Glassing Stories/Education

K

ktc

Guest
LAST EDITED ON Aug-25-05 AT 08:08PM (MST)[p]I read the public land thread with interest and some good ideas were posted for the public land guys like me. One person suggested to buy a good glass to help locate deer.

I need to swallow my pride and just ask this question. What are your glassing techniques? I have good binos, but I am very impatient. Most of the time I see my animal with my eyes and then look him or her over or find them grazing in an open area. I hear people say with good glasses you will see 50% more game? I do not. What am I doing wrong? I would like to hear some common glassing reults, methods, and stories. How do you glass? What are you looking for when deer are not grazing? More times than not do you find deer laying down or in the trees? I hear stories about guys finding a piece of horn or hair of a hidden buck. I can honestly say I have never done this.

Lets hear your ideas and stories. I need to be more patient. Then what? There has to be more to it than glassing a basin for 5 minutes. Give me a little ribbing too.;-)
 
I am no expert glasser by a long shot, but I have learned a thing or two over the years. I think the number one thing is location, then patience. If you are in an area that has produced bucks, then odds are that there are still bucks there. Then from that comes patience. I personally do a fairly quick scan from top to bottom just to see if anything is out. Then I will slowly glass the transition areas from more open to thick cover. Then I start looking under trees and in openings. I have seen an ear, or antlers move in brush and under trees. Sometimes I will see a leg. This was driven home to me once when a buddy and I went into an area sight unseen the day before the opening. I scouted a basin starting at about 11am and saw nothing. I kept at it and by 4 or 5 that evening, I had found 20 deer bedded down in that basin. If you know the deer should be there, patience is the key. My 2 cents.
 
ktc

If you get a chance pick up the new Eastmans Mag. Dave Long wrote a small story about his glassing style. Seems to make good sence.

Scratch
 
Thanks guys. Keep them coming! I will read the Eastman article.

Drop,

I like your example and story. Those are the ones I am looking for.
 
ktc, I am pretty new at the world of glassing. My buddy can take the binos and make a quick scan of an area and pick out all of the deer before I can barely even look over a hundred yards. Very seldom do I pick out a deer that he hasn't already seen. But sometimes I do. Sometimes a deer can slightly turn his body and appear from out of nowhere. Or dissappear. The point is, its ok that I'm slower than he is. I'm still gonna find these deer, its just gonna take me longer. But who's in a hurry? Slow down and teach yourself to be patient. The more glassing you do the better you will get at it. fatrooster.
 
Patience is definitely a must. It's very easy to take a look at some of the vast areas of the west and get exasperated, thinking "where do I start??". I like to find a good vantage point and do a quick perusal of the area, starting close first. If nothing "pops" out, I then try to divide the area into quadrants. I will then take a long, slow look at each quadrant, moving left to right, top to bottom. I'm looking for anything that might seem out of the ordinary for the terrain: movement of any kind, a white patch of a deers rump or muzzle, a black spot of the deer's tail or face, a glint of sunlight of a bucks horns, branches on a tree moving when there's no wind, certain shapes like the outline of ears or the straight line of a deer's back.

One mistake I used to make was to go too fast through shadowy areas. Animals stand out fairly well in the sunshine, almost glowing in it. It's much harder to find them in the shade of a tree. However, that's where they're more likely to be when bedded down. Spend extra time on shaded areas, studying them intently for any of the things I previously described. After I get through each of my quadrants, I start the entire process over again. You'd be amazed at what can just pop up even after many sweeps with your glasses. There's a lot of places for animals to hide, even from the best pair of glasses and vantage points.

Again, be patient and use a consistent methodology that you're comfortable with.

Good Luck to you.
 
ktc: glassing takes no time but successful glassing is a learned thing. Patience and expecting to see something are two big attributes. If you get up high early, use a tripod and break down your area you are glassing into a grid and slowly work the grid over like mowing strips of lawn and overlap the area slightly while you are moving the tripod head, you should see many many more deer than your prior method. You should not expect to just find the easy deer out in the open, but rather look for parts and pieces in the shadows and through the brush rather than out in the open and you will start to pick up on the other deer you have been missing. Success in finding the deer will bring the reward of further patience. I can tell you that I personally see alot more than 50% more deer know that I glass compared to 5 years ago just quickly scanning an area. Some of the best examples I have are the extra deer bedded down around other deer that are obvious after I have slowed down and really tore the area up have really shown me that patience and attention to detail work for those who take the time. Duwane Adams www.arizonabiggamehunting.com has a glassing video that I bought years ago that really helped understand the grid method. others like Randy Ulmer have written about how to successfully glass and by their results I took the advice and it has paid off for me. Hope you start seeing results........ Thanks, Allen Taylor......
 
