I was hunting an area that just happend to be next to a small water hole this past late deer season (January).  Anyway, I was astounded by the fact that in late afternoon, nine deer came and visited this waterhole.  And this was a time of the year when snow was on the ground!  I've hunted around waterholes a few times but this really peaked my interest.  Not only that but I have been to Africa a couple of times and really enjoy hunting around water. I find it interesting the way whitetails would rather drink out of a small water hole containing stagnent water than fresher cleaner water out of a lake or stream.  Check it out for yourselves!  I had a buddy who used to hunt a small waterhole that was within 40 yards of a river, and the deer would skip the river and head to his water hole every time!
Anyway, I recently constructed a very small but very remote water hole in one my my whitetail hunting locations.  For those of you who hunt whitetails around water holes, when is the best time?  Do you see more movement in the mornings or the evenings around small water holes?

I've wondered about this idea. I hunt mostly on my own land and neighboring land. There is no running water and only two ponds. I have no idea where the deer drink, unless they walk a couple of miles to a brook.

I had wondered if they just get enough moisture from the brows they eat.

How about some more input here from folks with more direct experience?

there is no shortage of water here, but am gonna make a small waterhole in one of my foodplots and see how it works, it gives the deer another reason to come to the food plot, others around here have used it with good results

I haven't seen them pass up good water for stagnant water, but I have seen them come to small waterholes when water isn't readily available, during very dry years, for example.  Late evening, a half-hour or so before dark, has always been best for sightings at water where I hunt.  However, during the rut, I once saw a very large 10-point drink out of a spring at noon.

There was a guy here at the local (Columbus, OH) Deer and Turkey Expo this year that swears by hunting water holes.  His lecture was mostly about how to construct them (the topic was cool, if overly elaborate) and not so much about how to use them.

He sure seemed optimistic about the topic though.  :-D

seems to me a spot like Jon is talking about is special. I've seen too many deer drink from a puddle in the road to think they water at special places. IMO, if you have a hole that they use on a regular basis, it is for other reasons than just the water. It could be security, isolation or just happens to be "on the way" to where they are feeding or bedding. Regardles...it's a good thing to find!

Hey I have a spot or 2 like that,here's a picture of 1 of them.It's fed by a spring & always has water in it no matter how dry of a year it is & in the winter when it's real cold it hardly ever freezes solid(more like a slush)This time of year every critter in the country knows were it's at & I  have couple of stands in place to take advantage of it when season comes in a little over 3 weeks...

Last year I started hauling water into a dry Hog wallow, hoping to draw in some pigs. The deer took it over and would visit it almost every afternoon as long as I kept it filled.

http://www.buffsblackwidow.com/videos/masond.wmv

Water never seems to be in short supply here in the north especially during the fall,but I can see were if it was  water could certainly be as effective as...well bait maybe even more so most critters can go longer with out food then water