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New well for wildlife help? #8469571 12/08/21 01:42 PM
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So I'm having a new well punched on the south end of the ranch. It'll be solar. The only other water on the place is a couple of troughs by the house (off the house well, electric) and a couple off a pila and windmill in the center of the place. No cows or other livestock, so this'll be strictly for wildlife. I figured, in addition to drawing in wildlife on that end, it'll also add value when I'm gone to the happy hunting grounds and it's time to sell the place.

'Had the well witcher and the owner of the well drilling company out yesterday evening. (It was cool watching the witcher. I asked him if his dad taught him, but he said he just picked it up on his own. 'Claims he can't wear any kind of battery watch. The battery supposedly goes dead in a few days. confused2 But I digress.)

The driller is a nice ol' boy, but a little confusing and "mumbly" about the best way to set up a system. 'Says "you can do that" to just about every question. He said just pump into a dug pond, no float, no nothing. It would pump during the day. I'd assumed there'd be a storage tank. He said 1500gal. or 3000gal., whichever I want. I really don't want a "swamp" seeping everywhere, particularly 'cause the road is close by. Some say getting a tank to seal is pissing in the wind in this country, but the driller swears by a product (DD2000??) that's way better than bentonite. I was originally just gonna have a couple of troughs with floats, like the others on here, but I would like a low pond/tank that all wildlife can drink from. I think I can keep pigs from screwing with the floats in troughs. I don't want an expensive little tank to just become a hog wallow either.

Thoughts? Experiences?


...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8469650 12/08/21 02:34 PM
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I would have troughs or a trough and a tank myself. Of course, I come from the land of very little water and what we have is precious.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8469668 12/08/21 02:47 PM
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Our old lease in the hill country had a windmill in the pasture that pumped into a chain of cement troughs and eventually over flowed into a tank.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: redchevy] #8469699 12/08/21 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by redchevy
Our old lease in the hill country had a windmill in the pasture that pumped into a chain of cement troughs and eventually over flowed into a tank.


Same set up on the property we had in Goldthwaite years ago.

Couple of windmills. First reservoir was a large round cement affair about 12' across and maybe 2' deep. Had an overflow that dumped into another cement trough about 18" wide x 12" deep and probably 10' long. When that overflowed it drained into a small stock tank.

If using a tall, deep trough only, then be sure to place a board in it that is affixed to the side so small animals don't get in the trough and drown.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8469961 12/08/21 08:02 PM
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My uncle set his up into a storage tank. The tank fed a water trough with a float which was set to “leak” overflowing into shallow cement “pond” that then overflowed into a larger dirt pond. The storage tank overflowed directly into the cement pond. The setup worked great for livestock and wildlife….

The storage tank and trough guaranteed water for an extended period of time if the windmill had problems or was turned off.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8470041 12/08/21 10:05 PM
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IF you can find the clay (and those areas with alot of mesquite going toward the boot heel may have some) it may be an option to dig a tank if there is enough relief there. But by and large they won't hold. Cuppy's place across the road has several tanks and none hold (no water supplementation either). Most of the time you get a 1/2 acre tank that will only hold 1/8th acre worth of water and the pigs find it and wallow in it and make it a nasty mess. I have seen some tanks hold like jugs in the hill country and in that part of the world some surface water will certainly add value to the place. I would do a liner before i would do bentonite.


But if you're doing this strictly for wildlife, I would spare the cost and inevitable frustration of building a tank and set up a series of concrete troughs. I use these as they are low enough to let fawns and other small critters drink out of them.


http://drymalaconcreteproducts.com/watertroughs.html


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: txtrophy85] #8470048 12/08/21 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by txtrophy85
IF you can find the clay (and those areas with alot of mesquite going toward the boot heel may have some) it may be an option to dig a tank if there is enough relief there. But by and large they won't hold. Cuppy's place across the road has several tanks and none hold (no water supplementation either). Most of the time you get a 1/2 acre tank that will only hold 1/8th acre worth of water and the pigs find it and wallow in it and make it a nasty mess. I have seen some tanks hold like jugs in the hill country and in that part of the world some surface water will certainly add value to the place. I would do a liner before i would do bentonite.


