Glass First, Walk Less: The Hunt I Didn’t Waste My Boots On

Glass First, Walk Less: The Hunt I Didn’t Waste My Boots On

I used to think walking was the key to finding birds. More miles, more flushes, right?

Wrong.

Turns out, the best hunt I had all season started with 10 minutes of glassing—and saved me 3 hours of hiking through empty cover.

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t physical. But it was smart.

🔭 The Setup: High Ridge, Low Expectations

We pulled up to a piece of ground we’d hunted twice already that season. Both times, light on birds. Still, something felt different. There’d been no pressure in a week, and the wind had shifted south overnight.

Instead of charging in, I climbed a hay bale on the edge of the parking area and sat with my binoculars.

Dog whined. Buddy shuffled his boots.

But I stayed still.

🐦 The Payoff: Two Coveys, Two Good Shots

I scanned a draw we’d overlooked the last time—steep, shaded, full of weed cover.

That’s when I caught it.

Just a flick—tail flash, then a second bird darting to reposition near a patch of bare dirt.

Quail.

We moved in slow, looped wide, sent the dog downwind.

Two coveys. One flush at 15 yards. One at 40.

Two shots, two birds. Both dogs retrieved. Boots still clean.

“Sometimes, your best hunting move is the one you don’t make—until the glass tells you to.”

🧠 What Glassing Changed About My Hunt

Birds aren’t always in the obvious spots—and good boots don’t mean you should wear out the soles blindly.

Start from high ground. Watch the edges. Let the glass tell the story before your feet try to write it.

“The best flush of the season didn’t come from a hard push—it came from a still minute and a steady lens.”