Water for Wildlife Ideas

Never thought I'd be asking for this advice. I have 17 ponds on the ranch and this summer I spent a month with dozer and loader and cleaned out the 8 that I could. I have been one of the unlucky ones that have missed out on the recent rains. I have a way to water my cows at my house, but need some ideas for watering wildlife in case my remaining ponds go dry. I live on the ranch and have a 325 gallon tote, so I can fill when I need to.

Would like to see some setups for this and your ideas. Ranch is a little over 1000 acres so I believe I'll need 3 of these in different areas. Thanks for ideas, sure need a hurricane.

I have seen some pretty innovative setups using those 325 gallon totes with several pieces of sheet metal over the top with a gutter to the fill opening to collect any rain fall. PVC to a small container (foot tub) with a float (needs to be enclosed so the coons don't destroy it). Here is one concept that is built in Austin ... TDO water harvesting unit

We have water guzzler systems on our ranch. We built a 10' x 10' roof six foot off the ground with 4x4 posts holding it up framed with 2x4's and a tin roof. Its slanted back into a gutter system that flows water into a plastic 55 gallon barrel underneath the roof. The barrel is two feet off of the ground sitting on cinder blocks. A 10' garden hose is attached to the barrel and also attached to a 10 gallon black tub with a float which fills and cuts off the water flow. We penned these guzzlers with hog panels. They work wonderfully as we put cameras on them and have seen many animals come to the water in South Texas.

Guys next to us use this setup at each of their protein feeders. Pretty simple - elevated tote outside the pen for easy filling, gravity feed to trough with a simple float switch inside.

Is there a desired water station or pond per acre? Or a water within X yards of feed station? Stompy you mention you would like 3 stations over 1000 acres should you go dry.

Thinking about our property and, like you, we have abundant water with 19 ponds and a live water creek over 2100 acres. A couple have gone dry this year and the creek only has water in its deeper pools, but I would still say there is plenty of water throughout the ranch.

At what point are you dry enough that a water station truly becomes an attraction vs a convenience for the deer?

Our South Texas guzzler setup

do you have a well on the property? Our LO ran water pilas over the ranch - I think the government even helped pay for them -

made a huge difference on this property for deer quail etc.

No well

You have city water?

https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/8138696/water-guzzler#Post8138696

This is what I did. I have a couple totes as well that I use to haul water to the guzzler as needed.

Great ideas all around. My biggest question is always how y'all keep things flowing and prevent clogging with leaves, etc?

Guy I sold a ranch to in Val Verde Co runs that black hose all over his property to 3 watering stations, his pond, and a 75,000 gallon stock tank

I'd like to do this as well, but I would think the sun would break down the pipe and leak. Has anyone found a poly pipe that can withstand the sun's UV rays?

That’s $$$$$$$$$$$

Ive seen poly ones all over the west and they seem to hold up. Worst case rock them in

Some googled ideas

http://landmarkwildlife.com/wildlife-services/wildlife-water-station/?cn-reloaded=1

https://plateauwildlife.com/305-water-table/

http://wildlifewaterguzzler.com/

I bought a 100 gallon trough at tractor supply. Used two 55 gallon plastic barrels that I fill in camp and siphon into trough. Throw a couple of cinder blocks in trough so small critters have a way to escape if they fall in.

I have 4 ponds/tanks and a spring fed creek that has now quit running. One pond has dried up and another isn’t far behind. 133 acres. I’ve told the grandsons not to hunt near the water. I’m more interested in wildlife well being than I am venison or wall mounts.