water Hole

[the blur]

Anyone try a water hole?    Like burying a kiddie pool, or building a pond, with a pond liner ?

[Steuben Jerry]

A couple of years ago I dammed up a small spring with a tractor bucket. The deer loiter around it constantly. It looks big, but that's only about 20 x 60 and just a 2-3 feet deep.

[NFA-ADK]

One thing is for sure if you do it and it stays filled you will attract wild life, they are magnets especially in dry months. 

[the blur]

Wow, that picture is impressive !!!     I'm doing it for sure.    No where as extensive as yours, just a kiddy pool.    I'll need some gold fish to eat the mosquitos, because it's close to my house.     I know the deer will find it within a few nights.

 

[Steuben Jerry]

23 minutes ago, the blur said:

Wow, that picture is impressive !!!     I'm doing it for sure.    No where as extensive as yours, just a kiddy pool.    I'll need some gold fish to eat the mosquitos, because it's close to my house.     I know the deer will find it within a few nights.

 

That's only around 200 yds behind my house. My neighbor let me take a bunch of blugills from his pond, but the herons fished them all out in a couple of weeks.

[NFA-ADK]

If you don't want the fish to be eaten make a deep spot deeper than 3 ft.  My buddy moved 2 catfish this week to another holding pond and a raccoon we thing ate one.  It was low about 1.5 ft now he filled it to almost 3 ft and moved the survivor to another pond.  Anything less than 2 ft and most predators can get them. 

[growalot]

I have them all over one to a plot...sunken tubs not sunken koi pond,tubs,cattle troll and buckets....and one dug one natural "pond" area

[LET EM GROW]

This is one of my next projects. If i get my tractor going good again i have the lower end of my big plot that stays damp all year. Wouldn't mind putting something small there. I believe there is underground springs or something in the general spot too.. Or get the neighbor to dig it with his backhoe Like Steuben Jerrys that is a purdy setup...

[Steuben Jerry]

I've got a $6k estimate to make that a real pond next year, 10 ft deep. I'm kind of toying with the idea of buying an older dozer to mess around with it myself and take care of a few other projects like additional dug ponds and then selling it. Only thing is I've never even sat on a dozer before and am a bit leery of buying a money trap.

Renting a dozer could be an option too.

[growalot]

I learned on a dozer and a backhoe when I was 12 yrs old...nothing to it . That said operating one and  having an "eye " for grading and such are two differnt things..takes practice and with good operators a talent. You can pick up a good one for about the cost of the pond..but you'll want to know a few things about them..unlike getting a flat on a tractor,you cant just call the tractor guy to come out...loose a dozer trac and you need to know what to do.

[growalot]

Gringo...no more baiting than your question...lol

[Steuben Jerry]

I suppose someone could call it that, but I consider baiting dumping something "foreign" on the ground like a pile of corn or using a timed feeder. For me food plots and water holes are for the 365 day/year benefit of wildlife. Deer and all other wildlife.

 

[grampy]

31 minutes ago, Gringo said:

I'm curious? How is planting food plots and building ponds, all to attract deer (which I'm assuming to hunt) not considered "baiting"? 

Would you also consider, sitting in an oak or hickory tree baiting?  C'mon man.

[the blur]

Food plots are watering holes are legit.

I know people in Ohio (non-hunters)  who throw down bags of corn.   and then he posts pictures of deer head to head in a corn feeder.    & then he can't figure out why the deer are diseased.

I'm like deer are never head to head in the wild.   They hang out together, and mingle.   But they don't butt heads in a feeder.

 

 

[growalot]

To a point I need to disagree with that blurr...I don't post all the mulberry cam pics nor hazel nut and apple...but yes they do literally go muzzle to muzzle and not just same species...I have had pictures of deer with fox and raccoons nose to nose under the mulberry trees. I'll assume that once the chestnuts are in heavy production it will be the same or guys in really good persimmon groves see this.

[the blur]

That is great information.   I would have never imagined that.     Especially in wild animals.     Please post up some pictures.

[growalot]

I don't keep all my pics...I have 12 cams out...but I have posted some where they are rather close in the trail cam section under the "mulberry cam" here's an example, PS the deer pic is a late winter/early spring this year and it is a clover plot in front of the mulberry trees in the background..The date time doesn't hold in that cam.....I assume they are eating the new clover growth...this plot has filled in with a lot of grass as you can see from the lighter colored areas...

[growalot]

Oh I found another natural water hole while looking for those pics...

[NYBowhunter]

51 minutes ago, Gringo said:

No, but then I.m not planting food plots or creating watering holes with the intent of attracting deer so I could shot them

I'll speak for myself, i put more into my property with putting in plots, planting trees, timber mgt.,  water sources etc...that benefit all wildlife, not just deer. My intent is to feed animals year round, not to just go to a plot and shoot "them". I put way more into my land then i would ever take. Until you have been a part of land mgt., food plots etc...you have no idea of how labor intensive and costly it can get. Thats my choice. But dont sit there and type things that make you sound like you have no clue of what it entails. I get more out of enhancing my land for wildlife then actually killing an animal, and based upon your analysis of us food plotters that is something you dont seem to understand.

[growalot]

Perfect post..Thanks

[Steuben Jerry]

10 minutes ago, Gringo said:

Speaking for myself, I see the planting of food plots by hunters as nothing but baiting conducted on a massive scale. 

So call it baiting if that's what you prefer. It's legal, and beneficial for the wildlife for a host of reasons. Are you implying that it's unethical to hunt near a food plot or watering hole?

Do you hunt on farms or near any kind of ag fields? Because it's the exact same thing, only you didn't do any of the labor or have any direct cost.

Do you hunt the woods only? Acorns, beech nuts, etc, etc.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Steuben Jerry

[growalot]

5 years..average 2-3 deer per year in that time. Hunting all the seasons...just 3 doe One with the cross bow during muzzle loading season. Two with the compound...that is with having 13 plot areas..all the rest were taken in the wood lots. BTW....I didnt plant any of the oaks,beech,bramble,wild grasses,hickory,sumac,hophorn,poison ivy, ect,ect. That attracted  them to these woods. If you dont have the land, time ,money or desire,that may or maynot be too bad. If you feel that those who do are slighting you personally in the deer woods..perhaps you could use help in identifying woodland trees and forbs,just ask there are more then a few here,plotters and non willing to help...with out judging.

[dbHunterNY]

4 hours ago, grampy said:

Would you also consider, sitting in an oak or hickory tree baiting?  C'mon man.

call me a poor sport but i love hunting with a ladder stand tucked into the back side of a big pruned apple tree all by itself.

[Steuben Jerry]

Fair enough Gringo, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

See, that's the nice thing about hunting, there's lots of legal methods of taking a deer. You may not agree with every different method, but I think you're a bit judgmental to call someone unethical just because they utilize a different legal method than you prefer. I respect your opinion, but others may be somewhat insulted by doing things right, and being called unethical.

Myself, I'm not a fan of driving deer or taking button bucks. But that's just me. These are legal methods in NYS, so I don't consider it unethical.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Steuben Jerry

[dbHunterNY]

works great for me.