Totally agreee with Bura, in my opinion to galss sucessfully you need to be patient, to be patient you need to be able to galss in comfort. With a good tripod you can get in a comfrontable postion and take the time you need to glass effectively.
 
KTC, I will try not to be sarcastic, since that is your job around here! LOL, just kidding (you know, the corn flinger remark)

Anyway, I am no expert but have picked up a couple things in the last few years. First, good glass is a must but GREAT glass is better. Can't believe the difference. Second, glass with the "lay of the land". Look around your country and you will see what I mean...just the difference between looking at a basin from one side vs. the other makes all the difference in your ability to see into the cover. Watch the light, its tough to glass when the sun is shining in your scope.

Look for parts of deer. I have seen ears, legs, horn tips etc. Watch other deer. The best buck I have killed I spotted because his dink buddy (who was in plain sight) kept looking into the patch he was bedded in. Busted!

Be patient..your not going to see every deer in the basin in the first 10 minutes. A friend and I were glassing a basin, sat there for 3-4 hours, then all of a sudden around noon this big mature buck stands up, feeds for 15 minutes, and lays back down, completely out of site. No way could you have seen him if he didn't stand up.

Also, glass with your binos then set up the spotting scope and start picking the hill apart. Takes awhile but you will really see the game.

Finally, there are just some places that don't work well for glassing. I hunt a relatively flat area and you just can't effectively glass (can't see into the holes w/ the 8' sagebrush). Thick timber area's are tough. I think western Wyoming has some of the most "classic" glassing area's as the mountains are so steep you can see into the thickets from across the canyon.

Hope this rambling helps.

"keep your feeders full"
Lance
 
I have had the best success going in this order while glassing.

(1) Use 7-10 X 40 (minumum) binocs and scan the terrain for any obvious deer, feeding or otherwise. You may just catch the big buck slipping into cover when you first get there.

(2) I have just started using this step. Mount your binocs on a tripod (use adapter) and pick the mountain apart as explained in other posts. I can't beleive the difference it makes to have the binoc's perfectly still. I can glass this way longer because I'm comfortably using both eyes. Binocs can also allow for more color,contrast and a greater field of view than most higher powered spotting scopes.

(3) Finally, Do the same thing as step 2 with a tripod mounted spotting scope at least 15 power. Move it a little at a time hands off and watch for ever so slight movements.

Then start over with the binocs, mix it up a little to keep your attention. Otherwise you may not look intently enough. it also helps to change positions and stretch as necessary.

One other thing that has really helped my patience is to get a soft seat of sorts to hook to my backpack and take it with me. I can sit much longer this way.

Good luck!
 
The keys for me are ;
1. Good high glassing location
2. Patience
3. Quality glass 10x or better yet 15x binocs
4. Steady tripod
Then you can pick apart everything looking back into shaded areas.
 
I'm really glad ya'll started this thread. I have an early season Colorado rifle tag and I'm leaving next Friday. I am not a rookie hunter, however I am a rookie spotting scope and bino user. Sitting up high on my butt glassing all day is NOT my forte ! However, that IS the way to monster muleys and that is my goal starting a week from Tuesday.

Thanks for the tips - I for one appreciate it greatly !
 
I appreciate the thoughts also. 24 years of hunting under my belt and I glass terribly from what I can tell. I spent a grand on binos and do not even know how to use them properly.

