creating a pond / wallow

[wawhitey]

so i feel like i may have asked this before but i dont recall for sure. im thinking about trying to make a water hole / wallow. i have one spot in mind that ive found, where a year round spring seeps out of the ground in a deep dark nasty hole that gets a very few elk passing through. this time of year its just a small seep that makes a couple puddles. if i were to dig it out a little bit, i could make a small waterhole. now if i were to do that, and take some pissy stinky mud from a known wallow, dump a few buckets of it around the little waterhole im thinking of making, do you think it might make these elk start using it more? i know this is kind of whitetail tactics, like stealing dirt from a scrape, but thats the way i think. just looking for your opinions on if it might work or not. dont hesitate to tell me flat out its a stupid idea if thats what you think. theres probably a good reason ive never read about anybody doing this.

[Gselkhunter]

If the elk have not done that already, because they are capable, it may make you effort in vane.

[stykbow67]

What do you have too lose by trying it???? I say try it and if it works we probably will never hear about because you'll want to keep that secret to yourself!

Steve

[brun]

If you feel like making the effort then I say go for it. If it doesn't bring any more use then you haven't lost anything. I'd be curious to know what becomes of it.

[Swede]

I have never tried that stunt, but it sounds interesting. I don't think it will work, because I notice only one bull is using a wallow in a season. I certainly cannot be dogmatic about that observation. There are more wallow places than bulls where I hunt. Also I am not sure different bulls don't use a certain wallow. That said, I have seen some repeat use, but it appears to be the same bull each time. I have dug out wet spots and created wallows that got used. I just never added any scent to it. If saturating more soil, and area is enough to make the spot suitable for a wallow, I would try just doing that. If you can get there soon, place some salt nearby to get the animals accustomed to the new wallow spot. Get some traffic heading there. If it is illegal where you are to hunt over salt, pitch it before you hunt there.

[wawhitey]

well i think ill go with digging the spring out a bit with no added mess for now. i have the next week off, then im working every day of august so that i can take the september elk season (and a bit more for bear) off of work. so ill just dig it up this year, and if nothing changes then next year ill go get some mud from an active wallow and transport it, see how it goes. nothing to lose i guess right?

[husky390]

I agree with Gregg. Not to mention it's the opposite of "Leave no trace" and it's illegal.


GAINESVILLE - The U.S. Forest Service is using the case of couple recently fined for excavating on federal land in Towns County to remind the public about national park etiquette.

Forest Service spokeswoman Heather Callahan says the couple was digging around an abandoned mine and that is dangerous to the environment.

"The eroded soil from the digging damages plant life," Callahan says. "And a lot of times this ends up in streams that causes the build up of sediment and damages aquatic species."

She says all people should practice the "leave no trace" ethic.

"Which means when you are visiting, you leave everything like you see it so other visitors can come back and enjoy whatever you see," Callahan says.

Callahan says the fine for digging on federal land can be up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

[wawhitey]

who says im talking about doing this on public land? youre making assumptions there.

[CrazyElkHunter]

I have at least 5 pr 6 different bulls hit my favorite wallow every year during the 4 weeks I am hunting it.

[CrazyElkHunter]

Another bull same wallow

[wawhitey]

Damn nice. I think they're too big for me I'd be a mess!

[Lefty]

I would help the elk out

I know of two seeps that would be great wallows, One is an old wallow however every tree that fell in the woods fell in the seep, If I hunted that area I would clean out the dead fall and the elk would do the rest
The other is on a steep hill. again trees are in the seep and a few big rocks and is a drinking hole for all the big game walking by,
I wouldnt have any problem rolling the rocks to the outside( downhill) and toss the branches out. What a great place to tree stand hunt from

[NirvanaFan]

I agree with Gregg. Not to mention it's the opposite of "Leave no trace" and it's illegal.

Hunting is opposite of LNT principals as well.

[Swede]

The matter of legality for digging in the earth has to be kept in perspective. I take a shovel with me when I take a walk out behind camp. Don't you? Off site displacement of mud by excavation and creating human hazards is one thing, but opening up a small seep for a place for wildlife to water or for elk to wallow is quite another. I cannot pump water out of a stream for irrigation without water rights, but no one has ever cared that I take out a bucket full to drown a campfire.