Ponds

Before

After

Creating a small pond or water source on your property can be an invaluable tool in your hunting efforts and holding a larger group of resident deer.  Some prefer to create larger ponds, but for the small to midsize land manager something more like a large mud puddle may suffice in providing a viable water source.

These ponds should be set up to catch as much rain run off as possible so locate them in low areas where precipitation naturally drains. Assuming some type of slope, a damn should be built on the down hill side of the pond.  A damn thickness of 2 feet for every 1 foot of depth should be sufficient if the damn walls are well packed.  Seeding the walls and surrounding areas with grass seed should help prevent erosion.  A skid steer or back hoe is excellent for digging these holes.

Because these ponds hold rain run off and are not spring fed, a  clay basin must be formed.  Hopefully your soil has a high clay content and will hold water, but if not a product called bentonite should be used. It is used to seal larger ponds and by well diggers, in fact a well digging company is probably the easiest way to get some of this product in you locality.  It is packaged clay in pellet or granule form and does a good job of sealing the basin you have created. 

Simply line the area with an inch or two of Bentonite.  Water contact will cause it to expand and seal your basin.  Do not line your pond all the way to the top with it.  When water levels rise above the clay basin they will absorb into the damn walls and help to prevent flooding and/or erosion. 

A depth of 2-3 feet should be enough to hold water for deer use.  Remember these holes are not pretty and will not hold fish, but the mud puddle concept should be enough to attract deer.  When they reach the stage where they look stagnant, they will continue to attract deer, much as a mineral lick would.

Once the area is complete you can wait for rain to fill it or transport water in large barrels to begin.  To completely fill naturally, a heavy rain must occur or the spring thaw will fill the pond if it is placed in a low area or slope where water naturally flows down during a rain or melt off.

about bentonite as a pond sealant