MO Archer

I fully understand the concept of hunting a funnel. The only problem I have is spotting one easily while scouting. Any good examples or explainations out there? Thanks.

BuellMan

Lots of woods coming to a point or narrowing
_________
x x x x x \
x x x x x\__Open Area__
x x xx x x x x x x x x x x
X =treex x x x x x/ Open Area
x x x x x x/

ShadowAce

I have 2 good examples:

1) There is 2000 acres of agrilulture across the road from the land I hunt. The land I hunt on is about 3000 acres of wodds and fields when you throw in the neighbors. Along the east side of this on the road, there is a strip of houses, a couple woodlines by a church and some more houses and a nursery. The deer have to pick a spot to cross the road to get to the ag fields. They pick the woodlines on either side of the church. This is the best cover and has the least human traffic. So all the deer at the top of the hill in the woods funnel down to this small area.

2)I don't know if this is considered an actual funnel but at the top side of a hollow, there is a bench that crosses it usually. This is an easier spot to cross than crossing down the sides of the hollow and up the other side. The deer take the bench to get to the other side.

bucketmouthhauler

Wow, thats a pretty good picture for using just the keyboard, Plus a very good depiction of a funnel.

davidmil

A funnel can be very obvious or not so obvious. It depends on the woods, the deer patterns, food sources, several things. An obvious example would be where there are several trails running through a section of woods and the woods becomes narrow. Instant funnel. It can also be less obvious say the woods is met by a curve of a stream or river or a road. It can me even less obvious if say suddenly the brushy woods has an opening or a lessening of the brush where the deer like to travel when put on alert. Extreme cliffs, drop offs, and all sort of things can funnel the deer. They like easy walking too. If not pressured they'll take the easy route, like a saddle in a ridge they cross to move from point A to B. It's not rocket science. Just look for anything that restricts travel or encourages travel in a particular direction, fences, roads, creeks, terrain features, field edges if a field sticks back into a woods. Heck, even a house in a narrow woods creates a funnel. Deer don't like walking up to your front door, they'll go around the yard. A stand that's been hunted too much by a lazy stinking hunter creates a funnel... they'll go around. The obvious are obvious. The great ones can be real subtle, like just a few more sapplings or brush. DOn't make it more difficult than it is. All you have to do is remember deer like to eat, avoid man for the most part and have favortie bedding areas and escape routes. Find places where they have to restrict themselves to accomplish or avoid that which they don't like. Look first for travel patterns, food sources, bedding areas etc and then find a place where deer coming from anywhere at one of these locations are bottlenecked and restricted. You'll just have more traffic there. Just think what a REAL funnel is. You pour something in a big open top and it comes out a restriction at the bottom. Pour the deer in a woods and look for the neck downs.

ShadowAce

The red lines are the outlines of the funnel. The first funnel from the top is the church. It only has traffic one day a week so the deer use it securely. The yellow line is our property.

Rack-attack

2 inground pools,3 tennis courts and 3mansions .............add some cattails and a little creek...............

When the Hummer is left in front of the driveway next to the Jag.................its even better

MO Archer

Thanks for the replies guys. It felt like a dumb question and it seems I was only over thinking it. Seeing some examples really help me in what to look for in the future- THANKS ALOT.

gzg38b

Here's some funnels where I hunt.