antlergetter

I have been hunting for many years and have yet to learn what a deer funnel is supposed to look like. When i go scouting, I just find a trail and walk it till i find alot of sign, which normally leads me to bed, food, or sexual stompping grounds for deer. However, I hunt on 330 acres of private land which ties into thousands of acres of public land, and thats alot of walking!! I've always heard the term, and I understand I think, but around here I'm in the foothills of the Appalachain mountains, there are no fields at all where I hunt and some of the terrain is almost straight up and down. There are some old logging roads, and streams, but other than that its just thick woods. I know it sounds stupid but can you guys help me know what to look for terrian wise?? All my stands have went dead, and I am forced to go far and wide in search of new stands before next season. Like I said, I just want to save myself alot of walking, when I could just look and go. If someone can tell me what to look for on a topo...or in the woods it would help me a great deal. Thanks guys....and sorry for the stupid question...you'd think after all these years id learn this stuff.

johnch

A funnel is a place where deer travel that makes it easyer for them to travel or move undected. Like a flat between a steep slope and a top of a ravine. A narrow finger of woods or brush between a 2 larger woods. A small area of gental sloped creek bank on a steep banked creek. A saddel on a ridge. A loging tow path on a steeply sloped hill side. A narrow edge cover between a feild and a steep slope or dence brush. Or my favorit a hole in a fence that blocks deer travel. These are just a few funnels or pinch points.

Solax

Think of when you go to the airport and you go through the security check. There's a bunch of people walking around aimlessly until you get to the security check and everyone has to go through the same spot.

Now think of your area and imagine if the deer are going from one spot to another there may be an area they HAVE to go through to get there. They're not going to go straight up or down those cliffs so they have to walk around them. Switchbacks would be good. Lots of times loggers will use the best path so the logging roads might go through a funnel. Check the stream, there might be a narrow area with little to no current, that might be where they prefer to cross.

I have the same problem here in MD. All of the land I hunt is flat as my high school girlfriend. I find funnels in brush lines, one I have is from a wood lot to a field, there's one area that's really thick right up to the field edge while the rest is open, that's where they like to enter the field.