by There were a number of seminars offered at the 2024 Safari Club International Convention held in Nashville. One of the more interesting was a seminar led by outdoor writer and hunter Tom Claycomb on glassing for big game. The seminar included tips on optics, caring for them, and how to use them effectively to search for game animals.
With regard to binoculars and spotting scopes, Tom said to buy quality. In the past this meant what he called the Big Three – Leica, Zeiss, and Swarovski. He noted the optics world has become much more competitive and has really improved. The difference between the Big Three and the rest has really contracted. He also said to look at the warranty as a good optics company will warranty their product. Optics are hard to compare before buying as most outdoor stores rarely carry an extensive inventory of binoculars. One thing to look for when comparing optics, if possible, is to look for shadows at the edge of the image. A top quality optic will not have these shadows.
Tom noted he had moved from 8 power to 10 power binoculars. He suggested that 10×42 as a start though you could go higher. He tends to go with a compact size of binoculars. However, in the fall, he said compact and then super compact would work. He likes an elastic strap to carry his binoculars. In terms of cleaning the glass, Tom said plain water works best.
Glassing aka searching using optics will allow you to find more game. Even if the terrain looks barren, you can glass and see stuff after searching for a few minutes. Rarely will you see the whole animal but you will see either parts of it or movement. That might be as small as an ear flicking at a fly or turning to listen. Make sure not to sit on the skyline and look to break your outline. If you can see them, often they can see you.
Assuming you do spot your desired game animal, glassing will help you in planning your stalk as well as play the wind. You should pick out spots to mark as a landmark such as a patch of flowers, big trees, and the like. Glassing will also help you plan in advance how you are going to pack out an animal assuming you are successful. Often that is when the real work begins!
Finally, Tom said to have a system. Search left to right or the reverse but keep it systematic. Then overlap the field of view as you move all the way up the mountain or from near to far. Even if you are not hunting in the great expanses of the western US or the plains of Africa, searching for your game using optics will give you a better chance of success.
