1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: As a guide and hunter, I've spent thousands of days 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: in the field. This show is about translating my hard 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: won experiences into tips and tactics they'll get you closer 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: to your ultimate goal success in the field. I'm Remy Warren. 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: This is cutting the distance. Now. Picture this. It's the 6 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: last day of your elk count. It's been just one 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,840 Speaker 1: of those tough weeks. You know, out of all your gear, 8 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: I want to know what you think that you have 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: at your disposal is the single most effective tool to 10 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: being successful. Now, if you ask me, I would say 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: it's your binoculars. While they don't shoot the animal you're chasing, 12 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: more often than not, they're responsible for my success. I'd 13 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: venture to say that for Western hunting, one of the 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: most successful tactics you can employ is glassing. I define 15 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: glassing as the act of finding game at far off 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: distances through a set of optics. This week, I want 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: to tell you the story of the best spot I 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: ever made, and it was just in the nick of time. 19 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: I also want to go over ways to get the 20 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: most out of your optics, how to get steady, and 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: what you should be looking for while you're glassing. It's 22 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: mid November in Montana, and I'm guiding an elk hunt. Now, 23 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: you gotta get into my mindset. When I'm guiding. I 24 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: want my hunters to be as successful as if I 25 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: were the one with the tag. You know, it's everything 26 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: to me to give them a good hunt. But there 27 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: are those times when the person I'm guiding I actually 28 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: almost want them to get it even more than had 29 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: I had the tag, because they're just such cool people. 30 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: So I think in order to really explained this story, 31 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: I have to first talk about the guy I took out. Now, 32 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: his name was Mark Larson. He'd never harvested a knlk before. Now. 33 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: When Mark showed up, I was hoping for a fairly 34 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: easy elk hunt because he told me a story of 35 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: what had happened to him before he had come on 36 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: this trip. Now it had been a few years prior. 37 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,839 Speaker 1: But although this isn't my story, I just gotta share 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: it because it gives you the mindset of the kind 39 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: of awesome dude this guy was, and how bad I 40 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: wanted to get him his first bull. Now, Mark was 41 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: I would consider him a cowboy um, but also he 42 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: was just an all around good dude. Now, years earlier, 43 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: he was breaking a horse, and this new horse he'd 44 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: put a saddle on that was too small for this horse. 45 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: The horse takes off. When he gets on, his foot 46 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: gets caught in the stirrup. Is the horse runs around 47 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: a fence, Mark's leg gets caught in the fence. With 48 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: the other foot caught in the stirrup, he falls off 49 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: with the foot cot and the horse pulls. As it pulls, 50 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: it essentially rips his pelvis in half, snapping it. Now 51 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: you got to know what kind of a tough guy 52 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: Mark is, because when he got up, he held his 53 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: hips together, forced on his hands, walked back to his truck, 54 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: and got himself to the hospital. I mean, it's just 55 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: an incredibly tough guy. They ended up having to put 56 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: his pelvis back together with a bunch of metal rods 57 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: through his pelvis. So at this point, now he's worked up, 58 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: done his pt and he can hike, and he's gonna 59 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: hunt Montana elk. A few of the things that are 60 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: working against him is when it's cold, that cold from 61 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: the metal in his body, he feels it the whole time. Now, 62 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: Mark was wanting an elk more than anybody's wanted an 63 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: elk before, and He was ready to put in the work, 64 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: and that's what I respect. He shows up, he's got 65 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: his boots and his jeans, and he is just ready 66 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: to go. The unfortunate part is I am doing everything 67 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: in my power to find an elk, and it is 68 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: just a really, really tough week. I don't know where 69 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: the bulls went. We're seeing plenty of cows, but we 70 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: just cannot turn up a bull. So what's that mean? 71 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: We just got a hunt harder and he's right there 72 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: with me. I'm not joking. We were putting in twenty 73 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: mile days for five days hiking is like we couldn't 74 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: find the elk. We end up hiking further, glassing longer, 75 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: hunting harder, leaving way before sun up and getting back 76 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: way after dark. I'm not gonna lie. I was war out, 77 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: and I generally don't get war out. We were hunting 78 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: hard and he was right there every step of the way. 79 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: I always like to think the harder you hunt, you're 80 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: often rewarded. And now it's the last day of his hunt, 81 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,720 Speaker 1: and I was worried that it wasn't going to pan 82 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: out for him. I mean, he had put in the 83 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: time getting to the position where he could even hike 84 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: like that. He hunted harder than of the people I'd 85 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: ever guided, and yet we were still struggling to find 86 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: a bull. It's the last day, and I just have 87 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: the pressure on me because I want him to get 88 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: a bull more than I ever wanted anybody to need 89 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: to get a bull before or hiking up the ridge. 