Speak the Same Language: Landmarking for Spotter-Shooter Communication
You ever try to describe where a buck is without landmarks? It’s comedy. “He’s over there, by that bush.” Cool. Which bush? The canyon has 40,000 of them, and by the time the shooter finally locks onto the right one, the deer’s already flipping you off on his way over the ridge. That’s why the very first thing you do at a new glassing spot isn’t looking for animals, it’s building a shared map with your crew.
Pick Three Big Ones (The Obvious Stuff)
Every glassing position has anchors, things so obvious you’d feel dumb arguing over them. It might be:
- That big bald patch of dirt
- A giant gray rock sticking out like a sore thumb
- A downed tree on a skyline ridge
Grab at least three of those and announce them. Once everyone agrees, they’re your home base for all directions. Suddenly, instead of the circus of “No, not that cedar, the other cedar,” you can say:
“Six o’clock off the downed tree on the ridge, halfway down to the next cedar.”
Now everyone’s glass snaps into the same grid instantly. No wasted motion, no missed shot.
Number the Small Stuff (Taming the Chaos)
Some country looks like a 10-year-old with crayons designed it, draw after draw after draw, all identical. That’s when you pull out the kindergarten trick: number them left to right like a book. “One, two, three…” simple.
So when someone says, “Movement in draw three,” the whole group is on the same page. Shooter’s on target, spotter’s confirming, no confusion. You’ve cut the fat out of communication.
Keep It Stupid Simple
Look, this isn’t high-tech. You don’t need an app or a $3,000 laser toy. You need eyeballs, glass, and a willingness to talk before the deer show up. If you do it right, everyone’s dialed, nobody’s guessing, and the animal pays the price instead of your blood pressure.
That’s the point of the F.I.R.E. system: Find, Identify, Range, Engage. But “Identify” isn’t just about what animal you’re looking at. It’s about making sure the whole squad is looking at the same thing.
Because when the shot window opens, you don’t want to be arguing about cedars. You want to be pressing the trigger.
