The invention relates to a method for locating sound-emitting targets by means of a receiving antenna 10, the receiving signals 14 of which are fed to a direction generator 16 for generating at least three directional characteristics, said characteristics being offset from one another. In an intended embodiment, both sides of a main lobe 28 are overlapped by the main lobes 26 of adjacent directional characteristics in a radiation pattern such that both said main lobes 26 come into contact with or cross each other at the level of the reception angle ϑ at which the main lobe 28 of the central directional characteristic has its maximum 30. Amplitude functions FA, FB, FC that are directionally dependent are produced on the basis of said main lobes 26, 28. The subsequent calculated summation function FS of the amplitude functions FA, FC is differentiated twice in order to determine the second derivative 50 thereof. The local maxima 56 resulting from the second derivative function 50 indicate possible, potential signal directions. A statistical analysis method ascertains actual signal directions with the corresponding signal strengths from said possible, potential signal directions z
i. The invention further relates to a device for performing such a method.