If you’re glassing out in wide open country like in the Owyhees, at least try to find a rock pile as shown here to hide behind. (Photo submitted by Tom Claycomb III)
By Tom Claycomb III
I complain that writing a bi-monthly article in Idaho is a killer since so much goes on here. I wanted to write about scouting for big game but most hunting seasons have already started. But last week I had a killer perch fishing trip. So, I could still write a couple of more fishing articles before I get into hunting.
Since we are big time into the big game hunting season, let’s talk about glassing. I’ve taught Glassing for Big Game seminars from Vegas to Nashville for probably 15 years. I’ve tested optics for multiple companies and yet I still learn something new every year. Do you never learn it all?
Glassing requires using binoculars or spotting scopes to search for game throughout vast areas and from a long distance away. (More information below.)
Let’s start off with quality. Up until not that long ago, to get top notch glass you had to buy from one of the big three European companies. Now? There are a few American companies that offer nice optics that are priced wayyyy below the big three. I used to be sponsored by one of the big three. I compared their $2,400 pair of binoculars against a $550 pair from a good American company that used to sponsor me and couldn’t tell a nickel’s worth of difference between the two.
But buy the best set of optics that you can afford and you’ll never regret it. Don’t leave any pennies in your pocket.
Binoculars — I used to preach that you should use 8×42’s. My reasoning was, if you were hiking up a mountain and saw movement and stopped to glass, you’d be huffing and puffing so hard that you couldn’t get stabilized enough to see well if you had 10×42’s. (And I’ve never recommended 10×50’s due to their weight.)
About 10-15 years ago I was hunting with John Pascoe and he’d see three animals to my one. Granted he is a super good glasser, but he was also using 10×42’s. I switched to 10×42’s and haven’t looked back.
Spotting scopes — To really glass though you need a spotting scope. In Idaho you can probably justify using a 15-30x spotting scope, but I use a 15-45×65 Vortex and that’s for sure what you should use for sheep hunting due to the longer distances that you’ll encounter.
Buy an angled eyepiece. A straight eyepiece works fine on a gun range but not in the mountains. In the mountains you’d have to be a contortionist to use one.
I teach what I call zone glassing. Don’t bounce all over. Start at the bottom and scan left to right. Go up 50 yards (or whatever your field of view) and scan back to the right. Move up and scan right. Repeat, repeat. Animals move in and out of cover so wait a few minutes and start again.
If you spot something, you have to plan your stalk. You’ll have to play the wind and cover. If the animal is moving, notate which way he’s going. Mark the area he is in. Is there a patch of yellow flowers? Burnt tree? When you get up near to where you spotted him, it will look different so you’ll want a landmark.
One time I took a kid on his first deer hunt. We spotted four deer over a mile away. I told him I thought we could jump in the truck and get a little closer. We switch-backed up the mountain a bit. There was an old trail off to the right. I said, “I think this is about the right elevation.” We hiked down the trail a ways. Suddenly the kid said, “There’s those three dead trees. They were by them!” Sure enough, they were. We snuck a little closer and were able to get a buck.
You’ll need a tripod to keep stable. When you set up, don’t sit on top of a ridge or you’ll be sky-lined. Drop down a little bit. Carry a pad to sit on or you aren’t going to be able to hold still for long. A little backpacking chair is even better. You’ll be a little elevated and able to see over the grass and weeds.
CHRISTIAN TIP #12: I just finished a little project that I’d encourage you to do. A buddy told me about a pastor who said we need to unhitch from the Old Testament. It is judgmental, hateful, and divisive, he said.
My first thought was, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” In the wilderness what did Jesus use to fight the devil? Old Testament verses. Something hit me to go to Goodwill and buy an old Bible. If we think that the OT is evil then we have to mark all OT references out of the NT, don’t we?
I couldn’t wait for the morning. I grabbed the Bible and got started. “Uh-oh, Mr. Heretic. This isn’t starting off well for you,” I thought. Beginning in Matthew, Chapter 1, 22 out of 25 verses reference the OT; Chapter 2, 15 out of 23 verses; Chapter 3, 8 out of 17. Let’s skip over to Hebrews 11. Whoops, 39 out of 40 are OT. Not going so good for the heretic.
When I finished the NT, I thought, “Hmmm, let’s act like we’re Judaic and don’t believe in it! Obviously we’ve got to remove all NT references out of the OT.” Didn’t go so well for that either.
If you want to know more about my investigation into the unhitched (unhinged) false doctrine, I just published an e-article on Amazon Kindle. Hit Amazon Kindle and then search for Tom Claycomb.
For more information about anything in this column, contact Tom at [email protected] or visit his website at outdoor2thecore.com.