I will try some of these tips looking for LE elk tomorrow and Sunday
 
Sit down behind a pair of 15x56 quality binocs on a steady tripod and you will learn what glassing properly can do for you!
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-05 AT 02:43PM (MST)[p]If you're glassing a basin or hillside that you have hunted before try and remember the place you spotted beds,springs or cliff faces those are the first place we look if we are looking for bedded dee/elk because those bed get used all the time. There is one spot where every morning we would see a 3 point bedded down during the season(all last season), he would stay there all day 8 12 or 2 he was there. No-one even saw him or try to hunt him we are hoping in about 3 years he will be a good one that keeps to this same routine, hope he there this year and he's a 4 point or better, then next season he puts on mass then I hope I get him. I glass all the treelines first then the trail from Bottom to top if I can see them then I start with bushes and trees that we know have bed's around them or behind them, then we move to the dark areas(shadowed area's) that are harder to see into, a couple of guys can spend all day glassing just one basin it takes time to see it all, Glass for a few minutes then stop then glass for a few minutes more, Don't try and glass for 8 hours because you will never make it, Build you self up to long glassing sessions, Kind of like walk before running. Good Luck in the up-coming season
 
This is a good post! I agree with everybody elses opinions...A couple of things from my experience...glass the shadows for sure...look at the bigger clumps of brush or grass...they have to hide those horns somewhere...and practice alot...the more you are used to using the glasses the less eyestrain you have...I spend alot of time behind a microscope which in alot of ways mimics binocs my eyes still end up tired at times. Once you find one deer keep looking there are bound to be more there. good luck to everyone this fall.
 
Great post, keep it going. I wrote about this book in the public land post, but feel it needs repeated here.

Read "Mule Deer, Hunting today's trophies" by Jim Van Norman, and Tom Carpenter. It is a must read on what to look for when glassing. It has 21 pages with photos to illustrate their 16 Images (certain images to look for). They say to remember "FERAL"
Feet, Ears, Rumps, Antlers, and Legs.
I have the book right on my lap, so I'll go ahead and type out all 16 images to look for.

1. Two branch Antler (most mule deer bucks will be bedded in the shade until the sun hits their bodies. So their antlers will be in the sun first, and this shape is not extremely popular in the wild. (I can tell this is going to be a LONG post)
2. The Triangle-Dark forehead patch, Eyes, and black nose.
Picture a deer looking at you and you will know what I mean.
3. Muledeer Ears. More does and fawns are found this way, but they can ruin a stalk, and can also alert you to other deer nearby.
4. White rump.
You will see lots of this type of shape, but to make sure it's a deer, check for the black tip of the tail in the center of the "patch".
5. Inside antler shape.
At great distances, points aren't always distinguishable with binos, so keep this "general shape" in mind when glassing.
6. Look for a fork in the antler. Lots of trees, and branches have this shape, but every "V" deserves a second look.
7. White face and muzzle.
8. Legs
they tend to be lighter and stick out on hillsides, when the body won't.
9. Hind leg (laying position)
hard to explain without a picture. Forms a right angle on a bedded deer.
10. Ear lining and Outline.
Look for the top straight line of an ear, with the curve underneath. You know the kind.
11. Hind leg (standing position)
Has a certain shape or "line" that usually doesn't blend in with the terrain.
12. Outside antler image and Top of the ears.
Look for this general shape, of antlers rising and the topline of each ear leading away from the base (make sense?).
13. Side View of the Face.
There's a distinct straight line from the top of the forehead to the nose. Almost a 45 degree angle, shown as a straight line.
14. Circles and Cylinders.
Often at distances, mule deer tend to have an overall shape of a circle or cylinder. Look for these and investigate further.
15. Ears Back position. (ears folded back along the side of the head)
Most common on a bedded deer.
16. Shiny spots.
Deer tend to shine in the sunlight.

The book has a picture of actual deer to illustrate these images. And has 16 other images of terrain where you know a deer is in the picture. They challenge you to find the "hidden" deer (all are actual photos) in the picture. Very tough, and really makes you realize how well camoflauged deer really are. The goal of the 16 images is to train your minds eye to automatically look for and pick out these images. It REALLY works (worked for me anyway). I was able to figure out the "where's the deer" pictures MUCH faster than I did before (at first I wasn't able to even spot a deer (looking at each 5x7" photo for some 10 minutes), after reading the chapter I found them almost instantly. Your really need to rent the book from a library. I know I'll re-read it a couple times before the hunt starts. Good luck.


Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
I do not yet have a monster muley to my credit, but that's gonna change this year thanks to many of the tips I have gleaned from this web site. One tip I have picked up about glassing is to not just look at the center of the circle when glassing with bino's, move your eyes around the circle and let them pause for a momont or two. Completely scan that circle then move the binos to the next spot on the grid as mentioned. At 500 yards that circle may be 40 yards across and moving the binos to cover that spot only increases the chance of missing something important. I hope this makes sense, at least I know what I'm trying to say. Good luck and lets see some pictures.
 
ktc

PATIENCE COMES WITH AGE & YEARS OF BATTLE SCARS THAT ADD UP OVER THE YEARS!!!

