Glassing Techniques

[TJH24]

What is the best to glass new country? In the area we are hunting this year, we will be primarily glassing . Is a spotting scope really worth the extra weight? I am not focusing on trophy animals, pretty much any satellite bull will get shot. Binoculars would probably do just fine.

Do you start glassing high and and just slowly focus on the edges of the timber glassing the meadows? I havent hunted to many really open areas, mostly thick timber. So I am looking for any tips I can get.

Thanks

[Indian Summer]

Since you aren't selective about size I'd skip the spotting scope.... unless you have a money tree.

At first I'll glance at new country to size up the big picture. See what you might spot with the naked eye and get an idea where the openings are. Then I hit the openings first. I'll look at the far or high ones first so elk don't slip away at first light. If there's a high saddle or likely looking feature such as a big canyon where you think elk will head to bed glass the openings near those areas first.

If you don't see anything obvious right off the bat start looking at smaller openings surrounded by timber instead of the bigger ones.

Once you've done that start your grid pattern leaving no spot unglassed.... and then start over.

If I had one single piece of advice it would be use a tripod. They are just as useful with binos as they are with spotting scopes. For long term glassing they are an absolute must.

[idahoghost]

For me just depends on the terrain. I general take a quick look at everything looking for the obvious. Then I study everything very methodically looking for pieces and parts of an elk. Then I look again. All it takes is an elk moving one step to become visible. I also look for game trails and check saddles out carefully. I use 15x image stabilized binoculars. Just sop's.

[GoldToyBox]

Sounds like your not looking at any great distances and much of your area is timbered.
I guess I would start with the big open areas (most bang for the buck) with a quick scan. After that its edges of the timber: shadows in warm weather, sunny areas in bitter cold, then on to areas that afford escape routes (timbered ridges or knobs) and then to tough stuff ... looking in the timber.
Set up with the sun at your back and move as needed. Looks for movement, shadow changes, colors, go slow! If you find yourself scanning instead of peering into the timber or shadows, moving the bino too fast ..... STOP rest your eyes and begin again. Get comfortable, it's a long day looking at the same trees, rocks, shadows all day.
Obviously you will keep closer watch on areas where you have seen animals or sign before or trails they have been using.
Our group has been hunting open country for the past dozen or so years. Your just whistling in the wind without good optics; bino & scopes & spotting scopes. You need to spot animals at a mile or better, less than that they have already seen you. Quite a change from the DogHair of Montana where a long shot was 100 yds, some were less than 10ft. I don't remember anyone carrying bino's then.
good luck, it's always fun going to a new place!

[Raghorn_Reaper]

+1 on stabilizing the binos on a tripod. On an antelope/mule deer hunt I built a bracket to hold my binos on a tripod and quickly found out that stabilizing your binos is needed for long term glassing.

[TJH24]

Thanks for the tips. I plan on getting a tripod for my binos, what tripod do you guys use?

[ElkNut1]

Tim, is this a Rifle or Bowhunt? Glassing is productive as long as the country hunted can be glassed, meaning it's not too heavily timbered! I glass mainly Rifle hunts but do Bugle as well in an effort to locate elk in addition to glassing. If bowhunting, what dates?

ElkNut1