Killer Rut Funnel Setup

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Ognennyy
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Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Ognennyy » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:22 am

You hear a lot from people talking, in online articles, books, and magazine articles that funnels are great places to hunt during the rut. I'd always discounted them because I often read on here that they're pretty worthless unless you know they're connecting two areas of interest, such as bedding areas or food. I never really had areas like that before. Then last year a member on here recommended to me a saddle on a ridge that I had access to hunt, which connected two mountain marshes. I killed my first deer ever there last year. After that I started paying a little more attention to funnels.

I found this recently on a property I have access to hunt, and wanted to get your opinions on it. If we're being honest this is my back yard. The farm field to the North of the blue lines is a development now that I live in. The developer doesn't hunt or post it. I've sat a stand a few times along the blue line representing observed deer movement. They're always coming from the West so over the weekend I got curious why, went and checked, and found the oaks. The doe are always moving to the East, while the one 6-point (that I almost had a shot at on Saturday!) who comes in takes the bottom blue line into bedding in thick vegetation along the stream bank. I don't know what's off to the East where the doe go. More acorns? Browse in the marshes? Agg fields to the North by the road? From the road I've seen deer in the North agg fields before, but I don't know if it's the same deer, if they travel that far. I'm taking an educated guess that they move through the area I've labeled "RUT STAND".

RUT STAND is a funnel formed by the marsh on the North (400 yards in length from West to East) and the swamp on the South. The dry land funnel I've identified is about 60 yards North to South. The cool / weird thing about the funnel is that while the land bridge forms a West-East-wise funnel, the terrain forms one North-South. I can't decide, does that make this funnel no good since it kinda contradicts itself? Or is it the ultimate rut funnel because a double transition in a land bridge and a small terrain saddle?

I'm absolutely dying to go in and see for myself, but I know that can't be a smart move this late in the season. My target date for first sit is Saturday, November 4. I'm convinced this property has not been hunted, or received any pressure at all besides my own, for nearly three years now. So if there are big deer in there I don't want to scare em off.

So, what's the verdict on this? Hot spot, or find another place to hunt during peak rut activity? I'm guessing hot spot but would like confirmation from the crafty veterans.

Oh and I was wondering about "Likely bedding area?" as well. It's an inside bend on a stream. Worth checking out?

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hunter10
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby hunter10 » Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:35 pm

That funnel between marshes looks dynamite. For a funnel like that your going to expect deer to travel from east-west and also come up into that funnel from the marshes. You'll have to decide what wind works best.. whatever wind you pick your going to have to give up a section of the funnel or marsh for your scent to blow into your chosen "dead area"
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Ognennyy » Tue Oct 10, 2017 3:13 pm

Darn. A West or Northwest wind is most common here in late October through November, and my easy access is from the West or North. Looks like I'm either waiting until we get an East or South wind, or putting on the duck waders and walking through a swamp. I'm just not sure what to do with the waders while I'm hunting. I suppose I can leave em on the side of the swamp and get em on the way out.
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Ognennyy » Tue Oct 10, 2017 3:16 pm

On second thought, would it be smarter for me to try to hunt it based on which of the food sources will be the most used at the beginning of November? I don't think there is anything growing in those agg fields up North by the road this year but I'll go double check. I don't know much about deer crop preferences since I have never really hunted farmland before. And acorns are mostly done at that time of year around here. They might still be picking at old acorns, but nothing is still dropping at that point.

Won't they most likely be using the North and South marshes as food sources more than anything else around that time of year?
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 10, 2017 4:12 pm

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Assuming it’s a swampy low spot NE of my X, I like this spot. If you get lots of west winds that will work. There’s got to be bedding SE of it...
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 10, 2017 4:18 pm

Wear your waders in the stand. I killed my doe while wearing them and passed a little buck at 17 yds while I was only 5’ offthe ground with them on just last night. They’re a wetland neoprene pattern. (I did throw my leafy wear over top last night). Buck never even looked my way and he was within bow range for a long time.

I’m done carrying them and changing in and out of boots. They’ll be nice and warm when it gets cold out :D
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 10, 2017 4:23 pm

Image
Added a 2nd set that might work for NW wind. Find a way to use that creek it’s a nice transition. Check those oxbows for bedding. It doesn’t take much of a bed sometimes...
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Ognennyy » Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:32 pm

Lockdown wrote:Image
Added a 2nd set that might work for NW wind. Find a way to use that creek it’s a nice transition. Check those oxbows for bedding. It doesn’t take much of a bed sometimes...


