Arizona Hunting Club & Outdoor Adventure Group

Scouting Funnels and
Choke Points on Topographic Maps

A funnel is a narrow strip of cover, usually timber that connects two larger tracts of cover together. When elk and deer travel during daylight hours they will use this strategic funnel to travel between two large pieces of cover, so it "chokes" animal movement down close to your tree stand site.

This funnel can be a narrow strip of woods between woodlots. It can also be a wide, timbered fencerow. Or it may be a strip of woods alongside a stream or river. There are many different varieties of funnels. All funnels are good locations to spend time in throughout the season.

The tail end of the rut season is the ultimate time to be on a tree stand in a funnel because the larger bucks are out searching for the few remaining females in estrus.

1. Stock Tanks
2. Ridges
3. Ridge End Points
4. Game Trail Hubs
5. Saddles and Dips in the Ridge
6. Hillside Benches
7. Forest/Pastures/Burn Breaklines
8. Field Saddles/Creek Beds
9. Hilltop Field Funnels
10. Forest Inside and Double Inside Corners
11. Natural Funnels/Chokepoints