1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 4 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: brought to you by First Light. On this week's show, 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: I'm diving into one of my favorite topics when it 6 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: comes to hunting white tails, standing water, and it's connection 7 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: to quality deer hunting. When I make up my mind 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: to travel to hunt white tails, I fire up my 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: on X and I start looking for water immediately. It's 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: my favorite starting point for scouting and often the place 11 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: where I feel my tags. I love hunting white tails 12 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: on water patterns. In fact, I'll double down on this 13 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: next week and get into moving water, but on this 14 00:00:55,760 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: episode it's just dedicated to the strategies around hunting standing water, 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: which is something every serious white tail hunter should consider, 16 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,759 Speaker 1: especially in the early season, but really throughout the entire 17 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 1: season whenever it's possible. Water is that good? My friends. 18 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: There is an entire industry built around deer food, from 19 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: bags of seed corn to flavored powder you dump on 20 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: the ground, to all kinds of seeds that you can 21 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: plant in the earth that will sprout and become an 22 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: absolute dear magnet, provided you've given the soil enough TLC 23 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: and address the pH and the fertilizer needs and all 24 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: of that good stuff. In all of this emphasis on 25 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: deer calories, there isn't much of a focus on water 26 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: unless it's falling from the sky directly into your freshly 27 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: planted food plot. This, ironically enough, is because it's hard 28 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: to sell you what nature provides pretty regularly in most 29 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: to the white tail range. Honestly, I feel that this 30 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: is a good thing, but I can't really tell you why. 31 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: I can't. I can't say why I care that the 32 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: industry hasn't wrapped up a deer's thirst into a bunch 33 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: of marketing speak and get rich quick lingo. I just 34 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 1: know I like it. Water two parts hydrogen one part 35 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 1: oxygen is out there for the deer, and you should 36 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: absolutely factor it into your hunting plans. Now, water in 37 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: itself is a pretty broad topic, so for this episode, 38 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to break down standing water only. Next week 39 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: we'll dive pun intended into moving water. Both. In my 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: humble opinion, as a deer obsessed weirdo, are often the 41 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: best bet for the average hunter to get around white 42 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: tails frequently. Now, if your parents aren't first cousins, and 43 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: you've got a pretty basic understanding of biology, you can 44 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: probably reckon that water is important to the life of 45 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: all white tails, and there is no time when it's 46 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: more pressing than when it's hot out kind of like 47 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: it is right now, or it should be right now, 48 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: and we'll like cleibia throughout the rest of September and 49 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: often at times in October and even November and maybe December, 50 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: depending on where you live. Even when the temperature isn't 51 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: unreasonably unbearable, deer still need to drink, but right now 52 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: and in the next few weeks. The option to set 53 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: up over some standing water and arrow a buck is 54 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: as good as it will be all season long. But 55 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: not all water is created equal. A cattle pond in 56 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: the middle of a pasture without a tree in sight, 57 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 1: it's a poor choice. Sure, a bunch of heifers will 58 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: swing through and slurp up some h two, but to 59 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: kill a buck there is a low odds proposition. Water 60 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: with no cover isn't ideal upon tucked into the top 61 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: of a drainage, which occurs in a lot of the 62 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: bluffy egg heavy areas. Different story natural travel routes that 63 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: allow a buck to stay in the thick stuff and 64 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: just pop out for a quick drink our money. Other 65 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: than potential swirling wind issues, these places are usually real producers, 66 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: and this only gets better with ponds that are buried 67 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: deeper and deeper into the cover. If you can find 68 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: a sink hole or a seep or something that holds 69 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: water in the middle of a block of timber, then 70 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: you are onto a spot that might just become one 71 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: of your favorite places to sit. This goes for areas 72 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: where water sources are few and far between and in 73 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: places where there's plenty of water options around now. Naturally, 74 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: the more limited the water is, the better, but that's 75 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: not always reality. A few years ago, a buddy and 76 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 1: I made a plan to go down to Nebraska to 77 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: bow hunt in September one opener. It was forecasted to 78 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: be ridiculously hot, and we got there it was. It 79 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: was freaking miserable, but I wasn't worried. I had marked 80 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: dozens of cattle tanks throughout a few different parcels of 81 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: public land and a few ponds. I also had a 82 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: small