Glassing vs. Still-Hunting: When to Use Each Tactic

Glassing vs. Still-Hunting: When to Use Each Tactic

Both glassing and still-hunting are powerful methods for locating and killing game—but they serve different purposes, depend on different terrain, and demand different mentalities. One is about sitting still and seeing far. The other is about moving slow and seeing first.

This post breaks down when and where to use glassing or still-hunting, so you can apply the right tactic to the right situation—and tag smarter this season.

🏔️ Glassing: Spot More, Move Less

📌 Best Used In:

• Open terrain: Western ridges, alpine basins, desert flats

• High vantage points with long lines of sight

• Mid-morning to midday when animals are moving or bedding

🧠 Purpose:

Cover vast country with optics and let your eyes do the walking.

🎯 Ideal Species:

• Mule Deer, Elk, Antelope, Bear, Axis Deer

📍 Tactical Setup:

🎙️ “I glass until I find bedded deer. Then I make one perfect move. No aimless hiking, no bumping.”
— Travis M., Arizona

✅ Pros of Glassing:

• Less physical pressure on terrain

• Avoids bumping animals blindly

• More efficient for locating groups or mature animals

❌ Cons of Glassing:

• Doesn’t work in thick cover

• Can lead to analysis paralysis—too much looking, not enough action

• Requires patience and terrain planning

🌲 Still-Hunting: Slow Motion Ambush

📌 Best Used In:

• Big woods, timber, cedar thickets, swamps, dense ridges

• Cold, calm days with crunchy or wet ground

• Areas with short sight distances or heavy cover

🧠 Purpose:

Move inch-by-inch, watching and listening for animals before they detect you.

🎯 Ideal Species:

• Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Wild Hogs, Roosevelt Elk

📍 Tactical Setup:

🎙️ “I’ve killed deer I never saw until I was 25 yards away—and they never saw me either. Still-hunting is surgical.”
— Jenna R., Northern Wisconsin

✅ Pros of Still-Hunting:

• Deadly on pressured or patterned animals

• Works in rain, wind, or snow—conditions most hunters avoid

• Excels in tight, overlooked spots no one glassed

❌ Cons of Still-Hunting:

• Higher risk of being winded or busted

• Physically and mentally demanding

• Easy to go too fast or make noise without realizing it

🧠 When to Use Each Tactic

🎙️ “I’ll glass 90% of the time in the West—but I still-hunt ridges in the big timber back home. Each has its window.”
— Mike F., Montana & Ohio

🔀 Smart Hybrid Tactic: “Glass Then Still”

• Glass from afar, mark an animal or suspected zone

• Move slow through cover, essentially still-hunting into a stalk

• This combo works especially well for solo elk, deer, and bear hunters on steep or broken terrain

🎙️ “I spotted a muley bedded behind a cedar. Took me 40 minutes to close 200 yards through scattered pines—but he never moved, and I got the shot.”
— Nate L., Colorado

📦 Essential Gear for Each Style

👁️ Glassing:

• Vortex Razor HD 15×56 binos

• Slik carbon tripod + outdoorsman adapter

• Spotter with angled eyepiece

• Wind-checker and topo map overlay app (BaseMap, OnX)

👣 Still-Hunting:

• Softshell camo or wool base layers

• Compact harness bino pouch

• Adjustable shooting stick or trekking pole with yoke

• Ultra-light dry bag for mobile layers and wind gear

📣 Top Resources

• Books: Spotting Big Game, Still-Hunting the Whitetail by Larry Benoit

• Apps: HuntStand (wind & layers), BaseMap (offline maps), Spartan Forge

• Communities: Glassing Masters Forum, Still-Hunters Collective, Elkshape Nation

💡 Pro Tip: Glassing finds them. Still-hunting finishes the job—if the wind, noise, and timing are right.

🌟 Final Shot: Pick the Right Tool for the Terrain

There’s no “better” tactic—only the right one for the terrain, the weather, and the animal’s behavior. Learn both glassing and still-hunting, and you’ll double your effectiveness. The key isn’t doing more. It’s doing the right thing at the right moment.

“Some hunts are a waiting game. Others are a chess match. Know which you’re in before you make your first move.”