time.

RE: Does anyone have water buckets?
 

I read something about this in a field and stream magazine and they made it sound like it would work. I wass even thinkin about doin it down where i hunt just aint got around to it yet but seein as though the main 2 places i hunt one has a creek that runs through the whole place and the other is just one big swamp. I dont know if it would work well.