Water

[jeepers creepers]

Do deer "have to" drink everyday?

A friend of mine said they can go 3 to 4 days without water, could this be true?

[firstcoueswas80]

i would say 2-3 days sounds about right.

[Switchback]

I have a trailcam on a water hole and according to the dates they only come about every other day. I have walked every inch of the land and can't find another waterhole so i agree i don't think they need to water every day

[Outdoor Writer]

Do deer "have to" drink everyday?

A friend of mine said they can go 3 to 4 days without water, could this be true?

 

This is one of those questions where the answer is: the mileage may vary.

 

In prime habitat with good forage, i.e. the result of ideal rainfall amounts, deer usually can get most of their water requirements from the food they eat and only occasionally will drink from free-standing water, i.e. tanks, ponds, springs or even puddles. But the latter will increase during dry conditions or when the temps go up, as it does during the summer months. The free-standing water needs will decrease during the winter, and even the morning dew is sometimes enough to meet a deer's daily needs, along with the browse, which produces water as a byproduct of digestion.

 

Conclusion: deer can go for days without free-standing water or they can drink everyday or they can drink somewhere in between the extremes. -TONY

[CouesWhitetail]

I think Tony and the others are correct. Some of the research shows deer coming to water everyday in hot summer and less often in winter months. Pregnant does can come to water several times a day. The need for water depends on the environment (temp, humidity) and water available in forage and the condition of the deer (such as if they are pregnant or lactating).

 

Amanda

[Huntn coues]

I think Tony and the others are correct. Some of the research shows deer coming to water everyday in hot summer and less often in winter months. Pregnant does can come to water several times a day. The need for water depends on the environment (temp, humidity) and water available in forage and the condition of the deer (such as if they are pregnant or lactating).

 

Amanda

 

Kinda sounds like Mike,Gino and I with beer excluding the lactating part

[Lance]

I am told by people that have been there that there are ranches in Mexico that do not have any standing water at all. The Coues deer, mule deer, javalina and the ranch cattle all get there water from the vegetation. (Mostly Cholla). And that there are no predators on these ranches because predators need standing watter.

 

Lance

[creed_az_88]

I shot a coues buck a couple of years ago in a very dry and isolated set of mountains. This buck was miles from any water holes. He was very old, no teeth left whatsoever and his stomach was packed with cholla apples. Most were bit in half but alot of them were whole. I was surprised to see that but it made so much sense. There were hardly any does in these mountains, they were all in the foothills below. There werent alot of deer at all actually but there were a few, and more often than not old mature bucks. this deer had real heavy horns but crab clawed g-3s. This was the case for almost all the deer in that area, other than the huge non-typical that hung around. I think the isolation and lack of population density made for poor genetics. But i conclude this story by saying that i belive deer do not NEED to drink every day but i do belive they will travel long distances to drink once or twice a week.