culvert

Bill wrote and talked about bowhunting an urban zone near Indianapolis:

One of my best stand sites backs up against the interstate. Weird being in that tree before daybreak and hearing all those cars and trucks going behind me. But it turns out to be a great travel route. They (the deer) go from park property on the other side of the interstate, follow a creek under the interstate and move through the property. Two 10 pointers and a good-sized 8 were taken last year.

Bill hits on a killer bow tactic. A bridge access or box culvert beneath a busy interstate or a lonely rural road is a great deer funnel. Whitetails are like us; they take the easiest, safest path from A to B whenever they can. Why jump a fence, clatter across 2 or 4 lanes of blacktop and dodge cars when you could stroll casually and hidden in a ditch or creek beneath a highway? Just look at the picture–if you were a buck wouldn’t you walk through there?

I have never shot a buck in a funnel like this, but I know guys who have. Try it if you can. Check the creek/river bank mud and you’ll see all the tracks. Analyze the trail that runs out from the funnel and hang a stand maybe 80 to 100 yards or farther off the road (your state might have a minimum legal hunting distance from a public road, so know that and abide). Set up high on a bank if you can. If it’s open country like the picture and you can glass the funnel for a buck coming or going through it, that’s good. Anybody tried this?

Note: Strictly a bow tactic. For obvious reasons never gun hunt close to a road funnel.