Fence-line funnels are easy to create by cinching down the upper portion of the fence to create a low spot and make travel easier for deer. It's best to get started early to allow deer to adapt to the new crossing. Be sure to clear the alteration with the owner of the fence.

All too often we read and write about hunters that have learned to take advantage of natural funnels. A funnel is essentially a "corridor" which deer use that provides safety and easy travel from point A to point B. With some know-how, you can find natural funnels that become the ultimate drop zone for an ambush site.

Keep in mind, though, that hunting trophy deer isn't just a matter of throwing up a stand and waiting for a big buck to saunter down the primrose path and come to a screeching halt in the "window" of opportunity. Likewise, every hardwood tree doesn't necessarily make the ideal sniper site. Perhaps you've run into a few of these same problems yourself and came to the conclusion it was time to move on. I've discovered it is sometimes easier to create a funnel that will trickle deer closer to my stand site than look for new ground to hunt. So, if you can't locate a natural funnel, try one or two of these tips for building your own funnel.

FIND A WEAK LINK
Typically, fenceline funnels make great ambush sites. Inside/outside corners and gate openings are just a couple of the most common ones. In rearing their young, does regularly lead their fawns to these low spots or openings. You can create these paths of least resistance on your own. (But absolutely check with and obtain the permission of the landowner before altering any fence.) For example, tying down the upper two strands of wire on a fence creates a weak link in the barrier where yearlings can cross with less difficulty.

When the rut approaches, hunters should focus their attention on doe travel routes from bed to feed. Established fence crossings are good places to start. Creating your own fenceline funnel early in the season will allow time for nature to take its own course when the wobbly youngsters are led down the path of least resistance.

FALSE BARRIERS
If you've spent considerable time chasing whitetails, you've most likely experienced the frustration that goes along with not being able to get within bow range of your quarry. Perhaps a barrier between you and the deer that prevents deer from passing out of range is in order. Breaklines, deep gullies, waterways and sheer embankments are all natural barriers that can assist you in bringing deer closer for a good bow shot.

The average livestock fence doesn't create a problem for deer, and they've been known to leap a six-foot-high fence without a running start. However, deer will normally take the easiest route when given a choice. Hunters can create what I call "false barriers" that alter deer movement. In other words, create a weak link in the barrier on your own!

Clearing paths of brush and debris on the approach to your stand is always a good idea for quiet walking, but it also creates an easy path or "funnel" for deer to use.

For example, a few years ago a good friend of mine placed his tree stand in a large pine tree located on the opposite side of a small gradual-sloping sidehill situated in heavy clover. Each day he hunted, he saw deer grazing on one side of the hill, staying a mere 20 yards out of comfortable bow range.

After becoming frustrated, my friend altered the deer's feeding course by adding a small section of fence that extended into the field. In doing so, the false barrier inadvertently forced the deer to walk around the corner post, which slowly funneled them within bow range. It worked great, and he arrowed a nice buck later that year.

NATURAL FUNNELS
Natural corridors that funnel deer from bed to feed are not always easy to spot because of their unique camouflaged appearance. In the midwest, the difference in terrain from one area to the next can be deceiving. For example, large CRP fields often have subtle swales that are not apparent at first glance, but a closer look might reveal well-established deer trails.

Interestingly, we can create simple trail funnels easily too. For example, several years ago I was hunting a small woodlot where the majority of the trees were dying and nearly every square inch of the ground was covered with small twigs. One day I took a garden rake along and cleared a swath from the timber edge toward the stand. Within days, deer started using the man-made funnel. Shortly thereafter, a nice buck sauntered down the new runway and my season ended.

HUBS ARE GOLDEN
In some cases you'll get lucky and find the ultimate site where multiple funnels, both man-made and natural, converge in a central location. This past bow season, Illinois bowhunter Cliff Perry found such a place. After 10 years of hunting the same area, he located from an aerial photo a combo funnel consisting of a fenceline, inside corner, logging road and a steep ridge, all leading to a staging area bordering crop fields of corn and alfalfa.

Evidently the landowner had been watching three large bucks consistently slipping from the same corner to feed in the nearby crop fields only 40 yards from the fringes of the timber. As Cliff scouted the area, he found the ideal stand site where all the funnels converged to form a hub. This ambush site would allow shot opportunities at less than 20 yards to all the surrounding trails. A small limb from the very tree he sat in overhung the logging road and served as a licking branch to a scrape beneath.