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER IT WAS LETS SEE HOW FAST I CAN HIKE TO THE TOP!!!

I'VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT FASTEST IS PROBABLY THE WORST WAY TO HUNT!!!

AS LONG AS I'M NOT FREEZING TO DEATH I LIKE TO GLASS FOR HOURS FROM A VANTAGE POINT!!!

NOW I'VE NEVER HAD REAL EXPENSIVE GLASSES,WHAT I HAVE HAS ALWAYS WORKED THOUGH!!!

LAST YEAR I GOT UP ON A PEAK AND STARTED GLASSING IN EVERY DIRECTION,90% OF WHERE I WAS LOOKING I COULDN'T OF HIKED IN,IN NO LESS THAN 2 DAYS BUT IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE MOUNTAIN GOATS AT SEVERAL MILES AWAY IN THE TERRAIN THEY WERE IN!!!

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I WAS GLASSING ACROSS A DRAINAGE DURING MUSKET SEASON,I SAW A TRUCK DRIVING UP THE ROAD,HE STOPPED AND A GUY ON THE PASSENGER SHOT,I SEEN THE SMOKE AND THEN SEVERAL SECONDS LATER I HEAR A SHWOOOO!!!
I THEN SEE THE DRIVER GET OUT AND I HEAR A LOUD BOOM,NO SMOKE,HE MUST BE SHOOTING THAT SMOKELESS POWDER,AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN SEE SOMETIMES!!!

AS FAR AS THAT LE ELK HUNT,THE 'CALLS' WOULD BE MY CHOICE OF ARTILLERY,I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE UNIT YOU'LL BE HUNTING BUT IN THE AREA I KEEP DRAWING FOR IT'S SO THICK YOU'RE LIMITED ON ALOT OF GLASSING!!!

I'VE ALWAYS SPOTTED FAIRLY NICE BUCKS BEFORE SEASON WITH A LITTLE PATIENCE,BUT THE TIME MUSKET & RIFLE SEASONS COME AROUND THERES USUALLY BEEN A SMALL SNOW STORM & SEVERAL OTHER HUNTS THAT PUSHES THE BUCKS DOWN A WAYS!!!

I'D RATHER SEE THEM BEFORE SEASON THAN NOT SEE THEM AT ALL!!!

BACK BEFORE THE UDWR STARTED HUNTING BIG GAME 6-7 MONTHS A YEAR PATIENCE & SPOTTING ALWAYS PAID OFF,AT LEAST I KNEW ABOUT WHERE I WANTED TO BE OPENING MORNING,NOW DAYS I JUST DO IT HOPEING TO SEE SOMETHING,WITH ALL THESE OTHER HUNTS GOING NON STOP IT DOESN'T WORK TO YOUR ADVANTAGE LIKE IT USED TO!!!

JUST THINK IF WE HAD EYES LIKE A SPEEDGOAT & THE PATIENCE OF bobcat (NOT THIS bobcat!!!)WE MIGHT HAVE A FEW MORE TROPHY'S ON THE WALL!!!

GOOD LUCK & SEND ME SOME BLOODY PICTURES PLEASE!!!

THE ONLY bobcat WITH NOT ENOUGH SPOTTING TIME!!!
 
ktc, good post. I've spent many many hours looking through binoculars over the years, but mostly waterfowl hunting, so I appriciate the question and really have learned a lot from the responses so far. Thank you all. I'm a better deer hunter now!

Steve
 
When hunting the high country, I glass similiar to David Long's technique in the fact I'm very random. I scan an area and really focus on the "bucky" looking areas first. I don't grid, I don't start at the top and work my way down. I like to memorize the field of view. If something looks like a deer, I get a better look through the spotter. Most of the time I'm hunting areas with a lot closer field of view than what most of you guys are used to. I also have to move around alot. 10-20 feet 1 direction or the other can always let me peek into areas that were hidden before. But there never seems to be that ideal glassing spot where I can see it all. Because most of the alpine bucks aren't up high in the rocks by hunting season, they normally are hanging in the sub alpine fir that only has small opening that you can peek into from higher up. Movement is what normally triggers my buck sightings. With a ton of cover it is impossible to see into even a small percentage of it. Once a buck is spotted, it is then I can break up the surrounding area for other bucks with the spotter.
I glass a ton while hunting the timber too. One doesn't need openings to glass. I have found my big buck sightings have increased dramatically by using my binos while still hunting the thick crap. It's the little things that just don't seem right to the naked eye, like a leg, ear, rump patch ect.. that the binos really bring into clarification. Many times the rocks and stumps and sticks that look like something with the binos are identified too. :)
 
I am enjoying the tips and perspectives. Makes me think twice about my methods and lack of them. Very educational. Thanks and keep them coming......
 
ktc

I FORGOT THE RAZZING PART!!!

