I would, first of all, like to introduce myself to you. My name is John Childress. I retired in January of 2010 after over 30 years of service with the NRCS at Dalhart, Texas. I worked designing pipelines, livestock and wildlife watering systems, and windbreaks. I worked with farmers and ranchers on conservation practices to control erosion and conserve water on their lands. I am familiar with USDA cost-share programs and the standards and specifications for practices that are cost shareable. I planned, wrote and administered cost-share program plans that benefited wildlife and livestock.
For over 25 years, I have worked with the local chapter of Quail Unlimited, Texas Quail Coalition, and Tri-State Wildlife installing wildlife watering facilities and windbreak plantings on the Rita Blanca National Grasslands, Kiowa National Grasslands, and private lands. I have sold watering systems to people in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, Utah, and South Dakota. The systems on the grasslands were approved by the U.S. Forest Service.
I am a conservationist at heart. My daughter says that I was green before green was cool, but I am not an "environmentalist". I am an avid hunter. My love for wildlife goes beyond hunting. I enjoy watching animals in their native environs. I have not hunted quail for over 20 years, but continue to work to improve and develop habitat for them. I believe that every hunter should have a desire to help improve the habitat that the game they love needs to survive. They need to give back to the game they love!
The lightweight fiberglass construction of the Wildlife Watering Systems guzzler offers a simple and easy to assemble solution designed and built to last for decades of reliable service. The rough surface and slope of the drinking trough provide easy access to water for small game and birds. Wildlife Watering Systems (WWS) products meet the ASTM D4097 Standard and are approved by the NRCS for CSP (Conservation Security Program) and EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) applications, allowing you to use cost-share programs. Fiberglass construction will not rust or corrode, making it a low maintenance alternative of choice to landowners and wildlife managers. The drinking trough is connected to the storage tank by a 1” flexible hose. No float is needed. The gel coat finish on all exposed surfaces protects them from UV degradation of the fiberglass and extends the useful life of the systems. Other guzzlers do not offer this. Consult your local NRCS office for the size requirements for your area for cost share. I will gladly work with you on the needs for your project.
The Wildlife Watering Systems guzzler is the solution for providing wildlife with the single most important element that they cannot live without - WATER. Rain and snowfall amounts vary greatly across the western U.S. - both state to state and year to year. This challenge can make it difficult for landowners and wildlife managers to attract and hold wildlife. The Wildlife Watering Systems guzzler eliminates this problem by utilizing rain and snowfall precipitation through catchment, storage, and distribution of water.
This system was designed by me, a retired NRCS conservationist, wildlife enthusiast and avid hunter by taking parts of several different systems and combining them for something that works. The Wildlife Watering Systems guzzler is the simple, efficient, effective, affordable solution for a consistent supply of naturally maintained drinking water for wildlife!
Wildlife needs the same things that we need to live – food, water, and cover. Just like humans, they cannot survive without water. Birds get most of their water from insects during the growing season and from green plants that they eat throughout the year. They will all go to standing water throughout the year. During droughts, there is very little green plant material around and insects are scarce. They need the water that we can help you supply. A good friend of mine, Gary Homerstad, a retired Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist, made the statement, "Quail do not need standing water to survive - but they do need it to thrive."
Bat Guzzler sold to Pima County, AZ.
Have you got bats in your belfry? Maybe you want them there. A single little brown bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in a single hour. Better to have bats around than to have all of those pesky bugs. Bats do not lite to drink. They drink in flight. I supplied Pima County, Arizona, with bat guzzlers for years. The drinking trough is 2' wide x 2' deep x 13' long. Bats need a 12' length to skim over to drink. The trough is connected to a 4' diameter tank that gets its water from solar powered wells.
Planters sold to Petrified Forest HQ
My fiberglass products have a gel coat finish that protects them from harmful UV rays. This extends the life expectancy of the tanks and troughs. This 4' diameter Planter is 3' tall. There are four of them located at the Petrified Forest Visitor Center in Arizona. We can make them in other sizes and any color that appeals to you.