Thanks for pointing those out. They do look juicy. It'll be nice to have some sets to rotate in and out of instead of just wearing one stand into the ground.
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Ognennyy » Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:33 pm

Lockdown wrote:Wear your waders in the stand. I killed my doe while wearing them and passed a little buck at 17 yds while I was only 5’ offthe ground with them on just last night. They’re a wetland neoprene pattern. (I did throw my leafy wear over top last night). Buck never even looked my way and he was within bow range for a long time.

I’m done carrying them and changing in and out of boots. They’ll be nice and warm when it gets cold out :D


I never even considered this, only be cause I know it's gotta be a pain in the but to try to climb with those waders on. Mine are also wetland neoprene for waterfowling. They're just really tight and constrictive. I guess I'll just have to keep my sticks very close together when I'm wearing the waders in.

Thanks for the tip.
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby hunter10 » Tue Oct 10, 2017 10:12 pm

Ognennyy wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Wear your waders in the stand. I killed my doe while wearing them and passed a little buck at 17 yds while I was only 5’ offthe ground with them on just last night. They’re a wetland neoprene pattern. (I did throw my leafy wear over top last night). Buck never even looked my way and he was within bow range for a long time.

I’m done carrying them and changing in and out of boots. They’ll be nice and warm when it gets cold out :D


I never even considered this, only be cause I know it's gotta be a pain in the but to try to climb with those waders on. Mine are also wetland neoprene for waterfowling. They're just really tight and constrictive. I guess I'll just have to keep my sticks very close together when I'm wearing the waders in.

Thanks for the tip.

What I Sometimes have to do in my farmland hunting is cross creeks in my waders to get where I need to be. I don't like climbing or sitting in waders so I take them off and fold the entry chest hole under or roll them up like a sleeping bag to try keeping some scent locked in them.
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:34 pm

hunter10 wrote:
Ognennyy wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Wear your waders in the stand. I killed my doe while wearing them and passed a little buck at 17 yds while I was only 5’ offthe ground with them on just last night. They’re a wetland neoprene pattern. (I did throw my leafy wear over top last night). Buck never even looked my way and he was within bow range for a long time.

I’m done carrying them and changing in and out of boots. They’ll be nice and warm when it gets cold out :D


I never even considered this, only be cause I know it's gotta be a pain in the but to try to climb with those waders on. Mine are also wetland neoprene for waterfowling. They're just really tight and constrictive. I guess I'll just have to keep my sticks very close together when I'm wearing the waders in.

Thanks for the tip.

What I Sometimes have to do in my farmland hunting is cross creeks in my waders to get where I need to be. I don't like climbing or sitting in waders so I take them off and fold the entry chest hole under or roll them up like a sleeping bag to try keeping some scent locked in them.


If I carry mine in I throw them on with the boots out in front of me and crotch behind my neck. It’s fairly comfortable. Just have to put my camo jacket over the LW so the teeth of the V don’t eat a hole in them. Then I put em on and strap my rubber boots to my stand. Then swap once I hit the other side and stash my waders for the hunt. It’s really not all that much fun. :lol:

For me it’s easier and more enjoyable to just walk with them on and hunt in them.

Plus if you carry them in n out, the way out sucks when you have to throw wet stinky waders over your shoulder.
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Ognennyy » Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:12 am

I'm half considering just wearing them in, crossing the marsh, then just leaving them laying there. I can grab em and put them on later on my way back out. But then... yeah at that point I have to drape them around my neck. God that would suck when it's like 30 degrees out.

Ah well, I think no matter what a pain the waders are it will be worth a good rut funnel setup. Amen?
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Re: Killer Rut Funnel Setup

Unread postby Lockdown » Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:33 am

Ognennyy wrote:I'm half considering just wearing them in, crossing the marsh, then just leaving them laying there. I can grab em and put them on later on my way back out. But then... yeah at that point I have to drape them around my neck. God that would suck when it's like 30 degrees out.

Ah well, I think no matter what a pain the waders are it will be worth a good rut funnel setup. Amen?


Yep. When you start doing things others deem too much work, you’re on the right path.


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