YOU LUCKY DOG!!!

HUNTING WITH A GUY WITH AN LE PERMIT,WHAT KIND OF B.S. IS THIS???

MIGHT BE A GOOD THING,SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SETTLE A GUY DOWN A LITTLE!!!

I'VE MADE GUY'S MAD!!!

AND I'VE MADE GUY'S HAPPY FOR WAITING FOR BIGGER & BETTER!!!

NOW IS NOT THE YEAR TO SLIP A BLANK INTO HIS RIFLE!!!

THAT WAS THE TIME I MADE A GUY MAD!!!

THE ONLY bobcat WONDERING IF ME & YOU WILL EVER GET TO HUNT A STINKY NASTY RUTTING BULL ELK???
 
There have been some great posts here!! There are a few things that I would like to add. Get as comfortable as possible. Move rocks out of the way that may pose a problem and get a pad. Since I have started using a pad to sit on, I have been able to glass much longer and more effictively and less painfully. You sure don't want to glass very long with a chunk of cholla stuck in your ass (personal expierence).

Cover your head! I have started to see even more animals since I have been draping a camo shirt over my head and the back of the binos.

Two years ago I was glassing a central Arizona canyon for Coues deer. The sun wasn't over the horizon yet and I was glued to the binos. I was in a comfortable "rythym" and was seeing some small bucks, nothing I wanted to cross a canyon to try and stick with a Beeman. I thought I heard something. As soon as I looked up I was busted by a nice 3x3 I would have been happy to tag at 35 yards. Take a break once in a while dude, survey the close areas and let your eyes rest. I learned it the hard way.
 
GOOD POINT tinman

AFTER LOOKING THROUGH HIGH POWER FOR A LONG TIME IT CAN EFFECT THE OLD EYEBALLS!!!

THE ONLY bobcat BLIND IN ONE EYE & CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING OUT OF THE OTHER EYE!!!
 
There are lots of good tips in here, one thing I'd like to add is that not everybody sees the same. I can go out with my dad who is green,red,brown colour blind and there will be a deer in the open 100 yards away and he won't see it. Then again, there will be a deer ear, leg, antlers 300 yards away and he'll pick it up.
 
ktc, My method is to hunt very slow and take no more then ten steps before stopping and glassing. Every step gives you a different view of the area your hunting. You should glass the area completely everytime you stop. The key is a quality pair of bino's and patience. Force yourself to glass everytime you stop. I always glass the edges, shade, base of rim rock, and work my way back towards me. I want to spot that buck before he spots me. If he see's me first I probably will never get to see him. Hope this helps.
 
ktc

Great advice here. I'll add my 2 cents.

You need to get the Van Norman and Carpenter book. Tip #2, you need to get the Van Norman and Carpenter book. One read thru and you will have 20 years of glassing experience that can only be gained in the field. These guys will teach you how to look for the parts of the deer in the cover, as described above. But without their illustrations you will never learn the key shapes to look for.

One thing that nobody else has mentioned, make sure you get into your glassing location undetected. You can use the scrolling technique described in the book to get into position and make sure you see deer before they see you. Even at a mile away this is important. Many times I have spotted a deer at long distance that took me a long time to figure out it was a deer, only to realize it already had me pegged because I was skylined for a few seconds while moving into position.

One of the best pieces of equipment I have added recently is a gardeners pad. They're cheap, light and fit easily into or on a backpack. I actually had my wife buy a couple extra after I saw her kneeling on one in the garden. Sitting comfortably really makes it easy to stay in one position for a long time. I don't like to move because I lose track of where I'm at in the grid.

