In Randy's last Onx video series he mentioned that he likes to glass in the morning facing north. This intrigued me as a newer elk hunter. It sounds great because the sun will be at your back. But my question is the elk usually bed on the north facing slopes so did he mean that he's trying to catch them as they come to the north slope to bed? It would seem better to glass across the canyon or mountain from the north looking south to the north slope. But of course you will be fighting the sun. Came someone help this greenhorn elk guy? I'm doing a 3rd rifle CO hunt this year so I'm absorbing as much as I can. I'm more a deer antelope guy. Thanks for any tips.
Glassing North ?
- Thread starter Trigger50
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Quest1000
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A few thoughts to add. Elk don't always bed on straight north slopes, rather in my experience (however useless that may be), they more often bed on NE or NW slopes, sometimes E or W slopes depending upon the time of year, snow cover, temps, hunting pressure, etc. Also, in the mornings and evenings, they are often not bedded, rather up feeding in areas where you can see them. It is then that I am usually lucky enough to glass one and make the plan for how to approach it.
It has been my experience that trying to glass directly into heavily timbered north facing slopes is a far greater challenge. I've seen some elk doing that, but for me, it is harder to locate them. It is my experience that when glassing south, into north facing slopes, the elk are harder to see, they are often not there during the best morning glassing light, and the sun is more against you than for you.
Thus, I try to position myself on the highest glassing point I can find, and if possible, orienting so I can glass to the NW or NE, sometimes both, in hopes of finding elk that might be moving to their beds. Same in the evening when elk are coming out of their beds to feed.
It has been my experience that trying to glass directly into heavily timbered north facing slopes is a far greater challenge. I've seen some elk doing that, but for me, it is harder to locate them. It is my experience that when glassing south, into north facing slopes, the elk are harder to see, they are often not there during the best morning glassing light, and the sun is more against you than for you.
Thus, I try to position myself on the highest glassing point I can find, and if possible, orienting so I can glass to the NW or NE, sometimes both, in hopes of finding elk that might be moving to their beds. Same in the evening when elk are coming out of their beds to feed.
ColoradoHunter719
Member
Thank you Randy and Trigger50 for asking this question. I was also a little confused because depending on the terrain, the highest point around there might not provide a clear view for glassing those areas. - ColoradoHunter719
That is often the case. And if so, I try to orient myself to the best direction that accounts for sun, response to hunting pressure, expected travel direction to/from bed, etc.
