what does it all mean
 

what are river bottoms, funnels, and other land features where folks say the BIG BUCKS are? Im trying to understand. Im able to get near a river but what aamI looking at?, for? I want to greatly increase my chances this season

RE: what does it all mean
 

River bottoms are the flat areas in close proximity to a river that is usually also thick in vegetation and holds deer, or you can find crossings in them. The funnels refer to any area that is shaped like an hour glass center where the deer are forced to come through a close proximity that can be easily hunted. It can be where 2 ridges intersect, where a hardwood bottom narrows, while surrounded on both sides by pines or any other thick type of cover, or a place where 2 fields meet and are also surrounded by the same type of thick cover, An opening in the woods, wherer a fence exists that now is down in a small openng is anothe rtype of funnel. There are more of course, but hopefullythis will give you an idea of where to begin. Manytimes thes places will not contain a lot of sign, mainly because the deer are traveling through rather than spending time feeding or bedding. The best locations for these will be between the bedding and feeding areas, and may be an evening or morning stand based onwhethr they are coming to or from the bedding, feeding scenario.

RE: what does it all mean
 

i gather that an aerial map would clearly show me what youve described or at least a well elevated position to glass from. Thanks for your help

RE: what does it all mean
 

heeze, aerial maps will not show you deer funnels, deer trails, deer tracks,
deer rubs or deer scrapes, those you will have to find for your self.

RE: what does it all mean
 

These maps are a great tool. Here in SC, a good "funnle" that is often over looked are the little tracts of land that join two fields. As stated above, the deer may not stay here, but they do like the cover for travel. Just look for a narrow strip of land that connects two fields, hardwoods, creek or river bottoms, etc....

Even with that said...no tool a hunter can use is more valuable than getting out and getting your boots muddy.;)

RE: what does it all mean
 

To some extent yes but using an aerial photo in conjunction with a topographic map will make it more likely for you to find areas that could potentially hold deer. As the other gentleman stated you would still need to go out there to see if these potential areas are actually attractive to the animals.

RE: what does it all mean
 

hold it there REBEL hog....I gotcha covered......Im aware that only by walking thru will i see scrapes , rubs, and trails and the like....I thought that the lay of the land, features such as farmland, streams, forests, etc. could be better plotted from high above. Wouldnt that save me some time... Im told that every acre doesnt necessarily hold deer....especially big ones.. Some DEC sites say 3.2 deer per 10 acres in some regions.....maybe a topo map not an aerial map is better,,, you tell me!! I will definitely have to getmy feet a bitmuddy.. this is a given.!! Why all the rush to get topo /aerial maps on all these websites if there really not worth that much.....gullibility of the hunters??????

RE: what does it all mean
 

hey strutn BPS in cackalacky..... are you saying just the area between two big fields like a corridor is a funnel?? . A large area that reduces to a smaller area??????Then back to a larger area???You see ..I watch all these hunting shows on OLN and hear all these terms but rarely do I get the definitions of such.......maybe I should wait till the commercials to pay my water bill

RE: what does it all mean
 

hezze, I have a truck load aerial maps that Ihave purchased over the years.
Every WMA I have hunted, I have gone to the engineering office of that
county court house and have purchased them. Sometimes its 3 or 4 sheets
that you have to tape together to make the map.
The only reasonfor doing that, is to know where every road, swamp area,
water holes, thick cover, sections that are restricted to hunting, private
property and to markWMA zone areas. The deer hunting is all up to the
individualhunter.

RE: what does it all mean
 

ok then HAWG... thanks Just tryin toget that huntin lingo down pat.. So that I know what im saying when I tell my huntin tales.You have been kind thanks Im walkin the fields as usual to git r done