Whitetails 365: DIY Water Hole for Deer

Whitetails 365: DIY Water Hole for Deer

By Aaron McKinney

Having clean water is of utmost importance for deer as it is essential for their survival and overall health. Having a place with food, cover, and water is vital for any successful hunting property. If you’re lacking in one of these, you will lose deer to the neighboring properties. Water scarcity can significantly limit deer activity on land tracts, as deer are more likely to spend their time searching for water rather than foraging for food or resting.

Disease and water
Moreover, having limited access to clean water can lead to dehydration, causing stress and weakening the immune system of deer, making them more susceptible to diseases and predation. With the rise in EHD and CWD in the state, we need to help give the deer every opportunity to stay healthy. This includes access to clean water. According to the Iowa DNR, ensuring the availability of clean water sources is crucial for promoting and maintaining healthy deer populations, supporting their natural behaviors, and optimizing hunting or opportunities.

EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) is a viral disease that affects deer It is spread through the bite of infected midges or gnats. According to the Iowa DNR, EHD is promoted by certain environmental conditions such as stagnant water, mud, and high temperatures, which are favorable for the vectors (biting midges) that spread the disease. Hot and dry conditions, especially during summer and early fall, create ideal breeding grounds for the midges, promoting the spread of EHD. No one knows for sure, but there have been predictions for a continued drought this year. With that said, you might want to consider creating water access for deer. This will help give them other options to drink out of, so they do not congregate so closely in muddy conditions and spread EHD from one infected deer to the other through the biting flies.

Getting Started
There are a few options for doing a water hole. Some guys just dig a hole with a tractor end loader or a skid loader in a low-lying area and allow it to naturally fill with water. In Iowa, we (generally) have pockets of heavy clay that can help hold the water. However, if you hit a sand pocket, you might not be able to hold water very well. I suggest you line it somehow. There are pond liner products that can be used as a barrier to hold the water, or you could buy a black stock tank and either bury, it semi-bury or leave it on top of the ground. I suggest lining the bottom of buried or semi-buried tanks with gravel or stone to give it a more natural ambiance.

Maintaining Water
When it comes to maintaining the water, you should consider a means to haul water to your tank. If it is by a spigot, that’s great. If it’s buried in a low-lying area, you can have the natural run-off fill the tank. You will also get debris and dirt in the tank too. I was watching a hunting show where a young guy dug a shallow water hole in the timber, it was probably no deeper than a couple of feet, but was probably 16 feet long. He had to haul in water to repeatedly fill the shallow hole. He did have some good footage of does and bucks drinking from the water trench. When the rut kicked in, he filled the hole and then proceeded to hunt his near-by stand. He arrowed a buck which came in to the water to drink. For this hunter, the success was definitely due to the water he created.

If you chose to bury a tank in a low-lying area in order to collect run-off, you have to be really vigilant to make sure there aren’t any minerals in the tank. I talked to the DNR about this, and adding minerals or positioning it down hill from a mineral site can cause the water to be classified as “bait”. You can add minerals and additives, but make sure you are not hunting over the water with the minerals, as this can fall into the baiting category. Make sure you are familiar with the laws and regulations where you’re hunting.

Improved Water Quality
Water is good to keep deer in area. If you can tend it all the time, that’s even better. I think you want to keep it as fresh as possible. To help keep it fresh, you can add an aerator. For instance, a solar-powered, battery, or electric aerator or fountain will help during the spring summer to keep the water moving. It introduces oxygen and minimizes the stagnate water and anerobic organisms. If you wanted to make yourself a small pond you could add some gravel to help filter it too. I see a lot of guys that will line it with flat stone. This gives the pond a more natural look, and also helps filter the water.

Winter Options
If you can find a way to run a heater, there is that option to prolong the available water. If you can keep the water source open all year, you will aid in the health of the deer population. Deer need water available all year round. In the winter, their source of available water dwindles, so you can add a much-needed resource to your property. If you want to try and hold your deer, having clean and available water during the winter will boost your wildlife value.