90 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: I'm hiking, stopping glassing, hiking, stopping glassing, get to this 91 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: new base, and we're we've pushed in further than we 92 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: did the days before, into this big burn area. I'm 93 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: sitting down, locked off, and then I've got my head 94 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: rested on my pack. I'm glassing I think probably a 95 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: mile and a half away, and I all of a 96 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: sudden spot something that just looks out of place. I'm 97 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: starting to get a little windy, so I grabbed my 98 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: tripod out, put my binoculars on my tripod, just start 99 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: staring at the spot, like, gosh, is it? It says little? 100 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,799 Speaker 1: Just the shine of this stick is just a little 101 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: bit off. So I decided to grab my spotting scope out, 102 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: zoomed into sixty power, and sure enough, it's the back 103 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: tind of a bull. That's all I can see. And 104 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: it's a mile and a half away. Okay, this is it. 105 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 1: This bulls bedded. We move in. I arranged the ridge 106 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: in front of this bull. We get set up three 107 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: yards away. We wait for the bull to stand. Mark steady, 108 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: he takes a perfect shot and drops the bull. On 109 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: the last day of his hunt, he gets a bull. 110 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: And I believe that that was the best spot I've 111 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: ever made When you look back at that. When I 112 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: showed him what I had seen through the spotting scope, 113 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: we thought no way could anyone have spotted that animal. 114 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: And I think it was just because of a few 115 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: little things that I like to do and the ways 116 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,679 Speaker 1: that I get steady, that we were successful that week 117 00:06:52,160 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: and Mark was able to get his bull. Now, growing up, 118 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: we always have this adage, by the best glass you 119 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: can afford, and there's a reason for that. It's because 120 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: binoculars and optics are such a great tool, but the 121 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: quality varies, and it's pretty much directly attached to the price. 122 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: It's because a lot more goes into making optics that 123 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: are a little bit clearer, a little bit easier to 124 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: look through. They've got crisper focus and more definition. So 125 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: I could go into optics and everything that makes up 126 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: a good pair of binoculars. But that adage is just 127 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: the easiest way to explain it. By the best you 128 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: can afford. The higher the price, the better the binocular. 129 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: You know, you know what your budget is. But I 130 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: would start creeping up toward that top end binocular if 131 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: you can do it, because out of your whole kit 132 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: of gear that you can have, and honestly, I get 133 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: asked more gear questions than any other questions, I don't 134 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: that whole kit. I honestly believe that your binoculars are 135 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: probably the most important. Your binoculars are really what gets 136 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: you game in open country and western type hunting. Now, 137 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: let's say that you've got that good pair of binoculars. Okay, 138 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: having a great pair of binoculars does not necessarily mean 139 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: you're gonna spot more stuff in the wrong hands. A 140 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: two thousand dollar pair of binoculars is just a worthless neckpiece. 141 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: It's a flavor flavor clock around your neck. It's just 142 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: a time piece that costs you a lot of money. 143 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: That means absolutely no more success in the field. And 144 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: I think the first step to using your binoculars correctly 145 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: is knowing how to get steady. Now that might seem intuitive, 146 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: but I see it all the time. The way people 147 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: glass is just they freehold, they throw their binoculars up. 148 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 1: They're just moving around and they aren't able to pick 149 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: out the things that a guy or girl that has 150 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: the skills to get steady and do quality looking has. Now, 151 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,599 Speaker 1: you could take somebody that knows how to glass and 152 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: give them a cheap pair of binoculars and somebody that 153 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: doesn't know how to get steady and give them the 154 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: best pair of binoculars, and the person with the cheap 155 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,959 Speaker 1: binoculars will probably outglass them every time. It's because steady 156 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: glass is good glass. Now, I hunt with people all 157 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: the time that rarely spot things, and there's a reason 158 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: for that. The first step to using your optics, and 159 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: