Successful Bowhunting Strategies for Prairie Whitetails in Florida

The buck was more mirage than mammal. He sported antlers but wasn't an obvious shooter. Studying him a quarter-mile away through the August heat waves of Collier County, the eight-power binoculars trembled from an idling engine cranking out precious A/C, and judging his headgear was a coin flip, at best.

It was Harris Woodsby's coin, though, as it was his quota permit. He grabbed his archery gear and a folding doe decoy and methodically stalked through the field, angling to cut-off the buck as he sniffed the ground for does. From the truck bed, I watched him close the distance, settling near a ditch lined with dog fennels and hiding behind the fake deer. In short order, the buck approached and circled to inspect the decoy as Harris released an arrow. "Well, guess it was legal," I thought.

The shot hit paydirt as the buck scampered across the pasture before disappearing in the weeds. We retrieved all Harris' gear before taking up the trail and placing hands on the six-point, a different buck watching us as we celebrated.

In southwest Florida, open-prairie habitats provide a rarity in this state—spot-and-stalk bowhunting for rutting whitetails in the late-summer months.

It's a shocker to hunters normally tethered to a tree and accustomed to a yearly glimpse of single shy buck sneaking through the swamp; deer lingering in the open, seemingly abandoning their cover-loving ways and living as much by their eyes and ears as their nose, like mule deer or pronghorn out West.

It's an adventure, for sure, and if you're bowhunting this part of the state on a quota hunt or on private property, hold these thoughts close before you strike across fields of green to stick a buck.

1. Hostile & Mobile

Some folks ride the roads in truck beds or from elevated swamp buggies to spot bucks. Nothing wrong here, where legal, but the deer become road scholars. Experienced hunters hike away from the traffic and glass fields from vantage points, whether that be from a tree or cover along the edges.

Focus on wet-weather ponds where deer will feed and cool down. As the morning progresses, they'll retire to shade. With the rut, though, deer will wander throughout the day, especially following afternoon storms.

Regardless, when a target is ID-ed, a battle plan is critical. This sometimes requires moving directly towards the animal and other times seeking a cut-off route and waiting for them to move into range. While the prairie may appear flat, there are usually ditches, tree islands and other vegetation to conceal your approach from a downwind position. Binoculars and a smart phone app with aerial maps like onX are essential tools for these stalks.

2. Secret Weapons & Tactics

When room runs out, there are a few tricks to coax bucks into range. These prairie deer tend to be more curious than their forest-dwelling kin and will key on the right visual stimuli.

I mentioned the decoy earlier—I’ve seen this work exactly once, and the buck was young, so I harbor my doubts on how a more mature buck would react. But, it’s worth a shot when other ideas fail. Several years ago, I spun a white sock and blew on a grunt call while otherwise hidden under an oak to lure an older deer into 10 yards. In fact, I wouldn't leave the truck without a grunt tube, as the bucks are competitive during the rut.

Lightweight camo is important, as is footwear. The weather is hot and the ground is typically saturated. I opt for Crocs, ignoring the snakes and thorns and fire ants, but this probably isn't the sanest route. Well-worn rubber boots are preferable for not only these terrors but also long, wet walks.


3. Know the Limits

This is a chess match, especially with archery tackle, but sometimes it just ain't happening. Often, you simply run out of cover before reaching archery range.

Other deer create the most hassle, as multiple eyes increase their overall protection. Cattle, pond birds, and all manner of God’s Creatures will alert deer or blow a stalk. Sometimes, too, the deer are moving, and you'll just be unable to match or exceed their pace.

There is always something to learn from these experiences, and taking the time to analyze the situation is better than a hard-charge through the terrain. Despite the relative ease of seeing the deer, this is still a low-odds game. If you've located a buck off the beaten path that you can't move on, back out and plan for later in the hunt. Spooking one out of country by a poor stalk won't help the situation.

Of course, if it's the last day of a permit or there's a lot of hunting pressure, might as well give it a shot. These deer are tantalizing in the open, and there are few pursuits as rewarding as stalking up on a Florida prairie buck.

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