[video]http://youtu.be/nz05jnF4ZRw[/video]
Thought I would give this topic its own thread so we didn't take David Long's live hunt on too much of a tangent.
The original Question:
Some good Answers:
Now I understand glassing a ridge you know holds animals. I've watched distant herds of bedded elk for hours waiting for them to commit to a direction. I can do that.
So when you are in New Country, either scouting or hunting, what is a reasonable timeframe to glass?
In a limited amount of time, a day or weekend is glassing preferred to covering country?
Thought I would give this topic its own thread so we didn't take David Long's live hunt on too much of a tangent.
The original Question:
David how do you overcome the urge to see what is over the other side of the hill?
I am constantly fighting my head that there are deer or other game animals somewhere I can't see and that I should be covering ground to find them.
Does it take spending 6 months worth of Salary on Optics and tripods to sit your butt down and glass?
Some good Answers:
Here is my short answer Rocky, if I am hunting deer you stay put. Especially if you have done your homework and scouted an area well during the summer. If I haven't scouted an area then the patients is even more key. Scouting is when you can cover more territory looking, but patients is still key. I am still learning(ask Robby...) about the most productive or bucky, areas to glass or even what parts of the season to glass where.
Deer blend in a lot better too, so it just plain takes more time. A buck I watched all summer bedded in an area the first time I saw him that hid him very well. When I went back to look at him again later turns out all I could find was part of his leg sitting out. Well sat there watching and eventually he showed me his antlers and it gave it away that he was a monster. A buddy ended up killing that guy.
If I am hunting elk, well they don't hide nearly as good and you can glass smaller pieces of real estate with better success. If they aren't in the 'elky' spots well you can move on a bit quicker. I glassed up 5 bulls last weekend, by moving from one opening to another and glassing into the trees where I know the elk bed down.
Elk also tend to move in larger areas and also pop out a bit more. Scouting is also key here too because if you know where the Elk are ahead of time, well they will likely be in those same spots sticking out like sore thumbs.
Rocky,
Years ago I was the same way. But I can honestly say, once I disciplined myself to plant my ass in one spot and be more patient, that is when I began to kill bigger deer. Like I said previously, most people would be absolutely bored hunting the way I do. I love glassing! I find it very enjoyable.
X2 on a great thread. Thanks Robby for the pics.
I love Rocky's question about staying put. That's one of my biggest hurdles ever, and why I love to still hunt timber when at all possible. Doing in in the aspen groves w/ snow on the ground sounds like a great hunt to me. I've been struggling with whether to upgrade glass to help me stay put longer. I'd like to think it would at least give me more confidence in finding animals, which is huge.
On HCA's comment about staying warm. This thread reminded me of a hunt I saw on video (I think maybe Eastmans) where they were hunting in snow and glassing from fairly high (similar to Robby's pic). I distinctly remember them building a fire up near their glassing point. I never would have dreamed of doing such a thing! I think it was on the back side of a little ridge, but still. They ended up shooting a nice buck - in the quakies!
Any more info David can provide is certainly welcome. I love following these things!
Now I understand glassing a ridge you know holds animals. I've watched distant herds of bedded elk for hours waiting for them to commit to a direction. I can do that.
So when you are in New Country, either scouting or hunting, what is a reasonable timeframe to glass?
In a limited amount of time, a day or weekend is glassing preferred to covering country?