this is the most basic of steps. You gotta put 160 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: the damn things to your face. Okay, now that seems 161 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: like of course, but you be surprised how many times 162 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: people go out out hunting and they rarely look through 163 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 1: their binoculars. They're looking with their eyes, they're scanning around, 164 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: and then they throw their binoculars up when they think 165 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: they see something. When I'm in the field hunting, I'm 166 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: looking through my binoculars probably eight percent of the day. 167 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: The other times I'm just walking around. Even when I'm 168 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: in cover, I'm using my binoculars to scroll the focus 169 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: to check even through or behind thicker cover, because I 170 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: know the advantage that my binoculars give me. It allows 171 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 1: me to see the world closer, clearer, and pick up 172 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: the slightest things in more detail. People are always amazed 173 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: at the things that I see, and I think I 174 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: really attributed it to the time that I spend looking 175 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: through the binoculars because I'm looking at the world through 176 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: more magnified, better view than just with my eyes. Now, 177 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: I do catch a lot of things with my naked eye, 178 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: as I would call it, but I'm looking through my 179 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: optics probably more than i am just scanning with my 180 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: bare eyes. Now, I think the best way to understand 181 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 1: the way that I hunt with binoculars is to just 182 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: kind of go through a hunt. So there's a lot 183 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: of things involved in hunting. Glassing is a huge portion 184 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: of it, but there's a lot of walking and moving 185 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: to different spots, checking out different areas. So I would 186 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: say for my naked eye, I use it to preview 187 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: an area and to catch movement. You can catch a 188 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: lot of movement through your peripheral vision, but as soon 189 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 1: as it comes time to look through the binoculars, the 190 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: key is to get steady, and to do that is 191 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: what I call locking off. So you'll see the guys 192 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: they're just freeholders. They are just walking around, free handing 193 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: their binoculars, throwing it up to their face. Now you 194 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: might see something like that, but with a little bit 195 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: of shake in your optics, what you're doing is you're 196 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 1: stressing your eye because it's it has to follow with 197 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: the bounce and you aren't gonna be able to pick 198 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: out as much a detail. Just locking off and getting 199 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: slightly steadier will allow you to pick out more and 200 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: more details. So the more steady the glasses, the more 201 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: detail you're gonna pick up later on. Let's go as standing. 202 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: Now I'm walking, I'm looking at this hillside or other 203 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 1: things as I move along, Let's say within the out 204 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: max a four yard range. This is great for just 205 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: standing and giving it a scan. But when I'm standing, 206 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: the way I hold my binoculars is I've got my 207 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 1: binoculars up to my face and instead of just holding 208 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: them out with my elbows out, the binoculars get heavy 209 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: and it causes bounce. So what I do is I 210 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: bring my elbows down into my body or my chest. 211 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: I have my hands around the binoculars, and then I 212 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: grab and pinch the binoculars between the bill of my hat. 213 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: What that does is my hat is on my head, 214 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 1: which is a straight line to the ground down my legs. 215 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: So as I'm standing, I'm locking my elbows into my 216 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: body or my trunk, and then my binoculars onto my hat. 217 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: It's like a grounded effect. It's straight to the ground 218 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: and is way more stable than just throwing binoculars up 219 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: and freeholding it. Now, let's say we've moved through and 220 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: we get to this bigger basin and we're now looking 221 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: at what I would say, maybe that four hundred to 222 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: thousand yard range, maybe out to a mile or just 223 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: under a mile, maybe that fifteen s d yard range. 224 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: For that, I want to be even more locked off. 225 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: Now it's it might not be an area that I 226 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: want to spend all day looking at, but it's something 227 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: that needs some investigating. So for that, I'm going to 228 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: do what would be sitting down getting rounded by getting grounded. 