How to Glass for Elk and Mule Deer - Hunting Tips and Tactics

How to Glass for Elk and Mule Deer - Hunting Tips and Tactics

Mastering the Art of Glassing for Elk and Mule Deer

Welcome to Backbone Unlimited. My name is Matt Hartsky. In this article, we’re digging into one of the most misunderstood and underutilized skills in mountain hunting — glassing.

Not just owning a pair of binos or having a spotter in your pack. I’m talking about the actual art of glassing — when to do it, how to do it effectively, and why it can completely change the outcome of your elk or mule deer hunt if you use it right.

A lot of guys treat glassing like a sit-down break — something you do between stalks or when your legs are torched. But for serious backcountry hunters, especially those chasing elk and high-country mule deer, glassing isn’t a break. It’s a weapon. Used right, it saves you miles, saves you energy, and puts you in control of the hunt before you ever take a step.

It’s Not About the Gear — It’s About the Tactics

Glassing is not about who has the fanciest tripod setup or the most expensive optics. That stuff helps, sure, but it’s not what makes the difference. The real difference comes from tactics — the mental discipline, strategic thinking, and field-proven techniques that help you turn terrain and light into opportunity.

We’re going to break down how to pick a glassing point, how to grid with intent, when to use binos versus a spotting scope, how to adjust for thermals and time of day, and the mental edge that comes from truly knowing how to sit still and read the mountain.

If you’re tired of hiking blind, bumping deer out of their beds, or wasting energy pushing into empty spots, this is how you reframe the way you hunt. Because once you master glassing, the game slows down. The odds go up. And the whole mountain starts talking back.

Choosing the Right Glassing Spot

Glassing success doesn’t start when you sit down behind the binos. It starts with the decision you make before you ever leave camp — where you choose to glass from.

This is the first place most hunters blow it. They hike to a ridge that looks good, plop down, pull out their glass, and get frustrated when nothing shows up. But glassing isn’t magic. You’ve got to be intentional about your position and your field of view.

When I’m e-scouting glassing points, I ask three questions:

  1. What can I see from this point? Tilt 3D maps to simulate your field of view and look for benches, basins, drainages, timber breaks, and avalanche shoots — the places animals naturally move.

  2. How does sunlight hit it throughout the day? East-facing spots are best in the morning, west-facing in the evening. You don’t want to stare into glare or black shadow for hours.

  3. Can I get there without blowing the area? Wind and approach matter. If your scent drifts into the basin before you glass, it’s already over.

Elevation isn’t everything — angle is. You don’t always want the highest peak. You want the right line of sight into bedding and feeding terrain where animals actually live.

Thermals and Time of Day

Here’s where glassing gets next level. Understanding thermals affects both your access and your visibility.

In the morning, cool air sinks down, pulling your scent with it. If you’re above feeding elk or mule deer at that time, they’re gone before you even set up. Save those high vantage points for later in the morning once the air warms and thermals rise.

When the sun gets high, heat distortion can ruin long-distance viewing. Move to shaded glassing points or focus on shorter distances.

And always remember the rule of smart access — never blow your best hunting area just to glass it. If you have to cross the basin or skyline yourself to get to the knob, you’ve already lost the advantage.

How to Glass Like a Predator

Glassing isn’t just looking — it’s hunting with your eyes. If you move too fast, you miss everything.

Most hunters sit down, scan for five minutes, see nothing, and move on. Meanwhile, the bull or buck they just glassed past is lying 200 yards below in the shade watching them walk away.

Slow down. Lock in. Let the mountain reveal what it’s hiding.

Start broad, then go narrow. Scan with your naked eye first, then use low power binos to orient yourself. Once you know the layout, start gridding.

Divide the landscape into sections — top, middle, bottom. Then left, center, right. Move methodically, covering each section the same way every time.

Do multiple passes. Your first pass catches movement. The second checks shadows and timber edges. The third picks apart details — antler tips, flicking ears, or a patch of hide catching light.

The longer you stay still, the more the mountain reveals. Glassing isn’t flashy. You don’t get likes for patience. But patience kills.

Movement, Contrast, and Light

Train your eyes to see rhythm breaks. Wind and shadows have natural patterns — when something moves against that rhythm, it stands out.

