Boogieman1 wrote:I have read a lot of stuff on here about how non productive a funnel is and I just don't get it. It's got me so messed up I'm to the point of questioning if what I hunt is even a funnel. So this is just my take on what a funnel is and how I hunt them. In hopes someone can shine some light on how these are no Bueno and I'm the luckiest man alive.
I don't look for hour glass patches of timber connecting 2 wood lots infact most of the ones I hunt cannot be easily seen from a aerial. If I find a spot I consider a possible funnel and put a cam in it for the entire season and it reveals it got a lot of daylight traffic during a specific time during the rut and let's say the following year everything stays the same food sources etc..... Why would I not expect these deer to use there same natural movement pattern?
If I have a stand where 3 creeks come together and any bucks paralleling those creeks would be placed in my lap, so why would a buck swim across 3 creeks unless he was forced and knew the spot was being hunted.
Another one I have good luck with is when another hunter has a perm stand and is baiting somewhat close to a road. I know that buck wants to get as far downwind from that perm stand as he can, the road provides the funnel he's not gonna wanna get exposed to traffic, so u set up in the sweet spot.
I think a lot of people see poor results from funnels because they get ruined before they were ever ripe for the Pickens. Or the funnel looks good on paper but in reality there's no reason for the buck to use it in the first place. In a high pressured public situation all the obvious ones would be stomped all over and I can see being worthless. But there's hidden ones that produce year after year.
I agree boogie but i think its how close the funnel is to bedding( mature buck bedding) which if it is close will see more daytime use from mature bucks. Rather than immature bucks I hunted corridors and funnels on a highly pressured farm this past season and i sat in both spots closer to bedding side of both places. One night thats it. I had a big boy come to me just at dark.( I wasnt close enough too bedding. )The only reason i know it was the one i was after was i seen his top crab claw shine a bit in moonlight. ( could barley see). But i know it was him. And this was november 17th still rutting But it showed me even during rut the big boys are still leary
During anytime too move during daylight hours But if i pushed in just 25-35 yards more i would have had a shot at him.live and learn. So imo i think it all goes back to how close these funnels choke points corridors etc are too bedding For ( mature bucks ). And daylight hour sightings