229 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: I'm adding even more stability to my entire setup. I'm 230 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: gonna be able to spot more. I'm gonna be able 231 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: to see more detail. So when I'm on the ground, 232 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: I've got my pack on. I'm sitting on my butt 233 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: with the pack as a backrest, so that's gonna stabilize 234 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: my upper torso. Then I've got my feet planted on 235 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,559 Speaker 1: the ground with my knees up. I've got my elbows 236 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: locked to my knees. So what that's doing is putting 237 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: everything that's holding the binocular more points of contact on 238 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: the ground. It's just a lot more stable. Now I'm 239 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: locking my hands to the bill of my hat and 240 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: I'm glassing and scanning. This is great when you're moving 241 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: and checking new areas because you're sitting down and you're 242 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: able to pick out even more detail. You can even 243 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: take that a step further and almost what looks like 244 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: you're taking a nap. Lay down, get your head rested 245 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: on something, because you want to be stable. If I'm 246 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: walking and i come over a ridge into a new 247 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: base and it's almost like I'm laying down, I'm on 248 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: the ground, I'm locked off, and I'm looking. I'm just 249 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: covering it and getting a better source of information. Of 250 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: what's over there by taking a steady look at it 251 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: before I move on. So many times that's how I've 252 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: spotted animals that I probably would have otherwise glanced past 253 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: by just standing there, scanning while standing up and then 254 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: moving on. That bowl that I spotted for Mark, just 255 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: picking out that one time was because I was practically 256 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: laying down. Got that get glass so steady that I 257 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: was able to see the slightest shine off the back 258 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: tie of a bullet almost a mile away. So there's 259 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: a lot to be said for being steady. Now, what 260 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: if you're overlooking an area, Let's say you've got to 261 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: what I would call a glassing tit or a glassing knob. 262 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: That's an area where you've got a great vantage and 263 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: your primary function for the day is just looking over 264 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: that country. At that point, I'm gonna get even more stable. 265 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna break out the tripod. Now. I write for 266 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: a Western hunter magazine and I've worked a lot with 267 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: the company called Outdoors, and they make adapters for tripods 268 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: for glassing. And that's kind of how I got into 269 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: using a tripe odd with my binoculars, Because in the Southwest, 270 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: those guys just trying to spot CU's dear. It's over 271 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: huge expanse of open country, very hard to see, dear, 272 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: and just that little bit of stability. What it does 273 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: is when the binoculars are stationary without you moving while 274 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: on that tripod, it allows your eyes to scan what's 275 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: in the field of view of the binocular. Because of that, 276 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: you're able to pick out things at further distances than 277 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: you can while holding it because of the shake. So 278 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: just that tripod action allows you to move your eyes 279 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: and focus inside what's in the binocular, and then move 280 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: the binocular on the tripod and then scan that new area. 281 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: You'd be surprised. I mean I can spot with my 282 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: binoculars two and a half miles or more depending on 283 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: the game when it's on a tripod, So you go 284 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: from a para binoculars. A lot of guys have trouble 285 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: spotting stuff four hundred yards away with because they're just 286 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: standing there. To now be able to use the same 287 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: piece of equipment to reach three four miles out. I 288 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: mean I've hunted in Nevada for LK, sat five miles 289 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: away with my twelve power binoculars on a tripod and 290 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: started picking out bulls in the timber. It's because of 291 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: the steady nature of putting it on the tripod allows 292 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: you to pick out so many more details than if 293 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: you're just free holding it. Now. Just because you might 294 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: not be in big, open country also doesn't mean you 295 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: shouldn't be using your binoculars. I think one thing that 296 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: gets overlooked all the time is people that hunt timber 297 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: or are still hunting through on a way to a 298 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: glassing area forget to use their optics in that because 299 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: they think that they can see so close. The trouble 300 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: is is your eyes focus on the brush and everything 301 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: in the way when you throw your binoculars up. What 302 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: I'll do is I'll still hunt through a piece as 303 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: I'm going to a glassing area, I'll put my binoculars up, 304 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: and then I'll just scroll that focus. Because what that 305 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: focus does is it changes your depth of field that 306 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: you're looking through and past brush. If there's something, maybe 307 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: say just behind a big cluster of timber, you'll be 308 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: zoomed in and you'll be able to focus on each 309 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: vocal length beyond what your eyes capture. I've caught so 310 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,119 Speaker 1: many animals that way that have led to a successful 311 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: hunt just by using my binoculars even in close quarters. 