GEAR 101: The Glassing Game
If you’re the average elk hunter, you don’t have enough coin to buy the best of everything. Doing so would likely mean a second mortgage. But if you’re going to buy one thing that will truly make your elk hunting more productive and enjoyable, it’s high-quality binoculars. Good (typically expensive) glass gathers more light at dawn and dusk than a less-expensive pair. Images are crisp and clean. It only takes one hunt using your buddy’s fancy binos to make you a believer. We hope the following will help you get the most out of your next pair of binoculars.
4 steps to Glassing Elk Country
- Scan the area with your naked eye sometimes you don’t even need binoculars to see the elk in front of you; don’t let the obvious slip into the timber.
- Scan from near to far The theory here is that you’re most likely to spook the elk close to you as opposed to the elk a mile away.
- Glass the fringes Hunted elk don’t like to be in the open after sunrise. Typically, they will graze just where meadow meets the timber.
- Use the grid system To cover a large area, imagine a grid inside your binoculars. Methodically scan left to right, up and down. No elk? Wait 15 minutes and repeat. Still no elk? Time to move on.
Steady as she goes
Great glass is a beautiful thing, unless it gives you a migraine because you can't keep it steady. Use one of these to help you stay rock solid: Tripod, Monopod, window Mount, Tree Trunk, Stedi-stock.
VIDEO EXTRA: View a video tutorial on glassing technique