How to Use Optics for Scouting and Hunting

When scouting or hunting, nothing beats high-quality binoculars and spotting scopes for revealing where the game is and isn’t. Even the best glass relies on the user to develop his or her optic skill set. Try out some of these ideas to improve your next glassing experience.

Easy glassing? That’s a bull elk standing in the middle of a bare hillside. Don’t expect it! Wildlife is generally wary and open spaces make animals uncomfortable. Scan the open and the easy first, yes, but then start examining the edges (tree-lines, around rock formations, fences) and the gaps between trees, rocks and brush.

You’re much more likely to see parts of an animal than the entire animal. Noticing color variations is the key here. A tan patch between trees, for example, might be a deer. That black “stump” in the bushes–may be the rump of a feral hog? Those light-colored sticks above the brush pile deserve a second look, as they could very well be the antlers of your next trophy buck.

Our eyes are naturally drawn to more open areas, which creates a tendency to keep our line of sight higher up when glassing. Higher up is too high, as most game animals stand rather low to the ground. Always start your glassing at ground level. Look under those trees, for example. At any distance, ground level will actually reveal images many feet above, too, so you are unlikely to miss anything if you aim at the ground and the grass, the rocks and the dirt.

You won’t find many horizontal or vertical lines in nature. So, when you spot one, pay attention. Yes, that line could be a tree limb or a strand of barbed wire.  However, it could also be the top of a deer’s back.

If you run your binoculars or spotting scope across an entire hillside, for example, you are likely to go too fast and miss a whole lot. Instead, break up the landscape into more manageable sections. Spend a minute glassing the lower right quadrant of that same hill. Now, glass the upper right quarter. Etc.

Extended glassing can take its toll and create eye strain, while looking at the same landscape for too long results in a blurring effect: everything starts to look the same. The solution is easy enough, though. Pull your eyes away from the optic, look away for a minute, and then close your eyes and count to 30. Now, you can return to your optic with a “fresh” set of eyes.

Styrka optics are designed and made with the hunter in mind–and that means they are ready for the field, in the United States and across the world! All optics are covered by the “Styrka Pride” warranty. If you ever have a problem, your Styrka optic will be fixed or replaced. Forever. Plus, once a year, you can send back your optics and the company will clean and tune it as needed, all on Styrka’s tab.

About Stryka:

Launched in 2015, Styrka offers a dynamic line up of hunting scopes, binoculars, red dots and spotting scopes. The Styrka philosophy is simple but non-negotiable:  make high quality optics at affordable prices; always tell your customers the truth about what optics can and can’t do; and, stand behind your products 100-percent, forever. Styrka Pride. Styrka Strong.

For more information, please visit WWW.STYRKASTRONG.COM