spot on a stream that I figured would be 83 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: pretty special. The problem was when we hiked into that spot, 84 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: it had a fresh ladder stand on it, and it 85 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: had a brand new trail camera hung up right on 86 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: the best crossing, and most of my other or stuff 87 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: was surrounded by more water than I realized during my 88 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: aerial photography scouting. The whole place was covered in water, 89 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: and not only did that breed a super race of 90 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: mosquitoes that were quite inconsiderate, but it also gave the 91 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: bucks nearly unlimited watering options. We had to pivot our 92 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: plan and ditch all of our scouting to focus back 93 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: on food, which turned out pretty well for us because 94 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: even though the water was everywhere, there was only one 95 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 1: soy bean field on one parcel of public land that 96 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: we were scouting. This is a cautionary tale, my friends, 97 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: because it's very easy to fall in love with the 98 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: idea of water being the solution to all of our 99 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: hunting problems, especially when it's warm on It might, but 100 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: it might also just mean nothing to your hunting success 101 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: because you either don't have the right water source to hunt, 102 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: or the water is so prevalent it really doesn't matter. 103 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: You might also find that the water you plan to 104 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: hike into and sit over on your quest to shoot 105 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: your first velvet buck is so frequently covered in cows 106 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: that the dear us move on. Now. I know that 107 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 1: deer and cows will water at the same ponder tank, 108 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: but I really have never experienced anything that made me 109 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: believe deer want to be around cows. They can be 110 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: found around them, they don't seem to like it. They 111 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: do mingle sometimes, but it seems like if they've got 112 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,119 Speaker 1: the option to avoid those cows, they'll take it. In fact, 113 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: I'll throw in a pro tip here for anyone who 114 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: decides they want to hunt federal land or walk in 115 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: land that will definitely have cows in it. Scout those 116 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: areas for pastures that aren't currently being graves oftentimes that 117 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 1: you'll see there's a I don't know, five thousand acre 118 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: walk in ranch somewhere is open to the public of 119 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: it is almost worthless for deer because of cattle grazing. 120 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: But there'll be one pasture that has been left alone 121 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: for a few months or more. That's where you'll find 122 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: the deer. Lots and lots of deer. But back to water, 123 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: there are a few things to really think about when 124 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: you're planning to sit with standing water as the reason 125 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: for your time there versus hunting some other attraction. Location 126 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: has been covered, get in that cover. But size of 127 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 1: the water itself is pretty important too. With good ambush options, 128 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: the smaller the better. If you've got a tiny water 129 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: source where you can set up in a nearby tree 130 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: and cover it fully while staying undetected, then get ye up. 131 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: But if you've got a small water source with questionable 132 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: stand trees or no trees, then you're in trouble. It 133 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: would probably be better off with a bigger water source 134 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: and more ambush options unless you can do something on 135 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: the ground. This means that in some situations, a little 136 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: cattle guzzler that features a perfect cottonwood twenty yards away 137 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: might be dreamy. Or you might have to set up 138 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: on one side of a quarter acre pond and hope 139 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: they cruise your near side bank. It's always variable out there. 140 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: Usually the best bet is to try to figure out 141 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: the likeliest approaches and cover those while being able to 142 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: shoot the water. This is simple enough, right sometimes it is, 143 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: But sometimes you run into water that is getting hit hard. 144 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: But it's really difficult to hunt. This hap been to 145 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: me on some public land in North Dakota. A few 146 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: years ago during a mid October hunt, there were two 147 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: cattle tanks on a huge river bottom flat that I 148 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: could glass. Both were positioned perfectly between betting and where 149 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: the deer were eventually heading to feed. The main tank 150 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,679 Speaker 1: was honestly on fire with good bucks, really good bucks 151 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: for public land, but the closest trees were forty two 152 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: yards away and they were huge. There was one random 153 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: pine tree about seventy five yards away, but it was 154 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: a lost cause because there was no definitive pattern on 155 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: whether the bucks would pass close enough to that tree. 156 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: What was worse was that the wind on that flat 157 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: seemed to always blow from the available trees and the 158 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: best groundcover back to where the deer would hold up 159 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: for the day. I tried and tried to make that 160 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: spot work, and I