Color contrast is another giveaway. That tan patch against dark timber or gray shape that wasn’t there yesterday might be your animal.

Light matters, too. Antlers catch sunrise and sunset like mirrors. Eyes can reflect just enough light to reveal a bedded animal. Use that to your advantage.

Binos vs Spotting Scope

Binos find. Spotters confirm.

Your binoculars are your first layer — the wide, fast scan. Spotters come out when it’s time to verify antlers, age, or size.

I run Maven B2 9x45s in a chest harness and a Vortex Razor 16–48x65 on a tripod. The 9x45s are my go-to for quick scanning. The Razor comes out for serious grid work or long-distance judgment.

Tripods are the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter how nice your optics are if they’re shaking in the wind. A carbon tripod with a smooth pan head lets you glass for hours and see details you’d never pick up freehand.

When to Leave the Spotter Behind

Sometimes less gear equals more success.

If you’re archery elk hunting in tight terrain, chasing bugles or still-hunting through dark timber, leave the spotter. It’s dead weight. You’ll never need that kind of magnification in close quarters.

But for open country mule deer, late-season rifle, or long-range alpine hunts, your spotter becomes essential. Don’t let anyone tell you more gear always means better results — it’s about using the right tool for the job.

Glassing for Elk vs Mule Deer

Elk are movers. Mule deer are stillness experts.

When glassing elk, watch movement first. They’re grazers, constantly feeding and traveling. Focus on transition zones — the edges of meadows, benches, burns, and dark timber cuts. Early morning and evening are your best windows.

For mule deer, it’s all about patience. Bucks can stay bedded in view for hours without giving themselves away. Pick apart slopes slowly. Look for tiny details — the curve of an antler, the flick of an ear, the subtle line of a back against the terrain.

And always re-glass as the light shifts. The same slope looks completely different at 9 a.m. than it did at sunrise.

After You Spot an Animal

Spotting is only half the hunt. What you do next determines everything.

Step 1: Don’t move. Think before acting. Watch what the animal is doing — feeding, bedding, alert, or traveling.

Step 2: Check the wind. Use your wind checker often. Don’t trust assumptions about thermals.

Step 3: Plan your route like a predator. Avoid skylines, use cover, and have backup plans if the animal shifts.

Step 4: Keep glassing during the stalk. Animals move. Reassess as you go.

Step 5: Know when to wait and when to close. The last 200 yards is where discipline either seals the deal or blows it.

Sometimes the best move is waiting. Other times, you’ve got seconds before a bull hits cover. Don’t move because you’re impatient — move because it’s right.

The Glassing Mindset

Glassing isn’t just about spotting animals. It’s about discipline. It requires stillness when your instincts want to move, and patience when you’re tempted to give up.

The mountain doesn’t care how bad you want it. You can be jacked, dialed, and motivated — but if you can’t find animals, none of that matters.

The hunters who fill tags consistently aren’t the fastest or the strongest. They’re the ones who master the glass. They find animals others walk past, read behavior, and make calculated moves when it’s time to kill.

Train the Way You Hunt — Join TEAM BACKBONE

If you’re serious about taking this kind of knowledge deeper, that’s exactly why I built TEAM BACKBONE. It’s more than just a membership — it’s a way to sharpen your edge with exclusive tools, strategies, and a tribe of hunters who refuse to quit.

Inside, you’ll get:

  • 20% off site-wide on all Backbone Unlimited gear.

  • A member-only t-shirt shipped to your door every month, not available anywhere else.

  • Full access to the digital content vault — guides, checklists, fitness programming, backcountry strategies, and mindset training.

  • A private Facebook group with direct access to me and a community of driven hunters who live relentless.

  • Direct call, text, or email access to me for personalized advice on training, hunting strategy, or just sharpening your edge.

  • Automatic entry into monthly gear giveaways.

This is built for the guys who train for the hunt, push themselves in the off-season, and want to be part of a tribe that makes them better. If you’re ready for that kind of inner circle, TEAM BACKBONE is waiting at BackboneUnlimited.com under the membership tab.

Thanks for being here. Until next time — Train Harder, Hunt Smarter, and Never Settle.

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