With these hot, humid days, we have a tendency to drink more water. And if you’re a wildlife lover or deer hunter, it may come as a surprise that deer do too.

According to the National Deer Association, deer get their water from three major sources:

*Free water that standing or natural bodies of water such as ponds, creeks even man-made watering holes.

*Preformed water is the water in green plants that are abundant in spring and summer.

*Metabolic water is water released from that food during digestion as carbs, fats and proteins when broken down.

Water is as important to deer as it is to humans for a variety of reasons. We both need it for daily function, nutrient and mineral transportation throughout the body, waste excretion and more. And just like with food, larger deer require a greater water intake than smaller deer.

Location is another factor such as in the Southwest where extreme drought is a major concern, as deer are forced to rely almost entirely on water from their food due to the lack of free water. This also means drier food and an increased need for water.

In the extreme North, free water can also be hard to come by not because it’s not there, but because it could be frozen. During this time, the demand for water is relatively low compared to summer months when even a diet of mostly woody browse and hard mast will quench their thirst.

So how much water do deer drink? It depends in most cases across their range. A deer’s daily water requirements are more than satisfied with the water in their food and the water released from that food during digestion, with a nice long drink here and there for good measure.

When herbaceous vegetation, that’s rich with water is most abundant, but when those plants tend to die off and go away, water decreases for deer.

As a rule of thumb, a study done by the National Deer Association says as a rule of thumb, about roughly half a gallon of water from the three water sources combined per 100 pounds of body weight, and you’ll be in the ballpark on how much water deer drink. Of course, deer will often drink free water when it’s available, not because they always need it, but because there’s nothing like a good sip of water on a hot day.