Deer and when they drink water

[The Rodney]

On the lease tucked away in a place where nobody hunts is a small pond. Each time I've been there it is ate up with tracks all around the soft mud on the edge. Hundreds of tracks. I have sat on the hill overlooking the small pond (about 3/4 acre in size) several times the last few years without seeing anything. Is there any common knowledge about when deer drink? Several good vantage points to hunt the area and there are two main ingress/egress points the deer use. Any advice on hunting the watering hole is appreciated.

 

[Gut_Pile]

Have you ever sat there during bow season?

 

[The Rodney]

No I haven't but there seem to be tracks all times of the year.

 

[Atlanta Dawg]

You can do a search on this topic and get a close variety of answers-the one I just looked at said 1.5 quarts of water per day in winter and 3 quarts in summer-----but----they get most of the moisture they need from their food sources-and they can drink from almost any source-that is why tracks exist around mud puddles, etc....Best to do a search and read for yourself ! Have a great day !

 

[Crakajak]

Put a trail cam up and you will be surprised to see when the deer actually drink from the pond.

 

[shane256]

They may be coming through at night. Another thing, make sure you're a ways away (100yds maybe) and aren't easily visible. Pay attention to the wind. If they've been hunted hard, something that looks out of the ordinary might make them wait until after it's dark... even if they see light reflecting off your scope/rifle. Probably, though, if I were to guess, they're just coming through either at night or early morning on their way to go bed down.

We had a similar setup a long time ago except we had a small barn close to where they came out. The problem was the wind usually blew from the barn towards them so if you sat in the barn, sometimes they wouldn't come out. Sitting on the other side required being further away to be in the bushes/woods but more often would see them come out.

 

[Rich M]

When are you typically the most thirsty? Hot days perhaps?

 

[The Rodney]

Good info. I just need to bite the bullet for the trail cam. Interesting they only need a few quarts a day. Will set up and monitor the wind and look for my best hide. Was thinking I might lay off the pond and hunt the ingress to it but it is much thicker there.

 

[PappyHoel]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a deer drink water and I've seen a lot of deer.

 

[Atlanta Dawg]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a deer drink water and I've seen a lot of deer.

That is because they get most of the moisture they require from their food sources.

 

[01Foreman400]

That is because they get most of the moisture they require from their food sources.

Yep.

 

[catch22]

water

I'm not sure I've ever seen a deer drink water and I've seen a lot of deer.

I hadn't either until last year. Heard him first. It was super quiet and right at last light. There was a mud puddle about 30yds to my right. I heard something that sounded like a dog lapping water. I eased my head over and a nice buck was getting a drink. Pretty cool.

 

[shootemall]

Deer drink when they are thirsty.

 

[shakey gizzard]

Put a saltlick near by and they will drink more water!

 

[godogs57]

Deer drink when they are thirsty.

Exactly. Seen em take a sip at all times of the day, here and there. Like others have said, most of their moisture comes via soft mast, succulents, etc. Don't see em guzzle water much...just a sip here and there. I don't really hunt water sources much for that very reason.

 

[shane256]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a deer drink water and I've seen a lot of deer.

I've seen a bunch... drinking from ponds, creeks, etc. I usually hunt down in either the swamps or near creeks, though.

A few years ago, I killed a doe drinking water. Sitting on the same stand a couple days later, a doe came through the woods (mouth open, tail out, moving kinda fast, not trotting, not running), figured she had been running from a buck... she went right by me about 8 yards, ran down to the slew and drank her fill, then ran right back the same path and back into the woods. Musta been worn out

 

[elfiii]

They may be coming through at night. Another thing, make sure you're a ways away (100yds maybe) and aren't easily visible.

This. ^ I would stay away from the pond and hunt the trails.

 

[model88_308]

I'd say it depends on the current weather, very hot or very dry will draw the deer more often. Several years back we were in the midst of a very severe drought and when I scouted my area I checked the one local pond I knew of and found lots of tracks.

Was taking a Buddy's son out on a youth hunt that weekend and we set up about 75-100 yards away. Within 30 mins or so of shooting light he had his very 1st buck a small spike that had come to water. Of course we were lucky as well.

Me, I'd tuck it away in my brain to use that spot when the wind was right, it was very hot or had been very dry.

 

[Bucky T]

The pond is creating two funnels on either side of it too.

Of course they may take a sip every now and then, but the pond sounds like it's slap in the middle of a travel corridor based on the amount of tracks you have described.

The deer won't necessarily hug the edge of the pond going around it either.

I would scout the areas 100yds or so out from the pond and find the best used trails and food sources near the pond.

 

[The Rodney]

Good advice I plan on spending some time this weekend circling the pond to find the trafficked areas. It is really dense on one side and the terrain is hilly. There are a few choke points to funnel deer and I am going to devise my plan. Great work with that boy Model 88 I hope he is still hunting.