I firmly believe in the methodical grid technique. You'll miss far more than you'll find with random searching. The last scouting trip I made for our hunt this year, my wife (she's better at seeing deer than I am) and I glassed the side of a mountain for nearly an hour without seeing a single deer. It was mid-morning and we expected to find deer bedded in the shade. We looked in every rock shadow, under every tree and next to every bush on a fairly wide open mountain. Finally, I started my grid search over, this time looking for smaller rock formations that might hide just part of a deer. I noticed one reddish rock that had a straight line at one end. Turned out to be a feeding buck right out in the open. After five minutes, raised his head up and I could see his rack quite clearly. It took me ten minutes to get my wife on him. Once she had him, we started glassing the surrounding area and found nine more bucks bedded in full view with no shade on them. We were looking at all the "good" spots but the deer wanted to be in the opensun with the breeze blowing on them to keep the bugs off. This was at 10,500 ft and I guess temperature was less importnat than we thought. I guess my message from this anecdote is, when you think you're done looking, look again.

Finally, you can glass forever where there are no deer and you still won't see any. Make sure you've done your homework before you park your butt on a mountain to glass. But that's a whole other story.
 
Thanks guys. The tips given have given me a lot to think about. Draping a shirt over your head? I never thought about this before and makes good sense. I am always looking for a shady spot to eliminate glare, but always have some. Good point.

I need to take these tips into practice and improve my glassing skills.

bess,

Things are slow in the LE unit. No bugling yet. I hope things pick up and change soon. Very discouraging. I would hate to get razzed about not getting one!
 
Great post, posts like this make MM a good place to be a regular on. I have over the last several years elevated my glassing skills(seeing more deer) but still have a ways to go. Now I have more things to try. Keep with it, every time you glass you learn something new.
 
Good glass, tripod and lots of patience. Another thing, deer are alot more active during the day than one might think. They will get up often and feed and than bed back down.

Mike
 
Well I don't think that I have much to add to all the replies so far besides scouting. I don't think it will do much good glassing if there are no deer in the area. Be there early and just take in the area to see if there is any game.
 
Good post, should go to an archive, if we had one.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
A couple of years ago I was guiding on a desert bighorn hunt down in Sonora and we were set up in an area where we could see a ton of country. All of us set up tripods and were glassing long distances looking for sheep. We had been glassing an hour or so when we heard a rock roll down the hill below us, it was a mid 160's ram that had been within 500 yards of us the entire time. I think that it is human nature to set up and look long distances because we can see more country but since that time I have always started close and worked my way out. You would be amazed at what most people will look over because they fail to look right underneath where they are perched. We had thousands of dollars of the best optics and tripods set up and we could have easily seen this ram had we glassed the area below us instead of just glancing down with the naked eye every now and again.

I also think that when the term "glassing" is used people automatically envision themselves being perched on a high point looking over miles of country but there is another method of glassing that I use every year and have had tremendous success. I will still hunt through bedding areas and will literally take 2 or 3 slow steps and stop for 5-10 minutes glassing through the trees looking for ears, antlers, legs, noses etc... When I guided hunts in Wyoming it was my favorite way of hunting and it can be extremely productive if done right. I quality set of binoculars is a must, 10X is what I have always used but I might get a set of lightweight 7X35's for this type of hunting. You want a wide field of view and nothing too powerful, you will be hunting in thick areas and looking for pieces of a deer, not a whole deer. One morning in Wyoming about 10 years ago we killed 2 deer that grossed over 200" using this method of hunting. Some might not call this "glassing" but we would never have killed these deer without the utilization of our binoculars. When I hunt like this it might take 2+ hours to go 3-400 yards, I could walk that far in just a few minutes, 98% of my time is spent glassing on that type of hunt.

Drum
 
When I'm glassing for hour?s on-end I'll take my fingers and hold on to the brim of my hat. It takes away the shake hands and you can glass a lot longer before you have to put down the binos.
 
I'm with sagebrush on the pad for your rearend. I upgraded this year to a Thermorest seat for $20. It weighs a few ounces, deflates to the size of a baseball, and is oh sooo comfty.

I also use a tripod when using binoculars-steady view with less fatigue.

Ed
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-31-05 AT 11:11PM (MST)[p]Good glassing tips ....... to save myself the typing ...... I echo what BCboy wrote as what I do.
 