312 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,479 Speaker 1: So just because you might not be in an area 313 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,159 Speaker 1: that is wide open where you can see for miles, 314 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you shouldn't also use your binoculars there. Honestly, 315 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 1: binoculars are one of the most effective tools we have, 316 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: and to get good at it you have to practice. Now, 317 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: people always ask, well, what do I look for? That's 318 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: a great question because I'm not necessarily looking for the 319 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 1: whole animal when I'm glassing. What I'm looking for is 320 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 1: a piece of the animal, and that piece of the 321 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: animal I'm looking for is something that looks out of place. Now, 322 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: in that story, when I spotted just the back tind 323 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: of a bull, what it was was the way that 324 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: the sun hit that it had a sheen that the 325 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: other branches didn't have, and because I was steady, I 326 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 1: was able to pick up on that. Think about the 327 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 1: shape of an animal. A lot of things that I 328 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: look for are the flat line is that really kind 329 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: of stand out in nature, the lateral line of the back, 330 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: the flat horizontal line of the back, maybe the dark 331 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: or the or the vertical line of the leg, a 332 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,959 Speaker 1: piece or the round shape of the ear, the shine 333 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: or bifurcation of an antler branch for mule deer, say, 334 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: or the way that the beam grows on an elk 335 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: with times coming straight out of it. Things that look 336 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: slightly out of place for the terrain or the background 337 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: around them. If you've got an area that has very 338 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 1: little white, the white patch on a mule deer stands out. 339 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 1: But if it's really white, maybe the dark colors stand out. 340 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 1: It's things that look different than everything else you're looking at. 341 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,240 Speaker 1: I rarely look for the whole animal. Most oftentimes I'm 342 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: just looking for something that looks out of place. You 343 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: create these mental pictures as you get used to glassing 344 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: and start finding things. What did you pick out on that? 345 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: Was it an ear? Was it a movement? Now, moving 346 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: animals are are easy to see, but what about the 347 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: stationary animals When it's tough, when you haven't seen much. 348 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: What do you look for then? Well, that's when you 349 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: really have the key into the specific little pieces that 350 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: just don't look right, the pieces that identify that's an animal, 351 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: but I don't know why that's an animal at this point. 352 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 1: It needs a closer look, and that's where your spotting 353 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: scope comes in. When I'm glassing. It's the time through 354 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: my binoculars. I rarely will just sit and scan an 355 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,160 Speaker 1: area with my spotting scope because it caused a lot 356 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: of eyestrain to close one eye. You'd be better off 357 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: putting your binoculars on a tripod covering an area and 358 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: then using your spotting scope to get it just a 359 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,400 Speaker 1: closer look and identify maybe some things that looked out 360 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 1: of place, or some areas that you think, well, maybe 361 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: an animal be hiding in there. But overall, the key 362 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: to glassing is getting steady and creating a mental search 363 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: note for things that just look out of place. I 364 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: have a saying, if you were to go out with 365 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: me hunting generally in the morning, what I'm gonna tell 366 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: you is, let's put our balls all over this hill. 367 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: And what I mean is your eyeballs. You just gotta 368 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: remember that, right there is the trick of the trade. 369 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: And I talked about glassing this week because I got 370 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: so many questions on glassing. And I know last week 371 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: we did a little Q and A. There's just a 372 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: pile of emails and messages about how do I find stuff? 373 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: What should I be doing when I'm out there looking? 374 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: Glassing was the number one thing that I got questions about. 375 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: I think rightfully so, because it just probably the most 376 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: effective tactic. It's kind of hard to talk about. It's 377 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: a little dry when you're out there glassing. It can 378 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: get boring, but you just gotta get out there, keep 379 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: doing it, keep practicing, keep those little tips in mind. 380 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: The other thing that I got asked about a lot 381 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 1: was just gear, and out of all the gear, boots 382 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: was probably up there in the top. So next week 383 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: what I want to talk about is boots selection, foote air. 384 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 1: I've even got a great story for you about a 385 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: guy who got gang green by not following the rules 386 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: of footcare and boot selection. That's a dangerous thing to 387 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: get in the elk woods. So we'll cover that, and 388 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: then I might even after that jump back into just 389 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: a different avenue of glass ng or spotting game before 390 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: your friends. I think that'll be cool. So we got those. 391 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: Still don't have a good sign up, but until next week, 392 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: put your balls all over the mountain. Your eyeballs not 393 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: gender specific audios.