Spot & Stalking Whitetail

[Bort]

Has anybody successfully spot and stalked whitetails here in Texas? I’ve done it on javelinas and pigs, but never tried for whitetail.

If you have, any tips or stories would be welcome.

[MtnMike]

I have done it in Central Texas. Wind has to be right and you have to move slow. I use to slip up on deer in east Texas while Squirrel hunting. It can be done!

[flywise]

Good wind, good moisture on the ground to dampen leaves and grass.
I've done ut a few times over the years but never shot anything because everything I slipped up on was nothing I wanted to shoot. But yes, it can be done

[Rubeng]

Every time I still hunt for axis I end up getting within 20
yards of white tail. Can be done 100 percent

[Huntingfool]

I have done it since my Dad taught me how to as a teenager. Move super slow of course - I take 3 steps and stop, listen, and scan. For me it is a blast and certainly makes you feel like you are really hunting -

Many times if I am sitting in a stand I corn the senderos a long way - if a deer walks out past a couple of hundred yards I will crawl out of the stand and stalk them to get into a range I am comfortable with

[brokeno]

Indian creep. Take it slow and stay out of the sun

[CodyMack2]

Indian creep. Take it slow and stay out of the sun

He didn't ask about still hunting, he asked about Spot and Stalk. Nearly every deer we have killed over the last 20 years has been spot and stalk, but we hunt big country with lots of terrain to make a move. Use the wind and move when you can, my kids killed countless deer growing up like this, we blew some opportunities as well.

[Rubeng]

He didn't ask about still hunting, he asked about Spot and Stalk. Nearly every deer we have killed over the last 20 years has been spot and stalk, but we hunt big country with lots of terrain to make a move. Use the wind and move when you can, my kids killed countless deer growing up like this, we blew some opportunities as well.

He also asked for tips…

[CodyMack2]

He also asked for tips…

He did, about spot and stalk.

[Yak blue]

Play the wind, and try to use the rising or setting sun to your advantage. Go slow. I’ve done it successfully in the rough country of the panhandle below the cap rock a number of times.
out there, you can see a long way. Move when they are actively feeding or looking away. Don’t move when they’re not.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

I have done it a few times. They will often be frozen if they think you don’t see them. Horizontal lines and ear and tail twitches are what gives them away. I have only done it once with a bow.

[Rubeng]

He did, about spot and stalk.

which falls under many different names. “Indian creep”, “still hunting” and “spot and stalk” are all the same thing. They have the same purpose. Finding an animal then stalking that said animal. You might find your deer in big country by glassing thousands of acres and moving in on the deer. Some sneak through the cedar or mesquite thickets, that are impossible to glass, and find their quarry that way.

it’s all the same no matter what you call it. 👍🏼

[bugleboy]

Semantics. It’s all good.

[Top Of Texas]

I've hunted the prairie, river, and creek bottoms of the TX Panhandle for 20 years. But the approach depends on the terrain you're in, visibility, and cover (tall grass counts). As mentioned, wind is key, everything else (sun direction, tall cover, topographic height advantage, etc) is nice if you can get it.

I primarily do spot and stalk in the mornings since time isn't a limiting factor. Glass from a high vantage point, I.D. a potential candidate, and try to creep within range (primarily rifle) or to stay with it until it beds. If I watch it bed, its odds of surviving the day dramatically decrease. Another key is keeping the deer in sight as much as possible while I stay hidden. Knowing when to move and picking a destination and pathway before moving is also important. First, I get a feel for their direction of travel. Then my destination is a vantage point where I expect to re-acquire the target. I'll stay put there until I re-acquire or give up once I think movement is done for the morning. I let the deer be the one who makes the mistake of moving and revealing its location, not me.

Occasionally, I'll slowly sneak through wooded draws during mid-day where deer can be congregated and bedded in semi predictable locations. This is usually a doe hunt. I might cover 1/4 mile in about 2 hours and spend 99% of my time glassing ahead. Working downhill if wind allows. Also keep my leg movements in mind and try to avoid lateral movements.

Pleasures of living on the prairie!