most of the year we are fine with water but the last 3-4 has been extremely dry for Sept and Oct. I've noticed this has also moved our deer for those months as they move closer to what is left in the area, which takes them off of us.
Just getting some ideas on what others have done. Since it is a lease I can't make a pond but I am leaning to the 100gln troughs, etc. Also wondering about keeping it full, anyone built anything over it to direct water into it, tin roof etc. Could fill it if need be but always looking for an easier route.

I believe moultrie makes a water trough. Lee lakowski may have a YouTube video of the one they have out at the crush cam

You can buy several different sizes from Tractor Supply

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Tractor supply has all kinds of sizes - i hav few of the smaller - wish i would hav got bigger

Tried it before with no success.

I am about to buy a 55 gallon drum and cut it In half long ways. We accidentally left a container on a field a few years back and it holds water. The deer use it regularly.

Fresh water in them will help. Algae is the problem.

I put a few out years ago and it took the deer months to start using them.
Fast forward to last week on a different lease I am trying it again. In a period
Of a week still no takers. Is there some kind of trick getting them used to them.
Maybe it's the chlorine in the water

We have water running all around our property so no point for us to use

Same problem at our place. We have a 25+ year old salt lick that the deer wear out in the summer. Under normal conditions, there is water in the salt pit area. This drought has dried it up so I put a large pale of water in the middle of it. The water pale scared the deer off and we did not get an image of a deer for 10 days where we used to get > 20 pictures a day. It took over 20 days to get a picture of a deer drinking water from the pale. The coons and squirrels started using the new water source immediately - but the deer did not like it around. So far we have maybe two does using it as a water source.

Deer do not like changes so plan this out well in advance.

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They hate change

I hav had them disappear for several weeks when i add new feeder by current feeder

we buried some of the smaller troughs flush with the ground and scattered corn around them. they were drinking out of it within a week. have done this at several properties with zero issues. use a 60 gal tank to top them off of which u have to do to the smaller ones at least once a week once they find it

I put out 3 three hundred gal water troughs on top of mtn during the drought of 2018. In 5 years I’ve never seen or gotten a picture of a deer drinking out of them. They are black plastic sitting on top of the ground in thick cover.

Deer do not like change. Period.