Hunting over water.

[RidgeRunner]

Here in Alabama it is Illegal to hunt over bait.

We are in the middle of the worst drought ever recorded.

Would it be illegal to set up somthing like a 5' kiddy pool full of water and hunt ovet it??
Tell me what you think.

David

[Coo-wah-chobee]

  Hmm dont know ifn its illegal BUT how would ya like ta get shot while ya had a mouth full-o- water ?  .....bob

[Justin Snyder]

They gotta be drinking somewhere.  Find out where.  Don't think the pool will work to well.  Justin

[Juniper]

RR,

Here in New Mexico it is legal to hunt over water if you can find a water hole without a hunter hiding on it.  I hunt Mule Deer here on a small ranch and the owner periodically sends me a pic of Deer or Elk watering out of a steel tank in his driveway.  I don't see why a pool wouldn't work.  I am new to this posting thing, so I will try to attach a pic.  The pic is a little fuzzy because of the screen on his living room window. 

Juniper

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[GregB]

I would think that it would take a good while for them to get used to it and come to the water. May be wrong though...

[Justin Snyder]

I would think that it would take a good while for them to get used to it and come to the water. May be wrong though...

That is exactly what I am talking about.  If they are used to drinking out of galvanized water tanks like the one Juniper posted, it may take a little less time to get them to use a new one.  But to switch to a kiddie pool is a little different.  Plastic pools make a lot of noise.  If you have access to private property, set up a guzzler.  Get a piece of pond liner from the local nursery.  Dig a small depression and line it with the rubber liner.  Set it up somewhere that rain will run down a ravine into it. You can also set up a larger piece to drain into the smaller or a 100 gallon water trough.  Put a little dirt over the rubber to protect it from tearing. If its not raining, you can dump water in it when necessary.  It will still take several weeks or more to get them using it, but you are improving the habitat for next year. You can also put some mineral or salt rock next to it to draw more animals in.  Justin

[Coo-wah-chobee]

............What Justin said. Also, find some tadpoles an put in water. The surroundin' brush, weeds are CRITICAL. Ya need ta pay as much attention ta this as possible. Ifn ya have ta fill it try ta use rainwater. Most water civilization uses has chlorine er flouride in it and they can smell it. If ya have ta use it throw a couple shovels of dirt in it and swish it around. In a coupla days should be ok  .................bob

[Juniper]

I like Justins idea, I think that would work great.  The NM game and fish dept. builds what they call "trick tanks" in areas with low natural water sources.  They consist of a plastic or metal gathering/holding tank which feeds a small (3-4ft diameter, maybe a foot deep) depression in the dirt lined with concrete. 

I think its use could depend on the severity of the drought.  Obviously the desert southwest is a little different than Alabama, but when times get lean here, water is water.  Once a source is located, it is used with regularity, even if the animals have to lower their standards a little.

[Justin Snyder]

Once a source is located, it is used with regularity, even if the animals have to lower their standards a little.

I have drank out of plenty of those tanks here in SW Utah.  I promise you are lowering your standards a lot to drink out of them.    The wildlife love them though. Justin