Excellent advice and info. Thought I knew how to glass, but learned some good things on this post. Just goes to show, if you have a question, someone on MM has the answer. Thanks guys. mtmuley
 
Knowing you like I do, I would have just assumed you were looking through the wrong type of glass...ie. brown and in the shape of a bottle. Hey, you asked for a ribbin'...!
 
It seems that the majority of the hunting I get to do is mostly during very warm, if not downright hot, weather. Once you get past that first hour to hour and a half of first light, using a grid method with emphasis on any shaded spots had been most productive for me.
 
AZbucksnort,
Funny, I experience the complete opposite. Up here, it can get down right bone chilling, even in the early season. Because of this, I like to set up where I can have a hill or depression or something behind me, so I can do jumping jacks or sprints up the hill, whatever, to get the blood flowing back into my fingers and toes after an hour or so of glassing. I say that is another reason why I move around alot, just to plain warm up. :) Another thing I do is carry my small backpacking stove with me most everywhere I go. I can fire it up and have some hot fluid in me really quick. It ain't fun glassing when your teeth are chattering. Doesn't make for very effective glassing.
 
Scrolling is when only your head pops over the ridge you are glassing the other side of the ridge, then you move up a foot and glass again YOU NEVER SKYLINE yourself as you move over the ridge to set-up again to glass you do so at a bellycrawl or low squat. Scrolling works great for those areas where you are looking across valley to the other side.
 
Maybe that is the problem Stud. I could never figure out why my binoculars had a cheap Budweiser sticker on them and needed a bottle opener to remover the lens covers.
 
KTC, great post. Thanks for posting the question. Just a couple of things that I have learned while glassing.

Get comfortable! I take a stool everywhere I go so I don't have to sit on the ground, especially helpful when hunting in the snow. When you are up off the ground you can sit comfortably for hours behind your tripod. I am getting older and my knees can't take sitting on the ground like most everyone else on the post have mentioned with a pad. I used to do this, but with rocks and steep hills it is hard to get comfortable on the ground for me. The three-legged stools are only about $10 and weight about a pound. I wouldn't go anywhere with out it. I can sit for hours with out having to get up and stretch as you can move your legs around when you are up off the ground. The rest of the items have been mentioned but worth mentioning again.

Get a good sturdy tripod. Get a tripod that you can adjust and get under and behind comfortably. I like a heavy tripod like my Bogen, as it doesn't move around in the wind. It is rock steady no matter the conditions. Worth the extra weight to get to the top of the hill as I spend most of my time sitting glassing than I do hiking.

Don?t move your glass too quickly. If you are moving your binoculars it is much more difficult to pick up movement. If your binoculars are on a tripod and you are not moving the glass and only moving your eyes you will pick up small movement much easier. Last year in Colorado I was doing this when I spotted a doe move her head. I kept my Binos on the same spot for probably 15 minutes and I ended up seeing 6-7 other deer with a small buck. Don?t move your glass too quick, slow down.

Of course as it has been said before get the best glass that you can afford. I went to the 15x56 three years ago; now that I have used them I could never go back. Great glass and fun to use. Makes the day just very enjoyable.

Get on a good advantage point before light and stay after dark. Glass with the sun at your back or your side so it won't reflect off your glass. This is critical at first light and evening especially. Use a flashlight to get set up before light and stay until after dark. This may be the most important tip.

Thanks for all the tips, could use the shirt over my head idea this weekend. The elk are going crazy for the past week in Arizona should be the best archery elk hunt in years. Fun times!
 
This is a great post. While I am not the best at glassing, I have some good equipment now and with these tips will try harder at it.
I can add a couple of things, one is watch the other deer. While Mulie hunting, was keeping track of some wt does. (Just to keep boredom away-wasn't seeing anything else) Every once in a while I'd look back to see what they were doing. After a couple of hours I thought I had lost them. I soon found them again, they were about 500 yds up range, both were standing still and looking the same direction. I watched to see what they were looking at when a nice 5x5 wt buck came out from behind a bush! This was noon on opening day on a Nov hunt. (Wish I had a wt tag then!)
The other thing is get off the glass once in a while and look around-when I did I saw my mulie rubber-necking me from 25 yards away to my right. It took off running to the other side of the canyon and stopped, lucky for me. That when I dropped him at 235 yds. Not your wall hanger, but it was my first deer and the only mulie I saw the whole time scouting/hunting. Sure felt good (tasted good too).
Thanks again everyone for the good info.

DanBucks
 

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