couldn't do it. The secondary guzzler 161 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: wasn't much better, but it did have the option to 162 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:52,439 Speaker 1: hang a stand and sit forty yards off of it. 163 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: Now that's not ideal, that's too far off for me 164 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: to want to take a shot at a white tail. 165 00:08:58,040 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: But most of the deer would drink there and then 166 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 1: they would filter through much closer to the stand tree. 167 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: The wind was better there too, most likely because that 168 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: guzzler is tucked in against this huge rocky bluff which 169 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: channels the wind in a pretty predictable fashion. The first 170 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: time I sat there, I killed a three and a 171 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: half year old eight pointer. It was surreal, and it 172 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 1: was a good lesson that sometimes you find amazing spots 173 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: that you just can't hunt, so you have to find 174 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 1: something else, and that's something else. The plan b can 175 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:29,839 Speaker 1: be pretty damn good to you if in false water, 176 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: and water sources can be like that, especially ponds. While 177 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: you might find a pond that was created on top 178 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: of a bluff where the wind is easy to play 179 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: and won't swirl, you'll also find ponds that are in 180 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: the lowest of the low spots. These are tricky because 181 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 1: they tend to exist in places where deer live and 182 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: feel safe, but also where the thermals are pretty nasty 183 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 1: and the wind in general is going to be tough 184 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: to play. It's easy to write these spots off completely, 185 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: just like sitting in the bottoms of tight valleys, but 186 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: I don't. When I was a young bow hunter, full 187 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: of pisso vinegar and very light on hunting skills, I 188 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: sat bottoms all the time in the driftless area of 189 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: southeastern Minnesota. That was where the sign was. So that 190 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: was where I hung my stands, and I got busted 191 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: a lot, But I also didn't get busted a lot. 192 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: It was so situationally variable, just like every single stand 193 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: set up you're going to encounter in your bow hunting career. 194 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: A pond in the bottom of a draw might not 195 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: be a great option for an evening sit, considering that 196 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: when the air time's cool in the afternoon, the thermals 197 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: will sink down maybe suck your sent right to the 198 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: edge of that pond where you expect the year to go. 199 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: But that same pond might be amazing for a morning 200 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: sit when those thermals are in reverse. The only way 201 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: to know this is to go in and give it 202 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: a shot. Carry some milkweed fluff with you or some 203 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: other wind checking fuzz. Watch what happens when you release 204 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: it into the air, and you'll get a crash. Course 205 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: on how erratic wind currents really are. You might also 206 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: realize that a hopeless spot actually isn't so bad after all. 207 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 1: You might also be tempted to only hunt standing water 208 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: on hotter than average days look, the hotter the better 209 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: for white tails when you've got a good water source. 210 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: I truly believe that because I've killed a pile of 211 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: deer on water when it was beech weather. Obviously, if 212 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: it's ninety degrees on September three and you can sit 213 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: over a cattle guzzler, you should do that. But September 214 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 1: is a transitional month, taking us from summer to fall, 215 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: and that means twenty five pur south winds and eighty 216 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: degree days to five mile pur variable winds and frost 217 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: on the ground in some states. What I believe about 218 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: those conditions and everything in between is that the deer 219 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: will mostly come into drink no matter what, unless they 220 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: get booted off of a water source. This is because 221 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: the real secret to water, besides H two being one 222 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: of the things they need to not die, is that 223 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: deer build it into their routine, into their travel roads. 224 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: This lesson was absolutely driven home to me while hunting 225 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: north central Minnesota years and years ago. One of the 226 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: properties I hunted had a small cattle pond off the 227 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: edge of a hayfield. It also bordered a wetland that 228 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: was all cat tails and willows, high hummocks, amongst the 229 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: low ground provided killer bedding, and it was honestly one 230 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: of the most consistent bed to food food to bed 231 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: patterns I've ever found in my way till hunting career. 232 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: It was also covered in water, yet those deer would 233 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: stand up and walk over to that pond to grab 234 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: a drink before they stepped into the field. They'd actually 235 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: leave a wet cat tail slew and go over and 236 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: water in a pond. In the morning, they'd reversed that pattern. 