How far for water?

blazingsaddle

Active Member
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I have found some remote water sources, and am curious how far deer will actually travel to routinely get water. They will not be getting much water in the way of their food diet.
I am used to hunting in places that have water around every corner. So not having abundant water is new to me.
Also how often do they have to water in hotter dryer places? Is it every day/night? Or can they sustain for a couple days at a time?
 
In my experience, most deer will live within a mile of a stable water source. There are exceptions. If you have found a dry area with a couple of good water sources, scout them out, or if you don't have any ethical objections, hang trail cams at each and check regularly. Deer will come in evenings at last light, altho sometimes at any hour.
 
I've heard and read that deer can go a few days (depending on conditions) without water. They aren't like elk, where they have to water a couple times a day.
 
Deer can go a couple of days without water. While they are digesting their food their body actually produces water. Don't ask me how, read it in a book. It's hard to pattern deer on water but it can be done. I'd rather get on a vantage point and scan the country. They also get water in the form of dew on the leaves in the mornings.
 
I used to always try and find a good water hole in anticipation of finding deer. I gave up on that strategy. I look more at vegetation now. I cant tell good vegetation better than I can tell a good water hole. I have no idea where the deer I spot are getting water. I'm convinced they know about water holes I will never find. Some of the places I hunt are a good 2 hour walk from a water source that I know of, and there are a lot of deer there.
 
Go to Google and type in Mule Deer water requirements. You'll find a lot of studies and reports on the subject.

Looks like does stick closer to water than bucks but there is not a lot of concensius from one study to the next. I think the studies done in Arizona on the Burro deer are pretty interesting.
 
Go to your water sources and rake the ground real smooth. Go back every few days or overnight and see who is using the area. Finding a lot of tracks, you might have to check several days in a row to get a true feel for how many bucks are around.
 
In my experience in the desert with trail cams, the deer seem to water every 3-4 days at the most frequent. This is in extreme heat and very dry conditions, usually over 100 degrees. They are typically within 3 miles of the water. As the weather cools, they visit the water less, and as the rut nears all bets are off. The frequency then decreases and the distance to water can then increase significantly.
 
"Mule deer acquire water from numerous sources, notably springs, lakes, wetland ponds, rivers, and streams. Metabolic water may also be produced from browsed succulent vegetation, while snow pack and melt may be consumed in winter. Mule deer require
approximately 0.5 gallons of water per day per 100 pounds of body weight; an average-sized animal would need to drink approximately 1.5 gallons of water per day. Field studies have shown that mule deer home range patterns are closely associated with water availability; research in Texas and New Mexico has shown that desert mule deer numbers increase markedly in habitats where a permanent source of water is introduced. This pattern is particularly noticeable in more arid segments of the mule deer range."
From: Mule Deer
(Odocoileus hemionus)
May 2005 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflet

"Mule deer that live in arid and semiarid environments are adapted to scarcity of freestanding water. Hazam an Krausman (1988) and Hervert and Krasumans (1986) reported that desert mule deer in Arizona visited sources of water on average once a day and consumed 5 to 6 liters of water per visit during the hot summer months. Visitation rates and amount of water consumed per visit declined during cooler seasons"
"The abundance and spacing of water sources can influence the distribution in a local area. In northern California, mule deer averaged 1.19 to 1.55 km (0.7 to 0.9 miles) away from water sources, with a mean maximum distance of 2.46 km (1.5 miles)"
From:
Water Allocation in the Klamath Reclamation Project, 2001
Oregon State University University of California
 

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