Illinois bowhunter Cliff Perry poses with his 170 3/8-inch Boone and Crockett buck taken on opening day from an area where multiple funnels converged to form a hub.

The first morning of the season, Cliff found himself walking to his stand during a light drizzle, which soon turned into a outright downpour. Later that afternoon it continued to rain off and on; but didn't stop the hunter from going out. During the last few minutes of shooting light it started pouring. Cliff wondered whether or not to stick it out until dark, but at nearly the same time, he was surprised at the sight of deer that seemingly appeared from nowhere, trotting up the logging road about 80 yards away.

As the deer continued to close the gap, Cliff realized it was a huge buck and positioned himself for a shot. Now at 30 yards, he drew his bow; but much to his surprise, he was having trouble seeing through a water-filled peep sight. At less than 10 yards he released the arrow, only to watch it zip beneath the deer's chest. The buck jumped and ran to the fenceline. Cliff quickly nocked another arrow, hoping for another shot. The buck appeared to be confused and started walking up the fenceline only to enter Cliff's sights once again. This time, Cliff's arrow hit the mark, sending the buck dashing for dear life. Cliff didn't realize just how big the bruiser was until he grabbed its antlers.

WATERWAYS
Although some hunters never consider hunting funnels created by waterways, they probably should. Deer often follow waterways to a point where crossing is easy. Sheer bluffs or steep embankments often parallel creeks and eventually make a gradual slope to a low spot. More often than not, you'll find sandbars or areas where small rocks build up to create shallows. In many cases you'll find an intersection of trails converging from several directions that seem to have a trickling effect toward the natural funnel. In addition to making the ultimate stand site, hunters should utilize the shallows as a means of getting to and from stands without leaving scent spewed across deer travel routes.

For example, I hunted a creek bottom with a hardwood ridge that ran parallel to its entire length. Because of an early-season experience where a buck picked up my scent at the crossing, it became evident that I needed to take more precautionary measures. Therefore, each morning I walked in the shallows for about the last 50 yards and approached the stand farther downstream, staying away from the deer crossing. Interestingly, only a few days later I shot a decent buck.

LOGGING ROADS
Some natural or man-made funnels are good choices whether we alter them or not. For example, old logging roads always seem to attract my attention, especially when going into new areas. As good luck would have it, I found a real dandy while scouting this past July.

Glassing from a nearby ridge overlooking a coulee bottom, three bucks sauntered along a steep hillside just before total darkness fell. Watching them, it became evident the sheer embankment restricted their travels to following the sidehill. After studying an aerial photo, it became obvious that a long narrow opening on the ridge running parallel to the sheer embankment was a major corridor in the surrounding rugged terrain.

The following morning I decided to investigate the bug-infested coulee bottom. At first light, a nice buck slipped from the bottom to feed in a nearby alfalfa strip before disappearing into the buck brush. Later investigation led to an old logging road that had long since grown over but was now the superhighway leading to and from the bottoms. A deep ravine to the south and the steep embankment to the north made the logging road running up the middle the ultimate funnel.

I had a gut feeling that the road would be a major runway to an annual breeding area found nearby. So I waited for the rut before hunting the location. After setting out a decoy on my first morning, I laid a doe estrus scent trail toward the stand and shinnied up a nearby tree. Dense fog rolled in, and a howling pack of beagles echoed in the distance, moving closer by the minute. Turkeys gobbled from their roosts and deer scurried in different directions as the dogs circled the outside perimeter of the small woodlot. Shortly thereafter, a tall-tined buck trotted down the road and approached the decoy. Unfortunately, about that same time the dogs came busting through the timber, the buck bolted and I couldn't get off a shot.

Sometime later, two does trotted across the sidehill with two bucks close behind. I grunted softly and a smallish eight-point moved toward the does. A deep grunt from the thick brush indicated a bigger buck loomed in the shadows. Another soft grunt brought the buck leaping into the open.

Standing motionless, the buck panted and drooled, sending puffs of hot steam from his nostrils as he stared at the small buck. Expecting the buck to make the next move, I brought my bow to full draw. Only seconds later I let the string slip free, sending a 125-grain Thunderhead through both sides of the rib cage.

Never discount the possibilities and rewards that natural funnels have to offer. More importantly, before you throw in the towel on an area you've deemed impossible to hunt and move on, first take a good look around and consider all options of building your own funnel too. Finding or making your own funnel could just be the answer to your latest whitetail puzzle.