But if you're doing this strictly for wildlife, I would spare the cost and inevitable frustration of building a tank and set up a series of concrete troughs. I use these as they are low enough to let fawns and other small critters drink out of them.


http://drymalaconcreteproducts.com/watertroughs.html




up Yes, I would rather spare the expense (and noise) of having a big blade come in for a tank. The concrete tanks look excellent and are right up the street from home! Weird though, I found a place in San Angelo that sells concrete troughs and their wording on the website is exactly the same. They must be buying from the Comfort folks and copied their wording.


...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8470229 12/09/21 01:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Creekrunner
Originally Posted by txtrophy85
IF you can find the clay (and those areas with alot of mesquite going toward the boot heel may have some) it may be an option to dig a tank if there is enough relief there. But by and large they won't hold. Cuppy's place across the road has several tanks and none hold (no water supplementation either). Most of the time you get a 1/2 acre tank that will only hold 1/8th acre worth of water and the pigs find it and wallow in it and make it a nasty mess. I have seen some tanks hold like jugs in the hill country and in that part of the world some surface water will certainly add value to the place. I would do a liner before i would do bentonite.


But if you're doing this strictly for wildlife, I would spare the cost and inevitable frustration of building a tank and set up a series of concrete troughs. I use these as they are low enough to let fawns and other small critters drink out of them.


http://drymalaconcreteproducts.com/watertroughs.html




up Yes, I would rather spare the expense (and noise) of having a big blade come in for a tank. The concrete tanks look excellent and are right up the street from home! Weird though, I found a place in San Angelo that sells concrete troughs and their wording on the website is exactly the same. They must be buying from the Comfort folks and copied their wording.



Steve sells his troughs to a lot of dealers out and about. I have probably 10-11 of his troughs. Over the years I have had many brands of concrete troughs. Through time you have to replace them. Steve's dad designed these troughs. They are the best you will find anywhere. The troughs are poured on a vibratory table that settles the cement resulting in a very smooth finish that will last. Water lines hook up from the bottom so they won't freeze. I have two of his wildlife troughs that very small critters can water at too. These are his model 32412. The concrete lid is very heavy and my bulls don't mess with it so the float stays where it needs to be. If you are close to Comfort, go see for yourself. Not cheap but you only buy once!!

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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8470245 12/09/21 02:14 AM
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Creekrunner if you like, send me a pm and I can send you some pics of my setup.

Frio


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8470257 12/09/21 02:23 AM
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Where is the ranch located?

Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8470268 12/09/21 02:31 AM
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Northern most Kimble County.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8475154 12/14/21 12:17 PM
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Put water in a storage tank and feed it into a small short concrete or Rubbermaid rubber trough, so fawns can drink and cover it with a cattle panel to keep the hogs out. I used to buy small concrete troughs out of a place in Fredericksburg.
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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8475289 12/14/21 02:27 PM
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Quote
If using a tall, deep trough only, then be sure to place a board in it that is affixed to the side so small animals don't get in the trough and drown.


This is actually pretty important. It may not happen very often, but can ruin the water for quite a while when it does.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: stxranchman] #8475782 12/14/21 10:43 PM
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Originally Posted by stxranchman
Put water in a storage tank and feed it into a small short concrete or Rubbermaid rubber trough, so fawns can drink and cover it with a cattle panel to keep the hogs out. I used to buy small concrete troughs out of a place in Fredericksburg.
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Never thought about it, but the wire is a great idea. Thanks, Stx!


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Double Naught Spy] #8476110 12/15/21 02:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy
Quote
If using a tall, deep trough only, then be sure to place a board in it that is affixed to the side so small animals don't get in the trough and drown.


This is actually pretty important. It may not happen very often, but can ruin the water for quite a while when it does.


On all of my deeper troughs, I use a 2' piece of 2x6 and let it free float. If it is attached and the water drops a lot a bird or critter may not be able to make it. Many times I have watched a bird get onto the board and shake till they are able to fly off. If it wasn't for the board they would have drowned. My "critter troughs" have bricks or rocks or a combo so they can work their way out to safety.


