This was a good tip, and one I hadn't ever heard before

[Bob Peters]

We were out in South Dakota and hunting a private farm. This is a rare luxury for me. We still needed a few birds to fill out. The old farmer told us of a public spot nearby, where a spring comes out of a hillside. He said, "that's where the birds go everyday to get their drink." On the one hand I was skeptical, but on the other hand this old guy spent his whole life in this country. We figured we better investigate. I got one on the way in. When we got to the little valley coming down the hill into the slough, where the ice was thin, birds started popping out everywhere! Well below freezing but patches of open water. My buddy dropped a bird from a flock of three roosters that all flushed from cover surrounding a 6 foot opening in the ice caused by the spring. We got a lot of shooting in at that spot. The winter watering hole really payed off!

 

[KSBrittman]

Good one Bob !!!
We had a similar story in Montana on Huns we had a farmer suggest we try some coulee’s on some state land close to his , my hunting partner wanted to stay on his private ground , at breakfast the next morning he asked if we tried those Coulees. I let my buddy know that was the third time he asked , and that we better go hunt he was suggesting it cause he knew the lay of the land and had lived in that area all his live . It didn’t look like much at all from the road but when we got back in there it was the best hunt of the trip !!!

Thanks for your post

 

[BrownDogsCan2]

In western Ks they’ll run water on green wheat in Dec. in a dry fall that’s where they will be close to. One year I watched a group of hawks dive bombing three or four roosters that were standing under the sprinkler getting drinks.

 

[Gatzby]

Nope, I never hunt springs. Especially in the winter when the snow is non-existent and the ponds/creeks are frozen.

I only know of 1 dependable spring and its on private land and its gold if they aren't grazing the property. The other sweet spot is a creek that doesn't freeze at the base of a coulee like area. If there is sufficient snow neither of these spots are near as good. I tend to leave both of them alone if the hunting is good elsewhere as I'm sure lots of animals use them.