Spot and stalk
Level of difficulty: Moderate
Effectiveness: Very successful
Terrain: A high vantage point to sit and spot the animal
A popular method in Australia, you don’t need an intimate knowledge of an animal’s movements, their habits or the terrain they live in to use the spot-and-stalk technique. The animals will be unaware of your presence and will move about and feed unalarmed.
You will need a quality pair of binoculars, like a pair of 8x42 binoculars at a minimum, and possibly a spotting scope to allow you to judge the animal in fine detail from a distance. Here are the steps to follow when spotting and stalking.
- Choose your vantage point. Choose somewhere high with a good view of the terrain.
- Pick the time of day. In the early mornings, look into sunny areas and north-facing slopes where the animals will be warming themselves. In the afternoons, concentrate your efforts on feed areas or game trails leading to these spots.
- Judge the game. Before you begin stalking, fully assess all of the animals, and choose the ones you wish to take.
- Stalk your chosen animal. Go very slowly, planning each step before you take it. Animals have highly developed senses of sight, smell and hearing, so you will need to overcome these senses in order to get within shooting range.
- Always keep the wind in your face. Your scent will alert the animals to your approach long before you will see them.
