5 Ways to Develop a Successful Glassing Strategy

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One of the primary skillsets that separate elite hunters from the rest of the pack lies in their ability to find animals with their optics. Glassing is a learned skill that is developed over years of trial and error and learning where and what to look for. Below are five tips that will put you on the fast track to becoming more proficient behind your glass.—Colton Heward

1. Glass Close First

Our eyes are naturally drawn to the distant hillsides when we raise our binoculars, neglecting the topography close to our position. This can be a costly mistake. I have learned this lesson the hard way, being caught off guard on more than one occasion by a mature buck busting unscathed through the brush below me. It doesn’t take long, but always begin your glassing session by examining your nearest surroundings.

2. Look For The Obvious

After looking over the country close to you, move onto a quick scan of the entire area looking for obvious ungulates. A quick scan will catch many of the animals that are out in the open, as well as those that the sun’s rays conveniently light up. If you’re lucky, you will find what you’re looking for in this quick scan. If not, begin your grid search.

3. Grid Search

Now that you have glassed your nearest surroundings and done a quick scan of the area, it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone. Start by selecting the area you want to glass and mentally set up a grid-search of the area. Take your time gridding the area, looking for anything that looks out of the ordinary. The key to this step and finding the difficult to spot animals, is to go slow. Glassing through an area quickly will guarantee that you miss animals, especially the ones that you might only catch a glimpse of a shimmering antler tip or the flick of an ear or tail.

4. Shade

Now that you have glassed your nearest surroundings and done a quick scan of the area, it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone. Start by selecting the area you want to glass and mentally set up a grid-search of the area. Take your time gridding the area, looking for anything that looks out of the ordinary. The key to this step and finding the difficult to spot animals, is to go slow. Glassing through an area quickly will guarantee that you miss animals, especially the ones that you might only catch a glimpse of a shimmering antler tip or the flick of an ear or tail.

5. Be Diligent

One of the biggest mistakes that hunters make when glassing is giving up too soon. Knowing when to move can be difficult, but my rule of thumb when glassing the vast expanses of the West for mule deer is to give each glassing point at least an hour, assuming I can see a fair amount of real estate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat and glassed a sage-choked basin until my eyes hurt, only to find a buck standing right in the middle of the basin just as I’m doing one last pass over the area before I head out. Giving each vantage point enough time allows the animals to naturally move around and hopefully into a position where you can see them.

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