{"id":1667,"date":"2021-07-14T21:12:29","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T21:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=1667&#038;fishpig=1626295454&#038;preview=true"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","slug":"our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Top Tips for Glassing Terrain"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#Our_Top_Tips_for_Glassing_Terrain\" >Our Top Tips for Glassing Terrain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#Glassing_Terrain_While_Hunting\" >Glassing Terrain While Hunting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#Patience_Persistence\" >Patience & Persistence<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#Get_Comfortable\" >Get Comfortable<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#Blend_In\" >Blend In<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#Use_a_Tripod\" >Use a Tripod<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#The_Anchor_System_Glassing_Terrain\" >The Anchor System Glassing Terrain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/#The_Grid_System\" >The Grid System<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_Top_Tips_for_Glassing_Terrain\"><\/span>Our Top Tips for Glassing Terrain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our Top Tips for <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/outdoor-life-binoculars-test\/\">Glassing<\/a> Terrain. Knowing <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-binocular\/\">how to<\/a> effectively glass while <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"hunting\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"316\">hunting<\/a> can lead to more punched tags.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My first elk hunt was over a decade ago. Growing up east of the Mississippi River I never truly understood the expanse of the western landscape until the first morning when my guide and I sat on a high knoll and watched the rising sun illuminate the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains in northern New Mexico. He began glassing the adjacent mountain side composed of dark timber where elk slipped out then back in with the burgeoning light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first bull he spotted was safely back into the trees long before I could get eyes on him. So was the second. Then the third. I\u2019d rarely used binos up until that point. Having only to pick up movement in close quarters in the eastern hardwoods. My guide must have given me some <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/\" title=\"Elk Hunting Tips for Beginners\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1119\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tips on glassing terrain while hunting<\/a> though I\u2019ve long since forgotten them. Not until a few years later, when I came to work with this company did I truly understand the importance of knowing how to set up and use <a title=\"Using Binoculars with Glasses\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/using-binoculars-with-glasses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">binoculars<\/a> or a spotting scope to my advantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Glassing_Terrain_While_Hunting\"><\/span><b>Glassing Terrain While Hunting<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-a-hunting-lease\/\">Hunting<\/a>, scouting, birding, whatever it is you\u2019re doing that requires the addition of optics to your adventure, the following rules and\/or suggestions all apply to becoming more effective while glassing terrain. Whether it\u2019s an <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/all-products\/8x42-binoculars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">8x binocular<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/spotting-scopes\/toric-spotting-scopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">55x spotting scope,<\/a> you can\u2019t put a price on patience and persistence. As well as a few other items we think will help you in your quest for successfully seeing more animals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><b>Patience &#038; Persistence<\/b><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s the funny thing about trying to find bull elk, many of which can have massive antlers and weigh around 700 pounds: they are hard to spot. I incorrectly assumed all those years ago that creatures of such stature and mass would easily be seen from miles away. The Creator obviously had different ideas.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Big game animals like elk and <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tag\/mule-deer\/\">mule deer<\/a> are adept at disappearing into seemingly barren landscapes. Given that they live in the land of lions, bears, and hunters, camouflage is one of their foremost forms of protection. Don\u2019t look for the whole animal. Try to find a leg laying out in the sun or the slight turn of a big rack.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The eyes of someone who spends a weekend or two a year behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tag\/glass\/\">glass<\/a> can\u2019t compare with those who do it consistently. So if you\u2019re the former, don\u2019t get discouraged if you\u2019re having a hard time spotting animals. Patience and persistence, like so many other facets of life, really do pay off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xevcU6X0Hp8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Guide Cole Kraetsch offers a few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xevcU6X0Hp8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tips<\/a> for glassing the big country of the west.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_Comfortable\"><\/span><b>Get Comfortable<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a comfortable setup. There is absolutely no shame in bringing a pad or finding yourself a back rest. I was in my 20s on that first elk hunt and could sleep on the ground and walk all day without an inkling of soreness. These days not so much. My neck hurts from looking down at my laptop for long periods of time. A comfortable sitting position will allow you to glass for longer periods of time without the need for a break.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Blend_In\"><\/span><b>Blend In<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Conceal yourself. Glassing is still hunting and the sharp eyes that most animals possess will pick you out long before you see them. Create your comfortable setup among some scrub oak or back against a big ponderosa pine to break up your silhouette. You should also consider glassing into the wind, just as you would when stalking. Lastly, try to keep the sun at your back so that no part of your setup shines and you\u2019re not dealing with glare.