whatever liner you use the deer will probably paw through when it gets low/dry. I think the only sure-fire tank is a metal cattle tank or maybe really thick plastic artificial garden pond https://www.lowes.com/pd/MacCourt-125-Gallon-Black-High-Density-Polyethylene-Pond-Liner/3389466 if you use something like that though only bury it about halfway (or less) else little critters will fall in and drown, spoiling the water. The lip on these help keep little critters (esp snakes) out also. We used to use kiddie pools b/c they're cheap but bucks would poke their antlers through the bottom and that was that.
I have a buried cast iron bath tub..after that I stopped burying them. The reason is frogs. I raise a wonderful crop of frogs every year ,but they foul the water fast so I leave them above ground and brush them in with logs or leaving grass tall around them . This said, I have a koi pond, 3 road side pick up steel bath tubs, 2 cattle water tubs. BTW ...They are barely noticeable when brushed in.
I have used poly stock tanks with great success. I just level a spot and sit them on the ground. Just be sure to sink a stick in it so that bugs and rodents can crawl out so they don't foul the water.
I have an old tractor tire with the bottom cemented in, it works good. Cheap alternative that holds up for years and years. You can hit up a tire store that services farm equipment or a local farmer if you know any, most will just give you the tire. Then just a few bags of cement. I used to use metal stock tanks, but idiots kept shooting holes in them. The tire basically self heals and doesn't leak if it gets shot. Mine is fed from a spring. If you have it spring fed and just let the water overflow over the lowest side it will undermine itself, so drilling an outlet hole and putting in a drain pipe a bit below the top keeps this from happening. Mine is mainly for cattle since I lease my ground as pasture during the summer, but I get quite a few game pics on it too.
Yes, that is a big problem in the hunting/shooting sports. Don't put out water holes but some good ideas here. One could put out a vending machine with Perrier in it.
Backyard ponds work great. You can dig them into the ground so they self fill with rain. The deer can also stand in them without poking holes through them. Craigslist has them cheap often.
Right now I'm using a trough I got from feed supply store, work good but their big and deep so it's tough to dig a hole deep enough with rocky soil. Thinking about just using a liner next time.
"I have a buried cast iron bath tub..after that I stopped burying them. The reason is frogs." I have an above ground pool and still get a crop of frogs in the spring, even with a cover. They are too small for a meal of frog's legs. Edit- Still can't figure out the frogs get in the pool. I am at least a 1/4 mile from the nearest spring or creek.
Bentonite, will help seal the bottom of a mud hole, retain water. Sent from my iPad using Bowhunting.com Forums
