Glassing Techniques for sheds

bigbrink · Mar 20, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-09 AT 11:39AM (MST)[p]Hey just curious on how you guys glass for sheds. I know that glassing is a huge part of shed hunting and just curious on your ideas and techniques? Also, do you take your spotting scope along or just your binoculars?

AZMIGHTYMULIES · Mar 20, 2009

get on a high point and glass,glass,glass...hope you have good glass at that. my swarovski's have eliminated my headaches. in the mornings when the sun comes up glass away from the sun so glass to the west more so and vice versa during the evenings.

monstermuleyman · Mar 20, 2009

AZ, great tips! I agree with him, its much easier to get on high vantage point, sit, rest your elbows, or bust out the scope, and glass! If you dont have a GOOD pair of binos, such as swaros, Leupold, or vortex, you want to invest in some. Glassing becomes a tedious task that can fatigue your eyes very quickly if you own a pair of cheap optics. I also recommend using the ridges of the hills to your advantage... IE, if your hunting an area with lots of small ridge lines, position yourself so you can use the sky beyond the ridge as a backdrop. In my experience a good number of the deer and elk will walk the ridges or heavy game trails to feed or bed. If positioned right, you can often times glass antlers out (especially tines up) against the sky backdrop. If the deer or elk tend to drop in flats or canyons, use the sun to your advantage during high sunlight days, the antlers may have a small glint of light coming off, and glass for objects that "should not be there". Often times, especially fresh drops, they will be hard to pick out against the dark dirt and sage. The white pedicle will stick out like a soar thumb! Glass areas that you know the deer and elk use as bedding areas, i have found several antlers laying in or around beds. All of this is my opinion, i am far from an expert, but this has been my experience in the field. I think a lot of finding antlers and glassing out anything from antlers, to animals themselves comes with time spent in the field.. The more you practice, the better you will get. Good luck!

fatrooster · Mar 20, 2009

This year I've found more sheds with my bino's than ever before. I basically do a lot of hiking and use my binoculars only. I glass everything but normally find my sheds in creek and drainage bottoms and the slopes leading into these drainages. Travel routes such as roads , along fence lines and cattle trails are also hot spots to glass. Here in Northern Nevada we still have plenty of snow and if I see a set of tracks going through the snow I will glass it and all around it. If I know that I am going to an area that I can see very long distances then I will take the spotting scope. And as said above, high quality optics make all the difference in the world. fatrooster.