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When I think about shooting a mature whitetail, I think of putting a strategic plan to work - from putting scribbles on your topo and aerial maps, to honing in on that seemingly perfect location. It’s the total effect of combining all your resources to be a savvy hunter.
With over a thousand products to choose from to increase your odds of harvesting a deer, and more than a hundred different strategies to put to use, I’m going to give you a few that I’ve learned from many of the industry's most successful hunters.
Using land terrain features to your advantage has been used for centuries; in fact, the Native Americans used landscape to kill buffalo in the vast plains and western regions of the United States. Native Americans cornered Buffalo to a cliff or ledge and ran them off to ensure their survival for the long winter months. Nowadays, we aren’t that desperate for food, but hunters have realized how fortunate they’ve become by looking for general characteristics on their property, which could tailor their odds of having a giant walk within range. It may not be a cliff, but it’s something we as hunters have at least heard of, which is the term ‘funnel.’
Funnels are whitetail hot spots, especially during the rut. They are simply terrain features or manmade objects that simply condense a whitetail’s travel route. Here are 5 lessons from many of the outdoor industry's best and brightest, on where to look and how they work:
- The Finger: Finding a woods that has a jut or a finger of woods that outcrops into a field is an ideal spot to find a big buck cruising. These are found easily by studying aerial maps. Considering deer like to stay concealed, they’ll be able to scent check that cornfield or CRP field without ever taking a step out of the woods. These are found everywhere, but Illinois and Iowa are specifically known for them.
- The Underwater Advantage: If you’ve ever hunted a swamp, you may know what I mean when I say it’s difficult and it can be really tricky! The fact is, deer would prefer to stay dry and walk along the higher regions of marshy or swampy areas. Try to spot cattails or bogs and then look on the outskirts of those regions. You may find a dry trail that deer will use most of the time compared to trudging through the nasty stuff. Now, I’ve personally seen deer splash through some knee-high, algae-infested water, but when it boils down to it, deer are going to stay on the high side.
- Farmer Brown’s Fence: You’ve probably heard about this strategy a time or two, but it’s one of my favorite setups. Take a walk along a fence line, and if you find a spot where it’s busted or low, you’ve found yourself a fence funnel. Deer travel most according to the ease of access. When they don’t have to do the limbo or high jump, they would rather breeze through a fence that’s low without any acrobatic moves needed. You can set up on either side of the fence according to wind direction and where you think they’ll be coming from.
- Sky High Pass: I primarily hunt the bluff regions of western Wisconsin. This offers some immaculate hunting and it’s beneficial for anyone who really wants to tag a monster trolling for doe. As you look across the horizon of bluffs, there is something in between each bluff that we call "saddles." These saddles are perfect locations for deer to cross, without having to walk the incline of a steep hillside. When a buck’s got a doe on his mind, the only thing he’s really thinking is how fast can he get from point A to point B. The more miles put on, the more likely he’s able to find a hot doe. This valley feature is an ideal way for bucks to save energy and make an easy pass across the low side of a bluff.
- The Waterway: Creeks and streams are beautiful geological evidence that deer hop from one side to the other by using the lowest or driest part of the streambed to cross. Granted that deer swim, they prefer crossing a creek or stream without getting soggy. This is why you see deer trails, that slice through the bank, carved through the soil! It’s a major highway. When it comes to staying dry, especially in the colder months of November and December, deer will slosh through knee-high water. Not only are they conserving body heat, but making their life easier and more pleasant.
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Sometimes we as hunters have the ability to over think hunting, but that’s what makes it so much fun. It’s a thinking game that involves strategy and technique. Although the strategies we put to work can be extremely technological, we need to stop and think quickly and ask ourselves, “If I were a deer, what would I do?”
You’ll be amazed by the answers you find and the secrets that become unveiled. Hunting funnels are a fun tactic to try to potentially kill your next buck.
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Community Feedback
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grease1975
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4 Stars
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Re: Let a Map Hunt For You
"Great article...As a guide in pike county illinois I take looking over maps like a test im goin to take..Finding fingers,bottle necks,draws,and fence crossings is key to finding big bucks...specially during the rut....Good luck hunters"
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jemrami9
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5 Stars
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Re: Let a Map Hunt For You
"Geez, why does jerseystrap have it in for you? Anyway, good info there. I also think it would be a good idea to include photos of the land features you mentioned, either aerial, topographic or both. That is a hot topic sometimes regarding how to identify those specific land features on either of those 2 map types."
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Goose 11
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3 Stars
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Re: Let a Map Hunt For You
"Good article. I'd like to see some photo examples of each terrain feature. That would be helpful in locating them on a map. "Even the biggest man with the best ideas can be shot down by the smallest man with the smallest mind.""
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jrod24
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Re: Let a Map Hunt For You
"This is a good post. I hunt in New York and hunt with a bow but i also hunt the swamps but I've seen a lot of deer over the 4 years. Not saying anything bad about this post just stating this."
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