Getting close to animals with a bow and arrow is no easy feat. Spot-and-stalk bowhunting is an art form that few will ever master.
My memories are still quite vivid. When I was a young boy, Dad would take me on deer hunts with him. He’d selflessly try and get me close to deer, even if it meant he didn’t fill his tag.
Whether we were crawling on our hands and knees or simply just walking slow, there were sometimes we’d get within spitting distance of deer. It seemed like a magic trick at the time. The more we did this with trial and error, though, the more I realized there was a process to it all — a process that I’d apply to my spot-and-stalk bowhunting endeavors later in life.
Spot-and-Stalk?
Hands down, the most popular form of bowhunting is sitting in a tree and waiting for a deer to walk by. This is exhilarating in its own right, and I encourage you to try it out if you haven’t. It’s a form of ambush hunting.
Instead of waiting for an animal to come to you, spot-and-stalk bowhunting is when you go to the animal. Bowhunters spot game animals from far off with optics and try to figure out a way to get close for an archery shot. This type of hunting is often better applied to a more open country where there is more visibility, though useful in dense areas as well for an experienced hunter.
Successful spot-and-stalk bowhunting is a series of moving parts that all work together in order to solve the puzzle that is getting within bow range of an animal. It’s chaotic, blissful, and the ultimate test in bowhunting skills.
Glassing Is the Best Way to ‘Spot’
![Glassing spot and stalk bowhunting - glassing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-7859.jpg)
This method of hunting is called “spot-and-stalk” bowhunting. So, the first step in the equation is to spot. The best way to go about doing this is from afar with high-powered optics, a tactic that is called glassing.
Glassing allows a hunter to stay back and watch animals in a very nonintrusive way. There is no better way to plan a stalk than observing where and what the animal does naturally before making your way over to it.
I prefer to have an elevated vantage point for glassing. This gives a commanding view of the country beneath me. That said, being down low and looking up can work as well. The disadvantage with being lower is that you’re often contending with having to look through more vegetation, much more so than if you were looking from above.
![Binoculars spot and stalk bowhunting - glassing - binoculars](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-4141.jpg)
After an Animal Is Spotted
Bedded
Feeding
![Spotting Game spot and stalk bowhunting - feeding](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-.jpg)
Traveling
How to Close the Distance
![Closing the distance spot and stalk bowhunting - closing distance](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-7386.jpg)
Things to Pay Attention to on Your Way
Wind
Footfall
![Boots - Light Stepping spot and stalk bowhunting - closing the distance](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-8738.jpg)
Shadows
The Animal’s Eyes
In the ‘Red Zone’
![Closing In spot and stalk bowhunting - in the red zone](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-7073.jpg)
This Is a Process
![A successful hunt spot and stalk bowhunting - hunted prey](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/08/Dialed-In-Hunter-6395.jpg)