Man Made Funnel

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backstraps
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Man Made Funnel

Unread postby backstraps » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:18 pm

:D Have you guys ever manipulated an area to funnel deer closer to you?

A few years ago, I was hunting in a funnel about 150 yards wide. Problem was, it seemed like the deer regardless of where I hunting in the strips of woods would be out of range.

Since this was on private property, and I had free range to do whatever I wished... during Feb I took a chainsaw in that funnel. Tree that were smaller than my legs, I sawed them off flush with the ground. I then dragged the trees to the narrow spot of the funnel. I began placing trees to funnel the deer closer to one side of the funnel. When I was done, the was an opening in the funnel 60 yards wide. I set up in the middle of the 60 yard opening, and had a 30 yard max shot in either direction.

Well the plan worked great with one exception...when season rolled around, I set in this funnel and NEVER seen anything over 2.5 years old about 100-110 inches. SO I didnt get to bend a string in the middle of my hard work. LOL, one thing for certain though, every deer that made a pass through this strip of woods, came above or below me :D


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magicman54494
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:26 pm

I found a good funnel in northern Wis and gave the spot to a friend. He saw good numbers but many of them came by where he couldn't shoot. The funnel was a strip of young popples. I almost begged him to go in there and drag branches etc. to funnel them into bow range. He never did and since it was his spot I didn't go in there eithor. That was the perfect spot to do a manmade funnel.
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby Stanley » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:56 pm

Do it all the time. Brush stacked and placed strategically makes for a good wing dam.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby kenn1320 » Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:30 am

Stanley wrote:Do it all the time. Brush stacked and placed strategically makes for a good wing dam.


X2 8-)
"Its about taking the right shot at the right time with good equipment." Dan Infalt
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby gjs4 » Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:40 am

Yeah...a bunch of times... here is my suggestion....just hinge cut- do not stack brush...think the big guys just avoid heavily invaded areas

Another big tip- dont ever push them through there either....have noted if theyre kicked through it they will opt to take on new (alternate) primary passage.

Shoot me a pm for more ideas if you need them...
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby jonsimoneau » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:02 am

Since I hunt with recurves and longbows I need my shots close. I routinely enhance areas to funnel deer towards me. Works great. A lot of people think you have to do this outside of the season so the deer will get used to it. This is. It always the case. I have blocked trails and further restricted funnels and had deer respond the very next day.

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U.P. MAN
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby U.P. MAN » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:45 am

Never did it. I know jeff sturgis has used snow fence with success in some areas. Also hinge cutting and things simple as falling a tree in the right spot.

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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby dan » Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:38 am

I block certain trails or beds a lot... On a lot of the private lands I scout for clients, we have actually put in fences with an opening at the right spot. Its hard to keep bucks from going thru piled brush, and it deteriorates over time... The fences work great, but kind of diminish the natural woods... But I guess its no different than putting in a water hole or planting a plot in a strategic place.
What has worked well with fences is to not place the hunter in the center of the opening, but rather on the edge with the end of the fence wrapping 1/2 way around the tree so the deer don't wander close and get his scent.
On a property I recently scouted for a client, I suggested he put in a double fence on one side of the funnel to his tree so he is completely fenced in on his access trail. The access from his yard is only about 100 yards so it would not be that difficult.
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby Bigb » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:01 am

I've dropped limbs more than a few times to get deer to take a different trail to give me a more optimal shot. I have a new stand up this year that has trails running all around it and have placed some brush in some of the paths to try and make the deer head in front of me rather than behind.

I have a spot just outside the Chicago city limits that borders a forest preserve. The forest preserve has a large fence all around it but stops about 3 feet shy of a creek. The deer use that spot to sneak around the fence and head into the neighboring areas. I only have room for one stand on this piece of land but its about 20 yards from this funnel and the majority of deer that we see either are coming from or going to this spot. The good thing is I can see the deer coming from the forest preserve and can prepare for a shot before they make it over to the land I hunt.
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby kenn1320 » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:16 am

dan wrote:I block certain trails or beds a lot... On a lot of the private lands I scout for clients, we have actually put in fences with an opening at the right spot. Its hard to keep bucks from going thru piled brush, and it deteriorates over time... The fences work great, but kind of diminish the natural woods... But I guess its no different than putting in a water hole or planting a plot in a strategic place.
What has worked well with fences is to not place the hunter in the center of the opening, but rather on the edge with the end of the fence wrapping 1/2 way around the tree so the deer don't wander close and get his scent.
[glow=red]On a property I recently scouted for a client, I suggested he put in a double fence on one side of the funnel to his tree so he is completely fenced in on his access trail.[/glow]The access from his yard is only about 100 yards so it would not be that difficult.


This is a technique I use on my plot behind the house. I use the fence to deter deer from entering down wind of my stand, and to keep them from finding my scent at the bottom of my wooden ladder stands. If your setting up funnels, do your best not to over hunt them, or deer will catch on to this being a trap. Dont set up right over the opening, plan to be off to the side. Picture water rushing thru the pinch point, dont set up where you have a chance of getting your feet wet. 8-)
"Its about taking the right shot at the right time with good equipment." Dan Infalt
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby tim » Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:49 am

i will do this also, when i bought my place the pasture had a gate to get into from the crops for the farmers tractor. once i purchased the land i opened the gate and put a trail cam by the gate. thissis still my most productive trail cam site. make an opening and they will use it. in the woods i will use the biggest branches i can find a nd place them strategically so as to move deer the way i want them to go.
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:17 am

My buddy and I rearranged his spot back in 1995 after he watched a few deer cut thru an opening in a fence made by a downed tree.
We repaired the barbed wire fence section and the deer continued down the fence line right in his trap!!! He filled his tag nicely...
(I still think of Pam Anderson everytime I say "Barbed Wire" - sorry)
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby JV NC » Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:00 am

I'll check my main thoroughfares from time to time to make sure they're unobstructed. I've been known to take a chainsaw back and clear routes deer travel, if a deadfall obstructs it.

I've also felled some trees to attempt to funnel deer through a particular area (create a pinch-point). Lukewarm success at this, at best. But, it make take a few seasons to make them move through an area differently than they're used to (I'm hoping this is the case). We'll see.
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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:17 am

I have blocked trails in cattails to get deer to use a different trail I would hunt on. This works really well when the trail forks and you can only cover one of them. I usually just block with branches or just push thick cattails across the trail. Of course this is best done in the offseason.

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Re: Man Made Funnel

Unread postby dan » Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:23 am

I read a story a while back in North American whitetail magazine where a guy owned a 40 acre piece of property that was a funnel between two larger properties that held big bucks. His property was flat and seemingly the same all across... So after several frustrating years he determined that they (big bucks) really only came thru his property during the rut. And he was rarely covering the correct trail when they could come thru anywhere... So he cut a strip the length of the property and planted multiflora rose the whole length except a short window near the center. After that he shot two monster booners back to back years during the rut going thru the funnel without the thorns.


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