So i have been hearing around town, "If you got water, ya got deer this year." Just curious what everyones opinion is to this statement. My family has the only water in the area, but we have always had low deer density. just trying to see if i should try again this year, or go for Texarkana.

if you have one you will have the other.

as long as you have water, you will have deer.

its a fact

True statement deer can not live without water it is the most overlooked part of any management plan. They can get moisture from plants IF the plants are lush and green. If they can get moisture from plants they can go several days without water. In this drought it won't happen. Also deer can not live on water alone, so you have to have something for them to browse or eat.

Water has made a huge difference on both places that I hunt.

It attracts all types of wildlife including the kind I like to eat!!!

i agree. i'm seeing more deer at my feeder,.. its about 100 yards from one of my ponds.....300 from another and about 500 from our last one!.. all still have water~.. but low... lost a 1/2 pond already.....

I agree. We put a water trough with a float out about 60-70 yards from our camphouse. Four of us were sitting in lawn chairs enjoying the breeze and in about 30 minutes 8 different deer had come by looked at us watered and gone on their way.

they are thirsty.

matt

This weekend I will be checking on a very isolated tank on public land in East Texas that, according to National Forest staff, has a spring feeding into it. If it still has good water in it, and we don't get a lot of rain between now and the season opener, that's where I'll be.

It's a proven fact, our water troughs are being hammered this year even though we are close to whats left of the river

I agree 100% that if you have water you will have more deer than someone that does not have water. We have 4 seperate 500 gallon tanks on our ranch that we have to fill every 4 weeks because the wildlife is drinking all of it. Simple set-up, 500 gallon tank with a garden hose that runs to a small water trouth with a float system in it. And it also helps that we are the only ranch around us that have been feeding year round with corn and protein as far as we know. Going up this weekend to fill everything and check cameras. Cant wait for deer season!!!

No Water = This

Water requirements vary with a deer's physiological state (e.g., growth, maintenance, lactation), available food sources, climatic conditions and by the amount of recent activity. Deer obtain water from three sources:

Preformed water - this is water contained in food
Metabolic water - produced internally as a product of hydrogen oxidation during metabolic processes
Liquid water - found in streams, ponds, lakes, puddles, snow, rain, and dew.
Deer will only drink water or eat snow to supplement the water they receive in their food. For example, deer eating a diet consisting of succulent vegetation may drink only half the amount of water that they will when eating a diet of dry hardwood browse. In some instances, such as during pregnancy or in drought conditions in the south, liquid water is a diet staple, with deer consuming between 2-3 times as much water as food.
Source: Whitetail Stewards Inc.