Tips/Advice for hunting a water source

[jimmytidmore]

Looking for some advice / wisdom.

I’ve always primarily hunted food sources and travel routes between bedding and food sources. And then of course the rut changes things a bit, but you get the picture.

But my parents have some property that I hunt from time to time. And the reason for this thread is that I’m hunting it tomorrow. I have a spot picked out for in the morning, but I was thinking about trying  something different tomorrow afternoon. (With regard to my hunt tomorrow, I’ve probably waited too late to get advice on this, so if you see this thread several days/weeks from now please still respond because it will help me in the future.)

You see, there is a very nice creek that flows through the property year around. It’s not just a trickle either, but a real flowing creek that can knock your legs out from under you in places. But, there are also spots where it doesn’t flow fast, and there are some spots where deer certainly cross it. We’ve seen them do it and also have evidence of it in the form of tracks. Well, the last time it rained in Alabama, I think Reagan was president, and there are no other water sources on the property. So it hit me this afternoon as I was sitting in the woods in 80°+ weather, that the deer have to be hitting that creek, and that maybe I should setup tomorrow afternoon in one of those spots we know they cross.

All this to say, I’d greatly appreciate any thoughts, ideas, or tips you may have based on hunting water sources like this. It’s just not something I’ve done before.

[Bowguy67]

How do you know they’re hitting that creek? They get lots of water from food, especially something like jewelweed. Is there any other water nearby? I’d prob never use water unless there’s was a reason for it like a drought or slow, shallow crossing they habitually used. Plus you’re saying you might hunt it. Which way is the wind blowing? That should be a first predetermining factor as to where to set. Can’t hunt anywhere the wind is bad and expect good chances.

[toddster]

My experience when it comes to hunting a creek bottom, is not the water.  As already said, animals get their water from a great many sources.  I look for the creek crossings, then back up or forward to where 2 or 3 trails merge and find my ambush spot around there, depending on the wind.  Be aware that thermals will come into play heavy, and depending on the time of year.  Usually why they cross the creek is not because it's shallow, like we would do.  They use it because of cover or the thermal advantage.

[Mike Bolin]

I have a small creek that crosses the property that I hunt, with two pronounced crossings. There are several drainages that tie into the creek bottom and the swirling winds make it difficult to hunt. I did the "smoke bomb" thing as suggested by Gene Wensel in one of his books and finally decided that even though the creek bottom is a travel route for most every deer that passes through the property, I more often than not, spooked deer when I hunted it. Of course, if the creek you are hunting isn't in a "bottom" without multiple drainages feeding into the creek, the wind may not be a problem. I tend to set up on the ridges near the top of the drainages to take advantage of the more consistent wind currents.

From my observations, deer for some reason prefer to drink from standing water over running water. Over the years I've watched deer cross a creek and walk to the nearest puddle and get a drink. This past weekend, we had rain off and on for three days, ending early Monday morning. I saw 4 does last night and each one of them walked straight to a little water hole to get a drink. The waterhole is just a place that used to be a mudhole after any significant rain. This summer I dug out a 10' by 8' hole about 18" deep, with a ditch running to a nearby drainage to handle the overflow. We had drought conditions this Summer/early Fall, but the waterhole never went completely dry.

[Wudstix]

I have to agree about the topography being a factor, I hunted across the Wabash from Mike along Honey Creek.  This creek ran mostly through a wooded section and farm land.  Ridgeline along the portion I liked to hunt.  Wind was fairly predictable and usually just meant hunting one side or the other of the creek.