Deer will use water tanks during the summer months and into the rutting phase. Take a look at how it could benefit land management and hunting.

Water Tanks For Deer - 5 Reasons You Need Them

If your deer hunting property doesn’t have water, don’t worry. Instead of looking at the situation and getting frustrated, consider it an opportunity to turn good deer hunting land into great deer hunting land.

You don’t need a huge pond to meet the water needs of deer. In fact, smaller deer troughs spread out around your property is probably better. Let look at the advantages a water system like the Wild Water from Banks Outdoors offer a deer land manager and hunter.

1. Attraction and Holding Power

Mature bucks like to keep their home ranges as small as possible as they age. So they look for water, food and cover that is close. If any of those “big 3” essentials are taken away, they move. Having a consistent water source in addition to your food plots and bedding areas increases the chances a buck spends more time on your property.

2. Optimal Nutrition

Land managers spend a ton of money on food plots, deer feed and mineral supplements. Research has shown that deer will reduce food intake when there’s even a moderate restriction in water. And water is especially critical in the summer when bucks are consuming a lot of minerals and protein to grow antlers.

Nature is rich with food sources for deer. In the summer alone, there is a bounty of woody plants, forbs, crops and fruits. Water might be the most important thing you can provide.

3. Herd Monitoring

It pretty amazing how quickly a deer will find a newly installed water trough. And once they do, they visit often, sometimes daily. Wild Water systems make great trail camera stations where you take an inventory of the herd and monitor patterns.

4. Strategic Placement

Speaking of patterns, have you ever noticed how you often only see bucks at waterholes at dusk all summer long until the pre-rut? Here’s what going on: They get up from their beds in the afternoon and immediately head to a water source. They feed on lush vegetation during summer nights and then go back to their beds, not need water again since it will come from the food. That’s their summer pattern, but bucks drastically change their diet during the rut.

They still need water, though. If they are chasing does all night, they will visit the water tank for a drink before bedding down. A waterhole makes for a great morning rut hunting stand.

Putting water tanks near bedding areas, along rut traveled trails and in food sources where does congregate can funnel deer close to your stand locations. And that’s the advantage of the Wild Water System. You don’t have to bury it in the ground. You don’t have to dig a hole and line it with plastic hoping that it’s in the right place. If a deer’s pattern shifts, just move the tank.

5. Consistency

Droughts happen. Ground water may dry up. Food might not have the water content a deer needs. Anecdotal evidence supports that deer like drinking from a safe and consistent water source. The trail cameras we have out on our property prove that deer will hit a discreet water source in between their feeding and bedding areas like clockwork.

And with the Wild Water System, keeping the tanks full of water for the deer has never been easier.

Simply fill the concealed tank and let it flow into the water trough area. Once it’s filled to capacity the airtight system will shut itself off until water is needed again. This reduces evaporation and keeps the water cleaner.

If you’re ready to turn a lack of water on your property into a positive, and not a negative factor, contact a Banks Outdoors dealer to inquire about the Wild Water.

5 Comments

  1. Darrell merchant on July 28, 2019 at 9:14 pm

    Can you buy as little as a 100 gallon watering tank

    • Hayley Bodin on August 6, 2019 at 8:34 am

      Hi Darrell, yes, we sell a 100 gallon water tank.

  2. Vicki King on June 18, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    Hi how often does a 100 gallon trough need refilled? I am watering all the wild creatures outback, deer, coyote, javelina, you name it. Also, will this unit withstand our AZ 110 degree days in the summer?

    • Daniel Gonzalez on April 12, 2022 at 5:19 pm

      Vicki,

      I have the same question, did you receive a reply?

      • Banks Outdoors on April 13, 2022 at 9:44 am

        Hi Daniel,

        It all depends on the time of the year, climate and deer population. Unfortunately, we can’t give a concrete answer as everyone’s situation is different. If you live in a dry climate with minimal access to water, we suggest erring on the side of the 300 gallon tank.

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