Water....

[growalot]

I like to have water close to the plots and natural food source on our place...only one area has lots and lots of water.....much of the property is water free so over the years I've set up water stations and the critters love em...I like to construction scrounge and put the word out for remodels...I had a UGLY sky blue enamel on steel tub dropped off...Mr B. flipped...that's NOT going in our woods...I told him to trust me...got it filled yesterday...it is in an area that gets spring water but that drys up in June...this should help the critters stay on us...near several apple trees and a mowed area that has clover growing where ever I mow

[burmjohn]

What did you put on there a camo tarp?

[growalot]

yes what I did was buy a plug for over flow...then a rubber stopper for the drain......I then bought a 7x11ft tarp and lined the tub...put large flat rocks in the bottom to hold the tarp down...it's only really needed to hide the ugly blue of the tub...but also the dark colors help reduce algae growth.......solar garden fountains(lilypads) during the summer help keep skeeters from breeding and water cleaner...tubs are free....I use to sink them ...but frogs moved in and raised tad poles...water gets foul and I have to clean more than once a year...so now everything is above ground

Edited September 28, 2011 by growalot

[landtracdeerhunter]

Thats a great idea. Helping the wildlife out during stressful times, not to mention going green and recycling.

[Paula]

great idea

[crs740]

frogs do not get in that one that is barely off the ground? Do these just stay filled from rain water?

[growalot]

No for some reason they don't ....I have to add water if there has been a dry spell but snow in winter and then the rains keep them pretty much full...again unless they have had a lot of traffic...turkeys really like these as well

[wdswtr]

I dont mean to be the cloud that cover the sun but you might want to take some of this into consideration. The use of the tarp to cover the water tank poses some hazards you might want to consider. I cut and pasted thefollowing so some dont think I am just shooting in the breeze tarps break down pretty fast especially if they are not UV coated.

The manufacturing plastics often creates large quantities of toxic chemical pollutants such as dioxin, hydrochloric acid, and vinyl chloride.

This poses a severe health risks to humans during the PVC life cycle. These toxins can produce sever illness like cancer, diabetes, neurological damage, reproductive and birth defects.

Dioxin is a persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), this are chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food chain, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.

In addition, the chloro-ethene monomer is also a carcinogen released during PVC manufacture. This un-reacted monomer can also be present in the final PVC and released during its life cycle.

Plasticizers added to make PVC flexible, may leach out (ex. group phthalates) which are also toxic.

Okay now about the water. Leaving water without being oxygenated serves some health risks as well such a malaria for example. Stagnent water is a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria which can and will lead to health concerns and not to mention a breeding ground for mesquites that transfer the bacteria and diseases contained in that water. I understand your good willed intentions but I would be a bit concerned about having stagnent water that I put there for wildlife to consume and a breading groung for mesquitoes. Just a thought you might want to take into consideration.

[/left]

[growalot]

.solar garden fountains(lilypads) during the summer help keep skeeters from breeding and water cleaner..

All good points though....also with the sunken ones...frogs ...which happen to be a good barometer for the health of a wood lot ....breed and raise hundreds of tadpoles....these I can't use solar water pumps in those...but the tad poles seem to feed on any larva

Edited September 30, 2011 by growalot

[growalot]

I pulled card to see if the new card was working ok...got first visitors around the water trough....

[33Canuck]

Good concept but I would worry about toxins and stagnent water as well. Deer don't have problems finding water in the northeast, they can sustain themselves for the most part from the moisture in the plants they eat. Good luck though

[landtracdeerhunter]

Still think it's a great idea. Don't see where a steel bath tub can hurt a thing. Use to sink a cast iron tube in the geese and duck pen when I had them. They had a ball in it. We have a pond on the farm so, we're lucky. It's spring fed and keeps fairly clean. This time of the year, it's full of tracks, including deer. Nice place to set a cam as you showed. We have had 3" of rain in the last week, and the big ditch is starting to fill with water. Looks like it could be boot city for bow if it keeps up. Could it be a repeat of last May ahead?

Edited September 30, 2011 by landtracdeerhunter