237 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: They'd leave the fields and they would go hit that 238 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: pond before going to bed down, you know, wet cattail 239 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: siou it was if there was a social aspect of 240 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: the whole thing, or a tradition involved that they just 241 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: didn't want to break. There's probably a different reason for it, 242 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: at least in some places and at some points of 243 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: the season. Not only do dear need water to not die, 244 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: but plants do too, and deer eat plants, and they 245 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: tend to gravitate toward lush green plants versus dried up 246 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: yellow plants. For the as of us with pointed teeth, 247 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: that's probably like a medium rare New York strip versus 248 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: a well done hockey puck of a whatever cut that 249 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: buck I talked about a few minutes ago that I 250 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: killed North Dakota. He was feeding just below the guzzler. 251 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: That guzzler constantly leaked water out of the side, and 252 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: it ran downhill, creating a small band of green grass 253 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: and just weigh lusher growth than anywhere else within a 254 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: half a mile or maybe a mile. Where there is water, 255 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: there is always the potential for lusher brows, which obviously 256 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: makes a location more desirable. If that pond is in 257 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: the cover. Now you've got three things working for you. 258 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: The deer are gonna feel safe, they can slick their thirst, 259 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: and they might be able to find something better to 260 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: eat right there than anywhere else around him. You might 261 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: not have a water source on a property you can hunt, 262 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: which is a bummer. If that's the case, can you 263 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: put one in? Obviously you don't want to do this 264 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 1: on public land, But what if you have a private spot. 265 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: You can go buy a landscaping pond at home Depot 266 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,479 Speaker 1: or Menard's, and if you've got to shovel an inclination 267 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: towards some sweat equity, you could have a water source. 268 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: This is best if you can get in and keep 269 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: it filled with water. Of course, you'll also want to 270 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: make sure there is a way for rodents to get out, 271 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: which can be accomplished pretty much with a stick that 272 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: allows them to climb up on there if they fall in. Now, 273 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: I know some hunters who fully believe in the creating 274 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: your own water game, especially folks who live down south 275 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: and states where baiting is legal. In the constant quest 276 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: to get deer on their side of the fence, they've 277 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: realized that while corn is ubiquitous across the countryside, at 278 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: least in their neck of the woods, water isn't. This 279 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: can be a deadly method and a hell of a 280 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: lot easier than establishing a food plot or in some 281 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: cases even running a feeder. If you do have some 282 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: ponds or tanks to work with, get to know them. 283 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: Even if the pond is way out in a pasture, 284 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: not anywhere near the cover, the deer might stage in 285 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: the closest brusher woods, or they might just filter to 286 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: the nearest point on the way back in the morning, 287 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: Water where it's available and not in crazy abundance, should 288 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:10,479 Speaker 1: play into your plans. On blistering hot days, seasonally expected temps, 289 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: and even if it's colder, than average deer needed h two. Oh, 290 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: and it's a concentrator, unlike almost anything else out there 291 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: on the landscape. I should I should rephrase that it's 292 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: a consistent concentrator. There might be a hotter, harder soft 293 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: mass situation going on for a week or two at 294 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: different points, or there might be something going on with 295 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: a soybean field that's just on for a certain amount 296 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: of time. But water is consistent throughout the season, and 297 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: it's easy enough to find, not only through scouting but 298 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: through hunting. The only question is is a specific water 299 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: source that you have access to truly worth hunting and 300 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: at what times and in what conditions? Those are the 301 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: questions you have to answer for yourself. But go into 302 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: it knowing that if you've got water available, it's going 303 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: to be built into the white tails travel plans, all 304 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: of the white tails. And you might be thinking, what 305 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: if I don't have a pond, What if I don't 306 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: have a guzzler or cattle tank. All I have is 307 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: this stupid streamer river and the deerk in water everywhere, 308 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: and I hate it. Well, moving water is what the 309 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: next episode is all about. And while I love a 310 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: good tank for white tail Hunting I Love a River 311 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: even more, which you'll hear all about a next week's episode. 312 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: That's it, my dear obsessed friends. Be sure to tune 313 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: in next week so that you can keep out smarting 314 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: the deer and out working your camel clad competition. I'm 315 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson and this has been the Wire to Hunt 316 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast. As always, thank you so much for the support, 317 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: and we'll see you right here next week.