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_a_Tripod\"><\/span><b>Use a Tripod<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using a tripod with <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/binoculars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"binoculars\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"148\">binoculars<\/a> is an effective way to sit longer and see more animals. A tripod will save your neck and shoulder muscles untold hours of use. You may find yourself glass for six hours or better before spotting an animal and making a stalk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A tripod will also allow you to take a break then pick back up where you left off. Or, if you\u2019re hunting with a partner, you can stay on an animal when you spot it and easily tell your buddy where to look. Otherwise you may have to relocate the animal and it could be gone by the time you do.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_478\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-478\" style=\"width: 617px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-478\" title=\"Glassing Terrain\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/inner127-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Glassing Terrain\" width=\"617\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner127-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-478\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glassing Terrain<\/figcaption><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Attaching your <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/accessories\/binocular-tripod-adapter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Binocular to a Tripod<\/a> makes all the Difference in Glassing Terrain Out West<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Anchor_System_Glassing_Terrain\"><\/span><b>The Anchor System Glassing Terrain<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you don\u2019t have a tripod or just don\u2019t want to carry one into the backcountry, the anchor system is the next best thing. Find your comfortable spot. Make sure your butt and feet create a solid foundation for the rest of the body. Place the tips of your elbows onto the tips of your knees &#8211; bone on bone &#8211; and raise your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/tips-for-off-hand-shooting\/\" title=\"Tips for Off Hand Shooting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">binoculars<\/a> to your eyes. Drop your shoulders to put some tension on the elbow-knee connection and therefore solidify the anchor. This will help reduce shake and fatigue when glassing for long periods of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Grid_System\"><\/span><b>The Grid System<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using the grid system is most effective and easier with a tripod though it will work on the anchor system as well. Like we mentioned, you\u2019re not necessarily looking for the whole body of an elk or mule deer. It\u2019s mostly likely going to be a body part or a subtle movement that gives away their location.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The grid system is a way to pick apart the area you\u2019re glassing with less of a chance that you\u2019ll miss something. Start at the top left portion of the area and slowly scan to the right, almost like reading a book. Except that when you reach the right-most side, drop down a bit and scan back left. This way you\u2019re covering the area efficiently rather than looking at random places.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1668\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1668\" style=\"width: 635px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1668\" title=\"Glassing Terrain\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Grid-Image.png\" alt=\"Glassing Terrain\" width=\"635\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Grid-Image.png 695w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Grid-Image-300x231.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Grid-Image-389x300.png 389w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Grid-Image-150x116.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1668\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glassing Terrain<\/figcaption><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Picking apart a hillside with binoculars or a <a title=\"5 Reasons to Own a Spotting Scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/5-reasons-to-own-a-spotting-scope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spotting scope<\/a> can be both fun and rewarding. You may be elk <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/binoculars-for-turkey-hunting\/\" title=\"Binoculars for Turkey Hunting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"654\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> but spot your first black bear. While the kill is a great reward, the immersion in nature is hard to beat. And you\u2019re that much closer to the action when employing a systematic glassing strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1350\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1350\" style=\"width: 728px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/binoculars\/hunting-binoculars-toric\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1350 size-full\" title=\"Glassing Terrain\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/TRACT_Binos_728x90.jpg\" alt=\"Glassing Terrain\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/TRACT_Binos_728x90.jpg 728w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/TRACT_Binos_728x90-300x37.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/TRACT_Binos_728x90-600x74.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/11\/TRACT_Binos_728x90-150x19.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1350\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glassing Terrain<\/figcaption><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Top Tips for Glassing Terrain | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12161,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2275,1],"tags":[2325,2460,2493,2797,2958],"class_list":["post-1667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accessories","category-uncategorized","tag-accessories","tag-big-game-hunting","tag-binoculars","tag-hunting","tag-optics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1667"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11442,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667\/revisions\/11442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}