Question About Providing Water
“We bought a ranch last year that is located in Edwards County, Texas, that will be used for recreation and deer hunting. Our deer management goals are to improve the deer herd and help them by adding supplemental water and food. I am wanting to add water troughs to my feeder pens but have never attempted this before. Not sure what would be the best way to provide water for deer. What type of supplemental water trough, how much, how big, etc., should I use for each pen. The ranch is about 1,600 acres and has 8 feeder pens. Thanks for your time.”
Deer Management on Supplemental Water
Most landowners interested in deer management focus on supplemental feeding. And based on what additional, high protein foods can do for a deer herd, feeding can be very important for maintaining whitetail through tough conditions, such as in more arid areas like where your property is found. However, in certain parts of the whitetail’s range supplemental water can be even more important. In Edwards County and further west, for example, adding some surface water for deer and other wildlife is critical. In fact, it can be the limiting factor for a deer herd. When it comes to water through there are many factors to consider.
Concrete troughs are the best when it comes to water for wildlife. Concrete troughs are rugged and they can can keep water cooler for longer periods into the day. They are probably the preferred trough by most properties, but they are not necessarily the most used. For one, they can be more expensive to install and it’s not always a do-it-yourself type project. The most common troughs used to provide water for wildlife are galvanized. They are portable and less expensive, but their drawback is that the water inside them can get very hot during the summer months. Whitetail deer and other wildlife will still use the water, but hot water promotes algae growth. The result is that you will have to empty the troughs out and clean them more often.
Concrete is great, but there are many smaller plastic troughs that can be equipped with float systems that are another good option. These smaller containers can be kept in the shade and less surface area means less water loss to evaporation. It’s important to keep in mind that when offering water for deer and other wildlife that volume is not nearly as important as consistency. Animals will always return to where there is surface water, whether it be 1 gallon or 100 gallons.
Water for Wildlife – Think Wildlife-Friendly
When providing supplemental water for deer and other animals it’s important to make your water site as “friendly” to wildlife as possible. The idea here is to make the water as accessible as possible without making it a “water trap”, where animals come looking to quench their thirst but end up dead in the trough. This is neither good for the animal that drowns, nor for the other animals that wish to use the watering site.
There are a couple of things you can do. First, adjust all floats so that the water level is as near to the top of the trough as possible. This will prevent birds and other small mammals from drowning. To make the trough fawn friendly, use short-sided troughs or even bury the trough in the ground. Another option is to build up the ground on one side of the trough so that fawns and shorter animals can access it. Lastly, make sure to stack some rocks in the trough until they exceed the water depth. Make sure that top rock is a big flat one that angles into the water. This will help doves and other birds since they will be able to walk right down to the water. Position the trough within suitable habitat, but ensure that there are not a bunch of trees right above it since they will end up in the trough.
Providing supplemental water for wildlife is a great wildlife/deer management idea, but keep in mind that animals can be tough on troughs. Protect your float as best as possible as well as the connecting plumbing. Animals can inadvertently break pipes and or turn valves, so take precaution to protect your investment and keep the water site operational. Water is important for white-tailed deer in dry environments and it is especially important for them during the fawn rearing season when does require additional water for milk production. That additional water may be critically important for your deer herd and future hunting.