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Frio Town] #8476497 12/15/21 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Frio Town
Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy
Quote
If using a tall, deep trough only, then be sure to place a board in it that is affixed to the side so small animals don't get in the trough and drown.


This is actually pretty important. It may not happen very often, but can ruin the water for quite a while when it does.


On all of my deeper troughs, I use a 2' piece of 2x6 and let it free float. If it is attached and the water drops a lot a bird or critter may not be able to make it. Many times I have watched a bird get onto the board and shake till they are able to fly off. If it wasn't for the board they would have drowned. My "critter troughs" have bricks or rocks or a combo so they can work their way out to safety.


Frio

Grew up not far from Frio Town and still get through there on occasions. When I was a pup, we used to buy polled hereford bulls from the Saunders family who ranched there for many years. I am guessing that you are in that area.
Adios,
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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: gary roberson] #8477028 12/16/21 01:21 AM
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Originally Posted by gary roberson
Originally Posted by Frio Town
Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy
Quote
If using a tall, deep trough only, then be sure to place a board in it that is affixed to the side so small animals don't get in the trough and drown.


This is actually pretty important. It may not happen very often, but can ruin the water for quite a while when it does.


On all of my deeper troughs, I use a 2' piece of 2x6 and let it free float. If it is attached and the water drops a lot a bird or critter may not be able to make it. Many times I have watched a bird get onto the board and shake till they are able to fly off. If it wasn't for the board they would have drowned. My "critter troughs" have bricks or rocks or a combo so they can work their way out to safety.


Frio

Grew up not far from Frio Town and still get through there on occasions. When I was a pup, we used to buy polled hereford bulls from the Saunders family who ranched there for many years. I am guessing that you are in that area.
Adios,
Gary

Yes we are close by. I know where you grew up as well. I drove past your old home place going to Devine many times.

Frio


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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8477032 12/16/21 01:27 AM
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If you ever intend to run cattle or other livestock, a bigger but shallower water source is to be preferred. Concrete the entire base, and set the ring in the concrete. They can step over it, the float is protected, and other animals can get out if needed. This is one of the solar powered drinkers the Kansas Parks and Wildlife uses for all their areas.

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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Blank] #8477049 12/16/21 01:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Blank
If you ever intend to run cattle or other livestock, a bigger but shallower water source is to be preferred. Concrete the entire base, and set the ring in the concrete. They can step over it, the float is protected, and other animals can get out if needed. This is one of the solar powered drinkers the Kansas Parks and Wildlife uses for all their areas.

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Built with taxpayer dollars!! I run cattle and will stick with my concrete troughs. The brackish water down here would eat that ring up in about 1-2 years. Also, I don't want cattle inside of a water trough for several reasons.

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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8477576 12/16/21 04:36 PM
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I don't do cows, except in the oven, so I don't know why they do it this way. They had a lot of them scattered around tho.

On the WMA's that were strictly managed for wildlife, the troughs were about 3' by 10' concrete and the walls were about 3" thick. Usually had a higher one that overflowed into another lower one, then out onto the ground. I assume they only run in daylight hours, as I never saw any storage batteries.

Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Blank] #8477752 12/16/21 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Blank
I don't do cows, except in the oven, so I don't know why they do it this way. They had a lot of them scattered around tho.

On the WMA's that were strictly managed for wildlife, the troughs were about 3' by 10' concrete and the walls were about 3" thick. Usually had a higher one that overflowed into another lower one, then out onto the ground. I assume they only run in daylight hours, as I never saw any storage batteries.


Water running out onto the ground is a waste in my opinion. I remember as a kid in the 50's during the drought of record, the worst butt busting I ever got was when my dad caught me with a hose running water into a crack in the ground to "fill it up". We had already gone through 3 water wells and onto our 4th when that happened. It's something you will never forget.

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Re: New well for wildlife help? [Re: Creekrunner] #8477783 12/16/21 08:07 PM
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On one place we hunted there was a concrete tank about 6 foot in diameter about 2 foot deep. It was fed by a windmill. Off the tank there was an overflow pipe that ran water to a dry creek bed that he had dammed up. The owner usually only ran the windmill for a few days at a time to keep water in the concrete tank.


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