In Pursuit with Graeg & Jake

Funneling Bucks (FTPO)

In my first book, Aggressive Whitetail Hunting, I wrote that I’ve heard deer hunters refer to funnels by several different names. But whether they’re called bottlenecks, choke points, narrows or funnels, one thing remains constant. They are one of the absolute best places to wait in ambush for a mature whitetail buck.

In the simplest terms, a funnel is any sort of narrow corridor that’s found along the travel route of a whitetail deer. To visualize this, imagine an hourglass shape. Then assume the hourglass represents the entire range covered by a whitetail buck during his travels.

Now, if you had to chose the one place where you’d have the best chance of ambushing that buck, where would it be? Even hunters who possess just a basic understanding of funnels should answer that they’d chose to set up where the hourglass is most narrow–here in the middle. And of course, this is a funnel.

But a word of clarification is in order here. Although the hourglass illustration provided a perfect example of a funnel, I’m afraid there are darned few funnels you’ll find while scouting or hunting that have the classic hourglass shape. However, that doesn’t change anything about the way whitetails relate to funnels. No matter where you find whitetails, and no matter how they traverse their home ranges, those deer eventually will walk through some narrow corridor, which is the funnel you’re looking for.

All kinds of natural occurrences may force whitetails to travel through these narrow corridors. Water, whether in the form of a river, creek, lake or beaver pond, may cause funneling. And in more “developed” areas, man-made objects such as buildings, roads, fence lines, and open ground may force whitetails through certain spots.

Changes in elevations also may prompt whitetails to establish travel routes through certain locations. It may be an extremely high ridge that they’d rather walk around that over. Or it might be a swamp they prefer to skirt instead of slog through.

Regardless of what it might be, when an existing situation dictates walking through a certain spot, whitetails are restricted to a rather narrow travel corridor. And somewhere in this corridor–or funnel–is where your stand should be placed. And as I mentioned previously, I’ve seen perfect examples of funnels in every type of whitetail habitat I’ve hunted across North America.

It’s imperative I interject a word of warning regarding hunting in funnels. My observations have shown me that mature bucks seem to realize that walking through funnel areas puts them at great risk from any of their natural predators. Because of this suspicious nature, it’s very important you give a lot of thought to your funnel set ups. In short, take very conceivable precaution to ensure your presence remains an absolute secret!

Lastly, remember that no technique for hunting mature whitetail bucks, no matter how refined or perfect, can guarantee success every time out. But there are some that are far more consistent than others. Waiting in ambush in funnels is one of those techniques.

Remember, hunt hard, but ALWAYS hunt safe!